anything better than chocolate?

You know what I think helps with craving sweets? Giving in every once in a while!!! I don't think it is possible to give them up completely when you love them as much as we do! I am a LOVER of sweets...chocolate mainly! Sometimes when I'm shopping I buy a bag of reeses or a special chocolate that I like and at the end of the night I will have a couple pieces if I still am within my calorie range and haven't had much junk food. I really love that Turkey Hill, Breyers and Edy ice cream all have low fat versions under 120 calories!

I think the more you go out of your way to NOT eat that stuff, the MORE you want to eat them, and sometimes it results in binging.

Anyway, that's just my opinion. Good luck your your weight loss journey! You found a GREAT site! Very supportive and a ton of AWESOME, inspirational people!!:flowerforyou:

I find that a Tootsie Roll Pop at 60 calories curbs my sweet tooth because I slowly suck on it. Also, I like the Sugar free and fat free puddings, I make it with skim milk. The butterscotch is really good and also the chocolates. I make it it and only put 1/4 cup in each dish (this will give you 4 servings). Also..Cool Whip free is perfect as a topper on the pudding or on sugar free Jello products. I make those up in 1/4 cup servings. If you like Ice cream..Weight watchers has a very good Ice Cream Latte on a stick. I also like to get the Weight Watchers Yogurt, all flavors, and freeze them. If you put them in the Microwave for 45 seconds, it is like eating a slushy. All of these are great for late night snacks too.

Hope this helps,
Deborah

Diet Hot Chocolate! only 25 calories a cup!

Dawnsant, I hear ya! I was a total foodie before joining MFP and had been for most of my life. I never was one for junk food or fast food, but I sure did love GOOD food. I love to cook and I love flavors from all over the world. I loved walking into a restaurant and smelling the amazing aromas of endless possibilities. But I am here to tell you that you CAN change your relationship to food. It doesn't happen overnight, but it will happen quicker than you think, once you start logging your calories and see how quickly they add up, and how hard you have to work to burn them. Suddenly (hopefully - if you are like me) you will find creative ways of adding flavor to your life in healthful ways and you will no longer equate those tempting smells with happiness, but rather will be able to step away from them with confidence. In the meantime, here are some ways to get over the chocolate thing that have worked for me:

1. Buy some plain yogurt (I only like the whole milk variety, can't stand the lowfat or fatfree stuff which leaves a sour aftertaste IMO). Mix with it, some Hershey's cocoa powder and sweetener. Eat as is or freeze and eat later as chocolate frozen yogurt. Less than 100 calories for 1/2 cup! Sometimes I also add fresh strawberries or shredded coconut to it.

2. As a previous poster mentioned, Jello sugar free pudding made with skim milk and topped with fat/sugar free cool whip. Also less than 100 calories per serving

3. Jello Mousse Chocolate indulgence. 60 calories per serving and totally satisfying!

I have tried the No Pudge Fudge Brownies and they were faily okay but I didn't feel they were worth the 120 calories.

Now that I'm on maintenance I can trust myself to have only 1-2 squares of Lindt Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt. Sounds gross I know, in fact I hate dark chocolate, but this stuff is da bomb! 45 cals per square

Good luck and hang in there, it DOES get easier!

Here is a great low calorie receipe for brownies. I love these and they are only 86.2 calories each square!!!!


Fudge Brownies

Makes 16 two-inch squares

Ingredients

•Olive oil spray
•2/3 cup mild honey, such as clover or orange blossom
•1/3 cup natural, unsweetened cocoa powder
•1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
•1/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
•1/4 teaspoon baking soda
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
•2 tablespoons olive oil
•1 large egg, at room temperature
•3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8" square pan with olive oil. Set aside.

Place the honey in a large glass measuring cup. Microwave on high until the honey is runny and just bubbling, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the cocoa and stir with a fork until well combined. Let cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, place the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Whisk until well combined.

In a large bowl, combine the applesauce, oil, egg and vanilla. Whisk together until well blended. Add the honey and cocoa mixture, then whisk until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture and stir until no traces of flour remain. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake until the surface looks dry around the edges of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it, about 25 minutes. Do not overbake. Place the pan on a cooling rack and let cool completely before slicing into 16 two-inch squares. Store the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 86.2 kcal
Fat: 2.2 g
Protein: 1.3 g
Carbohydrates: 16.0 g
Sodium: 63.6 mg

When my family is having there desert, I will have a frozen fat free jello pudding (chocolate) I micro wave it for 18 seconds on medium, I add a little light cool whip on it. I dont feel like i am missing out on anything and it usually takes me a little longer to eat it because its a frozen pudding pop.. This is only approx 90 cals. I always make sure I leave some calories for a treat. I know at the end of the day i get my little treat. Dont deprive yourself, you just have to think of other ways to get your fix... I LOVE Chocolate...

WOW, thanks everyone! Guess I am going to the store this weekend to try some of that stuff. I didn't realize that dark chocolate wasn't that bad ... I love it! OK, thinking I may be able to do this! Thanks to all yalls help!

Dawnsant - dark chocolate - REAL dark chocolate (from Germany or Switzerland, preferably - I don't know why those two) is actually very good for you. 1) Not terribly high in sugars (obviously) 2) high in anti-oxidents 3) high in calcium and believe it or not - protein. Remember. the Cacao bean is a bean... which is similar to a seed or nut which have high concentrations of all kinds of goodies for us. What makes chocolate bad are the additives - dairy, sugar, salt, dextrose, added oils, etc.... this is what is found in your standard Hershey milk chocolate bar (or similar).

What's really interesting is that once you start down this road, M&M's, Hershey bars and anything else that's full of crap starts to taste like it's full of crap! EWW! Even brownies made with vegetable oil will start to be pretty icky - you'll taste the fat like its lard on your tongue. GROSS!!! Before you know it, you'll only be able to eat pure dark chocolate browning made with apple sauce instead of oil and melted dark chocolate with real sweet-cream butter and milk (cow, rice, soy... you may find your taste for dairy changes too) instead of the boxed food-like products.

I'm not *quite* at this last point yet, but I really don't like pre-fabbed foods - fast, frozen or boxed. Ick.

I totally agree with everyone else - indulge, but with some awareness as to what you're indulging in and what it will or won't do to/for you. Oh, try Rice Dream chocolate rice milk. I can't stand soy milk or the other rice milk flavors or brands... this stuff is like a liquidy chocolate malt. Still high in cals and sugars, but also pretty danged healthy. :-) Oh, and chocolate milk is also a healthy choice.

I hope this is helpful!

I just love food too...good food, bad food...it doesn't matter. I build chocolate into my day every day. My favorite right now is 100 calorie hostess cupcakes with a cup of good coffee. I also love the mini nutty buddy ice cream cones at 120 calories. They are a tasty treat. As I get closer to goal I know I will have to limit these things more but for now it's working for me. I can't be deprived...if I think I can't have something that is the thing I'll want.