Read an interesting study the other day that said that while the number of calories we eat may vary significantly from day to day, the weight of food we eat every day tends to remain pretty constant. One theory is that it is the weight of the food we eat that triggers much of our feeling of fullness, which in turn triggers us to stop eating.
How to use this information? Well, if you want to lose weight seek out foods that are high in water content. That is why fruits and vegetables are so useful in weight control. Apples, melons, celery, carrots, blueberries, strawberries, the list goes deliciously on and on. However, any food that is low in calorie (and low fat) density will help. You want foods that have a low number of calories for their volume, the exact opposite of sweets which tend to be very calorie dense. Another way to fill your stomach is with plain old water. Drinking water before and during a meal is a great way to fill yourself up.
“Eating a diet that is low in calorie density allows people to eat satisfying portions of food, and this may decrease feelings of hunger and deprivation while reducing calories,” said Dr. Julia A. Ello-Martin, who conducted the study as part of her doctoral dissertation in the College of Health and Human Development at Penn State.