Researchers at Pennsylvania State University are providing some key clues to help you to permanent weight loss. They are looking at the effect of the kind of food you eat, and how it affects your ability to lose weight. (The influence of food portion size and energy density on energy intake: implications for weight management. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jul;82(1 Suppl):236S-241S.)

One thing they have shown is that people tend eat food based on how big the portions are. In other words, they found that no matter what the food was, the people ate the same quantity. It didnt matter if it was something light or something heavyif they were used to eating a full plate of food, they ate a full plate of food and didnt stop until it was gone.

The problem with this is that some foods are very dense. They have a great deal of calories in each cupful. So if you tend to eat dense foods you will take in more calories. Even a small number of extra calories each meal will make a tremendous difference over time.

When you eat one of these very dense foods, like fatty meats and rich sauces for instance, you are not generally satisfied with a small amount. Your body may only need 500-600 calories for each meal (which is about normal for 3 meals per day in a lean, healthy adult.)

But a meal of meat and gravy with a small amount of vegetables will probably not seem like a meal to you. You might get a chicken leg and a small salad. It is not very likely that you are going to be satisfied with that. You might have to double the portion to feel satisfied.

But a meal with less dense foods, like grains, soups, and more vegetables, will be a lot of food. There are not too many calories in a bowl of soup and a heap of lettuce, and add some beans and rice and you will have plenty of food. Even with some lean meat you will still get more to eat.

So when you add in the less calorie dense foods, which are mainly foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, and rice, you get a lot more to eat, plain and simple. And it is always easier to stick with your weight loss efforts if you are getting enough to eat.