Dessert off limits?

ShannonMpls

I've had a sweet treat after dinner virtually every night since I've started. And as you can see from my ticker, it's not been a problem.

myfitnessnmhoy

Dessert before: 1 full pour of Merlot (12-13 ounces). 1 small bowl of dark chocolate chips. 1-2 cookies. 1 shot whiskey (single-malt if possible).

Dessert now: 1 5-ounce pour of the same Merlot. Between 10 and 40 dark chocolate chips (5 calories a whack, and YES I count them). 1 cookie if I have lots of calories left.

Dessert in maintenance after I get my 1000 calories back: 1 5-ounce pour of Merlot. 40 dark chocolate chips. 1 cookie. 1 shot whiskey.

The only thing I've given up is the shot of single-malt, but I've already purchased a smaller shot glass and worked out the calories for a sweet, sweet nightly shot from the very expensive bottle of single malt I'm going to buy myself when I reach goal.

My diet is for life. My life includes dessert.

chroniclesofadime

Oh man, if dessert was off limits I'd be in huge trouble! Total depravity = failure, at least for me. It just makes me want it more.

So...I've found some super low calorie - and DELICIOUS!! - substitutes. Try Skinny Cow brand...all of their stuff is delicious, from the candy bars to the ice cream sandwiches...and not one thing I've tried was more than 140 calories (I do believe there are some ice cream bars that are 150 calories, but even still, for dessert, that's pretty low).

Also, I just tried a Fiber One brownie today, and it was only 90 calories, and soooo good!!

sarah44254

Somedays all I eat is sugar and candies. Chocolates and ice creams.

I still lose weight. Yep.

Just not as healthy as I could be. Not as healthy as I want to be. But definitely a smaller weight.

timadotcom

Anyone who is friends with me knows that I am an ice-cream-aholic and I do not mean the low fat kind either... an ice cream session usually contains 600 - 800 cals worth of this sweet goodness.... but I just make sure that my workouts account for this. My diary is open for viewing... and I have still lost weight!

UsedToBeHusky

Sugar does not interfere with your weight loss. Neither do carbs or fats or protein. You want to watch your sugar if your body is insulin resistant... and sugary sweets have a tendency to be high in calories so you really can't do a lot at one time. But you don't have to swear off of sugar to lose weight. I refuse to give up chocolate. Also, there are lots of recipes for desserts that are low calorie or sugar free. Eating sweets while attempting to lose weight is all about self control. If you can eat one or two fun-size candy bars and not scarf down the whole bag, then you are alright. If sweets lead to binging, then you might want to avoid them.

flyingwrite

I eat some type of dessert every day, sometimes twice a day. If we go out, I might eat half a piece of pie instead of the whole piece or if I've worked really hard that day/week, I'll have the whole piece. I eat different desserts than I used to, but at the end of the day, I feel good about what I eat and how much weight I've lost. To me, THAT's what matters.

Tropical_Turtle

Why deny yourself? That is a great way to set yourself up for failure. Just allow sweets into your calories for the day.

KyleB65

Yes, you can eat some sweets and still lose weight.

I have done so.

However, quantity, quality and frequency all come into play here.

I LOVE Oero cookies! So, every now and then I will have 2 - 3 with a glass of milk. The milk is now 1% and the 2 - 3 cookies is down from the 6 - 8 at a time I used to eat.

And, my wife and children will bring home other sweet treats that I will try as well. Ice Cream, donuts, cake, etc. But, my portions are small.

In addition, I have found that I have replaced my old desert sweet tooth with a fruit sweet tooth. I have no science to back it up but I believe that these whole food natural forms of sugar are much better for my system than any of the processed sugars and syrups used in fabricated and boxed foods.

dmest

I eat dessert everyday but keep the portions small. Dove dark chocolate promises are great. I also like Trader Joe's mini ice cream cones, Godiva Dark Chocolate pearls and See's lollipops. All are very satisfying treats that can easily be added into your daily calories. The Godiva pearls are super low in calories if you want a tiny treat.

CallieM15

A lot of people cut out desserts and do better BECAUSE without the processed sugar, they have less cravings for the caloric unhealthy foods.  I cut out sugars because I don’t crave them, therefore allowing me to eat a healthier protein/veggie diet. I still have cheat days, but I notice more and more I don’t want to eat the crappy desserts, more things like… Cheesy nachos. LOL

BigMech

I didn't swear off dessert's and sweets and I lost 260 lbs!

I certainly ate dessert less often, and much smaller portions of it, but as long as it fit in my calorie limit and macros, I would have it. There was almost nothing I eliminated from my diet while losing the weight, just less of everything. It was all about portion control for me.

phillieschic

In my world, nothing is off limits. Everything in moderation. And, if I want to splurge on something decadent, I make sure I bust my butt during my workout to compensate for it.

ashnm88

I lost a total of 80lbs eating what I want, when I wanted it. Moderation and exercise is key.

Musikelektronik

I read an article about weight loss and was a bit skeptical whan it said that you can still have desserts even when trying to lose significant amounts of weight (not just 5 or 10 lbs). I have sworn off all sweets because I thought it was necessary to limit or eliminate sugar as much as possible. I am currently not using any added sugar in any of my foods. Do you think its possible to eat sweets/desserts at all while trying to lose weight?

Of course.

Musikelektronik

I lost a total of 80lbs eating what I want, when I wanted it. Moderation and exercise is key.

^^^^ This.

thershey

There are so many low calorie desserts on the market now and so many low calorie recipes on this site and many other sites that in no way should you have to cut out sweets altogether.
I have a sugar free pudding snack everyday with my lunch, it gives me that little bit of joy after I have a good balanced lunch.
Like others have said if I had to cut out sweets or anything completely I would not be doing this. When you deprive yourself that is when you fail.
Like someone else said calories in calories out, if you want something work for it!
Do a little extra excercise and have a small dish of ice cream or a cookie, it is all about portion control and watching your calorie intake. As long as you are not going over your calories for the day you are good.

This is exactly why I love MFP, you do not have to NOT eat anything, you can eat what you like and what you want as long as you log everything that goes in your mouth. I have learned so much about healthy portions and what is good and bad.

Hope all of this helps you!

JBApplebee

I read an article about weight loss and was a bit skeptical whan it said that you can still have desserts even when trying to lose significant amounts of weight (not just 5 or 10 lbs). I have sworn off all sweets because I thought it was necessary to limit or eliminate sugar as much as possible. I am currently not using any added sugar in any of my foods. Do you think its possible to eat sweets/desserts at all while trying to lose weight?

Of course it's possible. It's called moderation. I used to eat 4 or 5 boxes of Girl Scout cookies during GS cookie time, but this year I had less than 1/2 a box total. Instead of eating a king size candy bar, I'll have a protein bar & some 1% chocolate milk.

You'll never have sustaining success if you try to cut out something that you really like. Just use restraint & moderation, and you'll be fine.

MsMargie1116

Absolutely. Dieting isn't supposed to be a temporary solution -- "I'll get to X weight and then I can eat whatever I want again!" -- it's meant to be a lifestyle change. So, the way you eat and the stuff you eat while on a diet is meant to be how you're gonna eat even after you lose weight.

So if you look at that and think "I'll never get to eat a pizza/chocolate bar/piece of cake/fries EVER AGAIN!" you are setting yourself up for failure. The more you deprive yourself, the more you will wear down your willpower and make it steadily harder to stay the course.

Dieting is more about learning to moderate your food intake. Instead of eating half a package of Oreos, eat one. Instead of a giant slice of cake and a side of ice cream at the birthday party, share a slice with someone else and skip the ice cream. Or vice versa.

Know your weaknesses, though, and definitely stay away from those until you get used to eating differently. If you LOVE a particular brand of sweet/chips/soda/cocktail what have you, and know you're not going to be able to stop at "just one", then avoid it.

The best way to add treats into your diet is to plan your meals out ahead. I've included a soda for lunch into my meal plan and not gone over my daily calories because I tracked what I'd eat before I ate it. Plan around these treats, and it'll release the guilt and allow you to enjoy it, and reduce the chance of binging. You've already written down how much you can eat!

^^^^This - Very well said!!!^^^^

amymeenieminymo

Buy a box of angel food cake and a box of your favorite flavor of cake. Put both into one ziploc and shake them together really well. In a LARGE coffee mug put 3 Tablespoons of cake and 2 Tablespoons of water. Mix until frothy. Microwave for one minute. OMIGOSH so good and 140 calories for strawberry cake!

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