Chocolate consumption per week

standout00
standout00 Posts: 150 Member
in Food and Nutrition
If I'm trying to lose weight how many times is it OK to have chocolate per week?
P.S.: I've already lost 26 Lb so far.
Thanks in advance for all your answers.
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Replies

  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,209 Member
    I have 20g of Lindt 70% dark every single night. It's my little treat with a cup of tea, and it makes me happy.

    So long as it fits your calories, and isn't edging out more nutritious foods, have at it!
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,374 Member
    I eat chocolate every day, just don't go overboard with it
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,208 Member
    You can have all you want provided it fits in your overall calorie target.
  • AdahPotatah2024
    AdahPotatah2024 Posts: 2,237 Member
    I usually have a bag of chocolate chips in my fridge and eat a bit here and there, but if it were disappearing after a few days I'd probably stop buying it..I try to stay under the recommended daily sugar amount 25 grams or so.

    (The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to no more than 6% of calories each day. For most American women, that’s no more than 100 calories per day, or about 6 teaspoons of sugar. For men, it’s no more than 150 calories per day, or about 9 teaspoons. The AHA recommendations focusing on all added sugars without singling out a type such as high fructose corn syrup.

    https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/added-sugars )
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,166 Member
    If your only goal is to lose weight, the answer is "as much chocolate as your calorie budget will allow".

    If you also value your health, the answer would be more like "as much chocolate as you can fit in your calorie budget while also getting adequate protein, fats, veggies/fruits (the latter for micronutrients and fiber).

    Yes, getting too many calories from added sugar is undesirable, but (according to WHO) mostly because when we get too much sugar we're usually going to either (1) exceed reasonable calories while getting adequate nutrition, or (2) not get adequate nutrition within a sensible number of calories, plus sugar can contribute to dental problems.

    There can be a couple of personal problems with too much chocolate or too much sugar. First, sugar intake may spike blood sugar, and the subsequent crash can trigger cravings. Second, chocolate (or other sugar-y things) tend not to be very filling, which can cause appetite problems.

    If you crave that chocolate treat, I agree that portion-controlling it (and choosing really good chocolate!) can be a good way to go.

    There are also some slightly more nutrient-dense things with some nice chocolate flavor that may scratch the itch. Chocolate peanut butter powder can be added to various foods (yogurt, fruit, etc.). Cacao nibs can have a nice flavor, and add some crunch on top of various foods. (IME, different brands of nibs are more flavorful than others. Some don't have much taste, others are super good.)

    Plain cacao or cocoa powder (no sugar added) can give a rich chocolate flavor to things, including some savory foods. (I put some in things like chili or black bean soup. Think about mole sauces, though the chocolate flavor there is more a note than a main feature.) There are different versions of cocoa powder that work better in certain cases, but I'll leave that for those interested to research. Cocoa/cacao powder is not necessarily extremely high calorie, though raw cacao can have more fat in it. (The brand of cacao powder I use has 60 calories per 2.5 tablespoons/15 grams. One tablespoon per serving adds some nice flavor - and antioxidants - for 24 calories.)

    It's the fats/sugar in chocolate that primarily increase the calorie count. We need some fats, and very low-fat chocolate (candy) is not IMO very nice. Sugar can be more flexible. Read labels.

  • Corina1143
    Corina1143 Posts: 3,609 Member
    If you've already lost 26 pounds, you're doing something right, so trust your own answer.
    If you can find the tiny tootsie roll midgees, I think they're 9 calories each, so 11 of them is still under 100 calories. My answer is 11 times a day.
  • standout00
    standout00 Posts: 150 Member
    Corina1143 wrote: »
    If you've already lost 26 pounds, you're doing something right, so trust your own answer.
    If you can find the tiny tootsie roll midgees, I think they're 9 calories each, so 11 of them is still under 100 calories. My answer is 11 times a day.

    My goal is weight loss, not weight gain.
  • Corina1143
    Corina1143 Posts: 3,609 Member
    standout00 wrote: »
    Corina1143 wrote: »
    If you've already lost 26 pounds, you're doing something right, so trust your own answer.
    If you can find the tiny tootsie roll midgees, I think they're 9 calories each, so 11 of them is still under 100 calories. My answer is 11 times a day.

    My goal is weight loss, not weight gain.

    I lost 60 pounds in 6 months eating 11 midgees a day on many of those days. My dietitian suggested 4 Hershey kisses a day at about 25 calories each for a total of 100 calories, but if there were kisses in the house, there were lots of kisses in my tummy. If there were a hundred midgees in the house, chocolate 11 times a day was still plenty. I didn't want more.
  • standout00
    standout00 Posts: 150 Member
    Corina1143 wrote: »
    standout00 wrote: »
    Corina1143 wrote: »
    If you've already lost 26 pounds, you're doing something right, so trust your own answer.
    If you can find the tiny tootsie roll midgees, I think they're 9 calories each, so 11 of them is still under 100 calories. My answer is 11 times a day.

    My goal is weight loss, not weight gain.

    I lost 60 pounds in 6 months eating 11 midgees a day on many of those days. My dietitian suggested 4 Hershey kisses a day at about 25 calories each for a total of 100 calories, but if there were kisses in the house, there were lots of kisses in my tummy. If there were a hundred midgees in the house, chocolate 11 times a day was still plenty. I didn't want more.

    Good on you! Are Hershey kisses small, bite-sized chocolates? Are they similar to Freddo Frogs in Australia??

  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,209 Member
    standout00 wrote: »
    Corina1143 wrote: »
    standout00 wrote: »
    Corina1143 wrote: »
    If you've already lost 26 pounds, you're doing something right, so trust your own answer.
    If you can find the tiny tootsie roll midgees, I think they're 9 calories each, so 11 of them is still under 100 calories. My answer is 11 times a day.

    My goal is weight loss, not weight gain.

    I lost 60 pounds in 6 months eating 11 midgees a day on many of those days. My dietitian suggested 4 Hershey kisses a day at about 25 calories each for a total of 100 calories, but if there were kisses in the house, there were lots of kisses in my tummy. If there were a hundred midgees in the house, chocolate 11 times a day was still plenty. I didn't want more.

    Good on you! Are Hershey kisses small, bite-sized chocolates? Are they similar to Freddo Frogs in Australia??

    Smaller! 3 kisses are probably equivalent to a Freddo, I think.
  • standout00
    standout00 Posts: 150 Member
    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    standout00 wrote: »
    Corina1143 wrote: »
    standout00 wrote: »
    Corina1143 wrote: »
    If you've already lost 26 pounds, you're doing something right, so trust your own answer.
    If you can find the tiny tootsie roll midgees, I think they're 9 calories each, so 11 of them is still under 100 calories. My answer is 11 times a day.

    My goal is weight loss, not weight gain.

    I lost 60 pounds in 6 months eating 11 midgees a day on many of those days. My dietitian suggested 4 Hershey kisses a day at about 25 calories each for a total of 100 calories, but if there were kisses in the house, there were lots of kisses in my tummy. If there were a hundred midgees in the house, chocolate 11 times a day was still plenty. I didn't want more.

    Good on you! Are Hershey kisses small, bite-sized chocolates? Are they similar to Freddo Frogs in Australia??

    Smaller! 3 kisses are probably equivalent to a Freddo, I think.

    Ohh... Thanks for clarifying that!

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