Eat More, Weigh Less

Feeling shackled by portion control? Our tips to feel fuller for longer could set you free!

- Dr Kate Marsh

One of the hardest things about losing weight is feeling hungry. When you’re hungry, it’s hard not to overeat, and is more difficult to resist the temptation! Yet to lose weight you need to take in less energy which means cutting down on what you’re eating now. DL dietitian Dr. Kate Marsh explains how you can gain control over your appetite and still lose weight without going hungry.

Reduce energy density is the measure of kilojoules in a given volume of food. Foods with a low energy density provide a larger volume of food for the same amount of energy as food with a high energy density. For the same number of kilojoules as a 50g packet of potato chips, you could eat a large fruit salad comprising 1 medium apple, 1 small banana, 1 medium kiwifruit, ½ cup blueberries, and 1 cup strawberries, or a large bowl of steamed vegetables including 1 medium corn cob, 1 medium carrot, 1 cup broccoli, ½ cup peas and ½ medium red capsicum. Which do you think will fill you up the most?

Go for low GI Studies have shown that carbohydrate foods with a low glycemic index (GI) produce greater satiety and can reduce the amount eaten at a subsequent meal. Low-GI carbs are more slowly digested and absorbed. They include traditional rolled oats, wholegrain bread and pasta, legumes, corn, whole grains such as barley, quinoa, and buckwheat, and many fruits.

Fill up on fibre Fibre is known to increase satiety and is found in plant foods such as fruit, legumes, vegetables and whole grains. Observational studies have found an inverse association between fibre intake and weight gain: the more fibre you eat, the less weight you gain over time.