I get emails like this almost every week:

"I feel shocked that I've been eating like I have and maintaining in the 170s for the most part. It's amazing!"

Or this:

"I am eating SO much with this new range. And what is even weirder is the scale going down more than it ever did when I was in a deficit?!"

Clients are routinely shocked by how much they can eat while maintaining or even LOSING weight.

But here's the thing...

When we talk about "eating a lot," this can mean one of two things:

1. The amount of CALORIES you're eating
2. The amount of FOOD on your plate—otherwise known as food "volume"

In many ways, the "secret" to losing weight and keeping it off is learning how to maximize the volume side of things... without a high calorie total to go with it.

That's actually what both these clients are doing super well, and why they're both shocked by how they're eating (while still crushing their respective goals).

Quick sidebar: the second client isn't losing weight because she's actually eating more calories. The math simply doesn't work like that: more calories, a bigger deficit.

People are just often more consistent with their calories when they have a higher on-paper target, resulting in a lower weekly intake.

(Take a look at this example of a typical "1,250" calorie deficit, then this "higher calorie" diet that leads to fewer calories per week.)

In any case, the sentiment remains: she has a lot of FOOD on her plate right now, and is still losing weight.

Here are three things you can do ASAP to follow their lead and get more food for fewer calories:

1. Eat mostly single ingredient, whole foods. More processed, convenience-based foods aren't inherently "bad"... but they tend to have more calories per bite. The same goes for liquid calories: they add up quickly and aren't very filling
2. Eat more "high volume" foods. These are foods you can eat a lot of without eating a bunch of calories. The most typical examples are leafy greens, watermelon, and berries—but you can't go wrong with any fruit or vegetable
3. Keep an eye on your fat intake. It's technically satiating, yes—but it also has twice the calories per gram as protein and carbs, and adds up very quickly. So it's wise to keep this within a certain range, especially if you struggle to stay full

Do these three things, and the amount you'll be able to eat may surprise you.

Sam

P.S. Want to know how much fat to eat while dieting? Just reply to this email with your calorie target, and I'll give you a more specific recommendation.