The Volumetrics Eating Plan by Barbara Rolls Ph.D. (2007, Paperback, Reprint)

Recently on the cover of US News and World Report, the Volumetrics Eating Plan reaches out as the latest pathfinder in the new frontier of common sense dieting for life as "pioneered" by Dr. Will Clower in his eye-opener to faux foods and their negative impact on the American diet, "The Fat Fallacy". Unlike Mireille Guiliano of "French Women Don't Get Fat" fame, author Barbara Rolls has all the right nutrition-savvy credentials, which will definitely appeal to those lifetime strategists needing a nod from the medical community. As different as Guiliano and Rolls are in terms of in-the-trenches experience, both books have the same message, albeit Guliano's formats hers as a memoir with recipes and Rolls provides a more theoretical approach again with the requisite recipes.

During numerous trials, Rolls noticed that despite the macronutrients involved, (the current trend in dieting divides everything into three groups: carbohydrates, protein and fat) people still ate the same amount of food each day. What was different and what caused people to gain weight was that they ate different caloric amounts. Rolls realized that since people eat a specific volume of food daily, if they chose foods that would provide that same comfortable volume with less calories and more nutriments, weight loss would be achieved and easy to maintain without calorie counting.

Rolls suggests making up a large portion of one's diet with category 1 foods: foods that have fewer calories in a serving than their weight in grams -- most water and fiber rich foods like fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy product fall into this category. Rolls defines 4 categories, touting also a more expansive enjoyment of category 2 which includes foods with calories equal to or slightly greater than their weight --- ie., fish, chicken without fat or skin, potatoes, pasta, rice, beans, and low-fat salad dressings. The usual suspects like beef, cheese, pretzels, full-fat salad dressings, chips, cookies,ice cream, bacon, oils, and french fries that have two or more times as many calories as their weight can still be eaten, but need to be controlled.

Think of it this way: if you started off your meal with a fruit salad of sliced apples, strawberries and pineapple slices, you immediately have moved the gauge in your brain's satiety monitor towards the 'full' position. You have also provided your body with water, fiber and vitamins. If you followed this starter with a small bowl of soup containing all sorts of vegetables, chicken pieces and stock, you are providing your body a variety of nutrition form different sources. Finishing with a smaller cut of fish or chicken or whatever, only stands to reason - you are already "full" and your need to eat more dissovles as your brain registers the fact that you have provided your body enough nutriments.

Bottom line: Common sense epiphany whose positive functionality is demonstrated by years of observation and test studies. High calorie no-no foods that are usually forbidden on many diets are allowed here in moderation -- carb rich foods that are verboten on high-protein diets like Atkens and South Beach are okay here as the message is similar to the premise in "Fremch Women Don't Get Fat" and "The Fat Fallacy" -- eating real food, rich in nutriements and variety provide your body what it needs and fulfils the body's need for satiety. The result? no brainer -- better health and maintainable weight.