In this choose-your-own-adventure episode, Dr. Scott Watier and Tommy Welling compare volumetric eating—a strategy focused on consuming larger portions of low-calorie-density foods like vegetables, soups, and water-rich fruits—against 16:8 time-restricted eating in a 12-week study of 37 moderately active adults, revealing that both approaches produced nearly identical improvements in body weight, fat mass, BMI, and waist measurements without sacrificing lean muscle. The hosts unpack the surprising adherence difference showing fasting participants stuck to their plan 83% of the time (5.8 days per week) versus 76% for volumetric dieters (5.3 days weekly), attributing fasting's edge to simplified rules, reduced decision fatigue, and minimal food noise compared to the mental burden of constantly evaluating energy density and portions. They introduce the hedonic food scale distinguishing between high-pleasure calorie-dense foods like pizza and ice cream versus low-hedonic options like raw vegetables and melons, challenging listeners to leverage both approaches by using volumetric foods as strategic fast-breakers or late-night alternatives to pantry raids. With practical guidance on prioritizing protein-dense whole foods like steak that climb the hedonic scale while providing superior satiety, implementing volume-based choices to ease window-closing struggles, and recognizing that 7% better adherence compounds dramatically over months and years, this episode delivers the permission to combine strategies rather than viewing them as mutually exclusive paths to sustainable weight management.
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Article Links:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12175453/pdf/12937_2025_Article_1167.pdf