Another example of calorie density & satiety in action...
Over the last few weeks, I have been working with a client and one of their goals was to lose some weight. As such, we spent some time discussing the principles of calorie density and how to actually apply these principles to their life.
About a week later, I received the following comments in an email which they agreed I can share with you.
"I was reading your calorie density article and it reminded me of an experiment I did about three years ago. For one week I weighed how much food I ate in a meal. I was testing the theory that people eat about the same weight of food on average. And yes, it turned out that I was pretty consistent. For that week, I regularly ate between 4.5-5 lbs of food a day, or about 1.5 lbs per meal (assuming 3 meals per day).
I then plugged my age (52), weight (172), goal weight (140), and activity level (I picked sedentary), into one of those online “how many calories should I eat a day” tools and was told to consume 1226 calories per day to reach my goal weight in 8 months. That’s about 400 cals per meal (assuming 3 meals per day) . Sheesh, that seems like nothing.
So, let’s bring these two pieces of information together:
If I eat 4.5 lbs of food per day and should be eating no more than about 1226 cals per day that’s an average calorie density of 1226/4.5 or 272 cals/lb. That’s pretty much vegetables and fruits. I really don’t think I’d be satisfied on just fruits and vegetables – do you?
Going back to the online calorie calculator tool and selecting Light Activity (instead of Sedentary) which they describe as:
At work - you walk a lot
At home - you keep yourself busy and move a lot
Exercise - you participate in light exercise or take long walks
It tells me I can eat up to 1478, let’s say 1500, cals per day, and still lose about 1 lb/week. That equates to 333 cals/lb average daily calorie density. This seems to agree with your comments in your article that:
'Research has shown that people can eat freely of foods that are 300 calories per pound or less and not gain weight. People can consume relatively large portions of foods that are between 300 and 800 calories per pound and still lose or maintain their weight depending on their individual activity level and metabolism.'
As long as I stay with the 300 cals/lb foods, and assuming that I don’t change anything else about my lifestyle (eating out, activity level). That means eating mostly fruits and vegetables.
What do you think?
To me, this is an amazing example of someone who put the principles to the test. And, as we can see, they prove true.
My numbers in regard to calorie density & the formula for my recipes, comes from many years of experience working with clients in a residential setting and, when put to the test and diligently applied, work. And as you will see, they work very well.
Some comments about the above to clarify a few points.
These online calculators are not very accurate however, they still made the point. Using them, they got 1226 calories per day.
If we use my ballpark numbers, that RMR is weight x 10, then at their goal weight of 140, they will be burning about 1400 calories at rest. If they use that number as their current calorie goal, and consume 3 meals a day, that equals 466 calories per meal. And, that is with being sedentary.
If they add in some activity and exercise, they get more calories to eat. At light activity, they got an estimate of about 1500 calories, which is 500 calories per meal.
For the record, at medium activity, it would be about 1800 calories per day.
So, let's use all these numbers...
Online calculator - 1226
My Quick method - 1400
With light activity - 1500
With moderate activity - 1800
Considering they average 4.5 lbs of food per day, 1226 calories per day divided by 4.5 lbs of food per day equals an average calorie density of 272 cal/lb
Bumping the calories per day up to 1400, as per my comments above using my quick method, equals an average calorie density of 311 cal/lb
With light activity, they get 1500 calories per day, which is an average calorie density of 333 calories per pound,
At medium activity, they get 1800 calories per day which is an average calorie density of 400 cal/lb
Depending on their activity level, they are aiming for an average calorie density of 272 to 400 calories per lb.
As I said in the quote above...
"Research has shown that people can eat freely of foods that are 300 calories per pound or less and not gain weight. People can consume relatively large portions of foods that are between 300 and 800 calories per pound and still lose or maintain their weight depending on their individual activity level and metabolism."The important thing to remember is that aiming for a calorie density of 272-400 cal/lb does not mean to consume just the "foods" that are 400 calories per pound or less (fruits and veggies), but to aim for "meals" that have an average calorie density of 272-400 cal/lb. Assuming we are talking about only intact whole foods (fruits, veggies, intact whole grains & beans), this can easily be done by applying the guidelines of calorie density, as pictured in "The Healthy Eating Placemat, especially....
http://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewt ... 22&t=37450As long as one follows this guideline, then the average calorie density of meals will be less than 400 calories per pound.
The above math is also how I devised the formula many years ago for my SNAP and Fast Food recipes.
If you follow my SNAP & Fast Food recipes as recommended, the meals they produce will have an average calorie density of about 250 calories per pound, which would be a calorie density even less then the original low-ball estimate for calorie density that my client calculated of 272 cals/lb. Now, add in all the other guidelines such as, "start with a salad and/or soup and/or fruit," to my recipes, and success is a sure thing.
The key here is two things
1) The calorie density goal is an
average for the meals.
2) Activity plays a role. However, one does not have to be an ultra or elite athlete to be successful as even a little activity can help,
By beginning to apply these concepts and adding in a little more activity, starting meals with a salad, soup or fruit, and following the 50/50 guideline, the client is already seeing their overall calorie count go down, without being hungry, while still being satisfied and feeling good about it all.
There you go!
You can now enjoy your food without having to count calories, AND be very full and satisfied, AND lose weight AND not have to live on just fruits and veggies or have to be an elite athlete. That is a win/win/win/win!
In Health
Jeff
