the core diet based on volumetrics?
I don't know if any of you have heard this too, but someone mentioned on the WW core board that the Core plan was designed with the help of Barbara J. Rolls who wrote the Volumetrics books.
I have been reading the excerpts in the 2 Volumetrics books over at Amazon, and it's just amazing to me how it brings some light to bear on the science and reasons behind the Core plan. I was wondering if anyone has read the books.
I noticed that I have really been struggling with my appetite lately and it dawned on me that I might not be eating enough for my weight. (If you read the excerpts from the 2 volumetrics books) you will notice that the author makes the point that you need to eat to achieve a sense of fullness/satiety while eating foods that have less energy density. In other words, maybe we are stuck in a diet mentality where we are not eating enough at times? She also makes the point that a research study showed that if a person didn't eat enough at one meal (did not reach a sense of fullness/satiety), then they would over-eat at the next meal.
So I'm trying to back-track and figure out how I got to this place of feeling so hungry. I think what I have been doing is slightly under-eating. I thought you were supposed to eat only until you honestly could say that you were not "hungry" anymore, but not necessarilly full. And then I went to visit my parents recently and stayed 2 days over there, so that I was eating foods that weren't as satisfying to me (a very lean, plain diet for 2 days). I remember coming home feeling really ravenous, but I dismissed the feeling and stuck with my regular core plan habits. But I did notice that I felt like I was snacking more on carbs and less on fruits/veggies. Then I got really super ravenous one night and splurged on a 2 item combo from Panda. Ever since then, I have been feeling these vague feelings of craving rich food. But I am resisting it.
So my thoughts are...maybe I have something slightly wrong with my understanding of core.
For example, I have been using my WPA to eat non-core foods that are "safe" in my mind, such as rice cakes, a flat iron steak, fage yogurt (whole fat kind), a veggie/egg-beaters omelette at IHOP, etc. These were not foods that I wanted to eat, per se. But they were non-Core foods that I thought would be good choices, if I was going to use my WPA at all.
But then I realized, from reading something that the author of volumetrics said: this is not a deprivation diet. You can eat energy dense foods that you love, but just eat a small portion after you have already eaten a satisfying meal that was low in calories and fat but high in fiber and water (volume foods).
So bear with me here. My moment of enlightenment was realizing that I should plan to have some foods I actually really like such as chocolate or ice cream, but perhaps be wise about it and have a small portion after I have my healthy meal (and preferably, I should only buy one portion, or get the item at a restaurant so I don't have the temptation of a whole carton or box in my house).
I realized that the WPA is to enjoy non-Core foods that you enjoy and make your meals more satisfying. It can be very satisfying to have a small piece of chocolate after a good meal.
I suppose the bad thing is if you feel your cravings are out of control and you are in danger of binging. But the point of the core diet (the volumetrics diet) is to avoid getting ravenous. I am starting to suspect, as I watch my patterns of hunger and satisfaction, that I get really hungry after feeling deprived.
So I am going to start eating just a little bit more. I'm talking...a couple bites, or a few bites more at dinner time. I am not going to stop eating when I notice the absence of hunger, but the presence of satiety.
This satisfaction thing is a learning process! I'm also going to start adding notes in my food planner to mention when I noticed feeling really hungry, and when I felt satisfied for at least 2 hours after a meal. If I am getting hungry again so soon, or notice a ravenous feeling...it's something to analyze and fix rather than ignore.
Here are a couple of links to the volumetrics books so you can read the excerpts, if you want to join me in figuring out the Core plan!
http://www.amazon.com/Volumetrics-Weight-Control-Plan-Barbara-Rolls/dp/0380821176/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209600092&sr=1-2
http://www.amazon.com/Volumetrics-Eating-Plan-Techniques-Calories/dp/0060737301/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209600092&sr=1-1
I have been reading the excerpts in the 2 Volumetrics books over at Amazon, and it's just amazing to me how it brings some light to bear on the science and reasons behind the Core plan. I was wondering if anyone has read the books.
I noticed that I have really been struggling with my appetite lately and it dawned on me that I might not be eating enough for my weight. (If you read the excerpts from the 2 volumetrics books) you will notice that the author makes the point that you need to eat to achieve a sense of fullness/satiety while eating foods that have less energy density. In other words, maybe we are stuck in a diet mentality where we are not eating enough at times? She also makes the point that a research study showed that if a person didn't eat enough at one meal (did not reach a sense of fullness/satiety), then they would over-eat at the next meal.
So I'm trying to back-track and figure out how I got to this place of feeling so hungry. I think what I have been doing is slightly under-eating. I thought you were supposed to eat only until you honestly could say that you were not "hungry" anymore, but not necessarilly full. And then I went to visit my parents recently and stayed 2 days over there, so that I was eating foods that weren't as satisfying to me (a very lean, plain diet for 2 days). I remember coming home feeling really ravenous, but I dismissed the feeling and stuck with my regular core plan habits. But I did notice that I felt like I was snacking more on carbs and less on fruits/veggies. Then I got really super ravenous one night and splurged on a 2 item combo from Panda. Ever since then, I have been feeling these vague feelings of craving rich food. But I am resisting it.
So my thoughts are...maybe I have something slightly wrong with my understanding of core.
For example, I have been using my WPA to eat non-core foods that are "safe" in my mind, such as rice cakes, a flat iron steak, fage yogurt (whole fat kind), a veggie/egg-beaters omelette at IHOP, etc. These were not foods that I wanted to eat, per se. But they were non-Core foods that I thought would be good choices, if I was going to use my WPA at all.
But then I realized, from reading something that the author of volumetrics said: this is not a deprivation diet. You can eat energy dense foods that you love, but just eat a small portion after you have already eaten a satisfying meal that was low in calories and fat but high in fiber and water (volume foods).
So bear with me here. My moment of enlightenment was realizing that I should plan to have some foods I actually really like such as chocolate or ice cream, but perhaps be wise about it and have a small portion after I have my healthy meal (and preferably, I should only buy one portion, or get the item at a restaurant so I don't have the temptation of a whole carton or box in my house).
I realized that the WPA is to enjoy non-Core foods that you enjoy and make your meals more satisfying. It can be very satisfying to have a small piece of chocolate after a good meal.
I suppose the bad thing is if you feel your cravings are out of control and you are in danger of binging. But the point of the core diet (the volumetrics diet) is to avoid getting ravenous. I am starting to suspect, as I watch my patterns of hunger and satisfaction, that I get really hungry after feeling deprived.
So I am going to start eating just a little bit more. I'm talking...a couple bites, or a few bites more at dinner time. I am not going to stop eating when I notice the absence of hunger, but the presence of satiety.
This satisfaction thing is a learning process! I'm also going to start adding notes in my food planner to mention when I noticed feeling really hungry, and when I felt satisfied for at least 2 hours after a meal. If I am getting hungry again so soon, or notice a ravenous feeling...it's something to analyze and fix rather than ignore.
Here are a couple of links to the volumetrics books so you can read the excerpts, if you want to join me in figuring out the Core plan!
http://www.amazon.com/Volumetrics-Weight-Control-Plan-Barbara-Rolls/dp/0380821176/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209600092&sr=1-2
http://www.amazon.com/Volumetrics-Eating-Plan-Techniques-Calories/dp/0060737301/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209600092&sr=1-1