- Nearly five years ago, I lost 35 pounds while maintaining my muscle mass.
- Eating high-volume foods helped me feel full and satisfied while in a calorie deficit.
To lose weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit: consuming less energy than you burn over the course of the day.
Whether you find it easier to stick to a calorie deficit by fasting till the afternoon, following a specific diet, or counting macros is up to you, but for weight loss to be sustainable, the method generally has to be too.
When I lost 35 pounds and reduced my body fat percentage from 30% to 17% nearly five years ago, I didn’t cut out any food groups or follow a specific diet, but I loosely tracked my calories and protein.
I ate a high-protein diet, as this helps you maintain muscle while losing fat and also helps you stay feeling full. Continuing to do so in the years since has helped me maintain my weight.
Another trick I used to feel satisfied, and in turn less likely to turn to less nutritions, calorie-dense foods, is eating lower-fat, high-volume foods. There are foods that are low in calories but take up room in your stomach — and on your plate.
Others might prefer to eat higher fat foods that can also help with satiety. There’s nothing inherently fattening about fat, but it’s more energy-dense: protein and carbs have four calories in each gram, while fat has nine.
But quite simply, I love to eat. By choosing foods that take up a lot of space on my plate for not too many calories, I feel satisfied and full, and not like I’m depriving myself with tiny portions.
Here are five of my favorite high-volume foods that made fat loss easier for me.
1. Potatoes
Some people shy away from potatoes, and carbs in general, when trying to lose weight, but they needn’t. Carbs are a great source of energy and, especially if you choose whole-grain, brown versions, fiber too.
Research suggests that potatoes are one of the most satiating foods, and if you boil or bake them without adding lots of fat, they’re relatively low-calorie while being high in volume. I love baked potatoes with coronation chicken, chilli and cheese, or baked beans and cheese.
2. Broccoli
Not everyone loves broccoli, and that’s fine. But I genuinely do. It’s low in calories, quite high in protein for a vegetable, and when lightly steamed has a lovely texture. However, I do also love roasting my broccoli with some olive oil — slightly higher in calories but worth every bite.
3. Fat-free Greek yogurt
Greek yogurt is one of my staple foods and has been for years. I will admit that the higher fat version has an even more delicious texture, but if you’re keeping an eye on your calories, fat-free Greek yogurt (or Icelandic skyr) is a great choice — you can eat a lot of it for very few calories, and it’s an excellent source of protein too.
I add mine to smoothies, overnight oats, granola and fruit, and even sometimes add a dollop to savory dishes.
4. Popcorn
While movie theater popcorn is often covered in sugar and butter, it’s easy to find lower-calorie popcorn these days which is lightly flavored and therefore low in calories.
Unlike most bags of chips, you can eat a lot of popcorn for not many calories so it’s great for when you’re not too hungry but just really want to snack on something.
5. Strawberries
Strawberries have a really high water content (while also providing nutrients and fiber) so they’re a great low-calorie, high-volume food. To keep costs down, I use both frozen and fresh berries and eat them on top of oats, with Greek yogurt, in smoothies, or just as they are.
