Indulge Your Sweet Tooth and Still Lose Weight

The worst part about dieting is, well, the diet. No one wants to give up their favorite foods. I live a relatively healthy lifestyle and I eat a very well-balanced diet, but I also enjoy my favorite treats here and there because depriving yourself is just setting yourself up for failure. A sweet tooth is one of the biggest diet downfalls, so we will focus on how you can satisfy your sugar cravings while still staying on track with your healthy eating goals.

Chocolate and Your Diet

Chocolate is the best friend of many women, but it can also be a diet killer due to being rich in calories. However, you know that when you are craving chocolate, only chocolate will satisfy that craving and you need actual chocolate and not any of that "diet chocolate". So, head into your kitchen and grab some of your favorite fruits. Bananas, strawberries, raspberries and melons are a good choice. Chop these up into bite-sized pieces and grab a fork. Take a small sauce cup and pour some chocolate sauce into it. Yes, chocolate sauce. Dip your fruit into the chocolate sauce and enjoy. Now, do not bury your fruit in the sauce, but just dip a bit to get some of the sauce on it. This will help to satisfy your chocolate craving while also allowing you to reap the nutritional benefits of the fruit.

You can also choose a single square of high-quality dark chocolate. Only one square though, and make sure it is dark chocolate. Even one or two Hershey's kisses will not derail your diet. But, no more than one or two.

Creamy Sweets and Your Diet

If ice creams, puddings and other creams treats are more your thing, never fear. You can work with this too and still maintain your healthy diet. With the health craze happening all around us, you can always choose those healthier option fudgesicles, ice cream bars and other frozen treats to help stay within your diet. Another great trick is to simply only buy single-serving containers. For example, skip that gallon of ice cream and only buy that small single-serving of it. You get a bit of indulgence and once it is gone, it is gone.

Remember that fruit is naturally sweet. I personally am a huge fan of smoothies. All you need is some ice, the fruits of your choice and a blender. You can also add in some yogurt (I often do).

How Bad are Sweets on My Diet?

Well, it isn't the sweets that are bad, but how big your portions are. For example, if you only eat a ½ cup of ice cream per week, you are not going to hurt your diet, but if you are eating that ½ cup of ice cream every single night, your diet will likely suffer. Another example is, one candy bar a month is not going to really impact your diet, but eating 10 candy bars a month will. So, your focus should always be a well-balanced diet, but you should also always be mindful of your portion sizes. Keep in mind that a pound of fish is still a pound. Everything in moderation. You can indulge every once in a while.

Resources

MSNBC: Craving Chocolate: Ditch that Diet Mentality