What to do when portion control takes away the pleasure on desserts?

esperanzalinares
esperanzalinares Posts: 1 Member
in Food and Nutrition
A moderate slice of cheesecake feels like a slap in the face 🙈, like it is just a teaser 🥺. I even prefer to skip it than to eat a normal portion. Is it because sweets are designed to make you crave more? It feels like eating a little bit, wakes up my inner cookie monster 😂 and then I struggle with will power.

Answers

  • MargaretYakoda
    MargaretYakoda Posts: 2,997 Member
    If I’m going to have cheesecake?
    I’ll try to plan for it.

  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,957 Member
    Have the dessert, plan for it, maybe a smaller slice. Don't run a too big calorie deficit so that weightloss remains enjoyable.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,974 Member
    Here’s a fairly low calorie cheesecake recipe based on Basque Burnt Cheesecake which is crustless, where most of the calories are in a conventional cheesecake.

    Whisk together a small tub of low fat Philadelphia cream cheese and an equal amount of 0% fat yogurt in a large spouted measuring cup. Whisk in enough condensed milk to sweeten to taste and then 2 eggs. I prefer to whisk by hand which results in a denser texture. Put a nonstick springform pan in the air fryer and fill it from the measuring cup. Bake at 150C for about 20 minutes. It can still be wobbly as the mixture continues to set while it cools.

    If you want the characteristic rustic look of a Basque cheesecake, line the springform with baking paper. Pop a piece of tinfoil on top if the cheesecake starts to overbrown.
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,302 Member
    If you prefer to skip the cheesecake rather than have a small slice, then for sure skip the cheesecake!

    At some point if you decide that maybe a small piece would still bring some joy to your mouth, have a small slice.

    If you want to have a large slice, find somewhere else in your day to reduce calories. Don't do that too often; there's a few nutrients lacking in a cheesecake-only diet.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,854 Member
    Depending on the indulgence, I find a smaller portion can be satisfying (I've found it works for potato chips for example, if I portion out
    35-45gr beforehand) but for others it doesn't work as well (ice-cream for example).

    For those indulgences I need a larger portion of to feel satisfied, I find an appropriate time where I have a a larger number of calories available. I like to share a pint of Ben & Jerry's with my BF occasionally, usually on a day when I've done a long run (easier to fit in 500-600 kcal on those days if I minimise other snacks and meals).
  • lisakatz2
    lisakatz2 Posts: 551 Member
    I find sweets are a trigger for me. I'm like you, I can't have a reasonably sized portion of cheesecake or any other type of sweet, cookie, or candy. I'd rather do without. The exception to the rule for me is when I go out to dinner, then I'll have a really fine dessert. I only go out to dinner twice a year though (birthday and anniversary - my husband's birthday is only one day from mine). Restaurant desserts are so off-the-chart fabulous I can savor them s-l-o-w-l-y.

    Cookies are the worst. Who can stop at one cookie (especially home made)?
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,519 Member
    Get creative. How can you take your favorite recipe and cut calories?

    As said above, cook cheesecake with no crust. Massive calorie savings.

    I use drained greek yogurt, a pinch of stevia or a dribble of zero cal syrup, an egg and liquid egg whites, and mix with berries that have been cooked down til syrupy.

    Bakes up into a lovely light cheesecake texture, high protein, and even if I go nuts and eat the whole thing (filling, so highly unlikely) it’s well under 500 calories. A squirt of canned whipped cream (15cal/serving) and it’s quite tasty.

    I also enjoy flan, and have managed to knock the calories on that down quite a bit. Scones and shortbreads, too.

    An easy place to start is cutting butter down by 1/3, and possibly even replacing it with margarine for more calorie savings. Try an alternate sweetener. I found I could make very good cupcakes with just kefir and a cake mix. Sub out applesauce for oils in cakes or cupcakes. Soooo many neat ways to get similar results at lower calories.

    I’m going to start experimenting with aquafaba soon in pies and other dishes I’ve made aquafaba meringues that came out at about 8 calories apiece. They tasted like cotton candy, so need some more work. People loved them til I told them what they were lol. That’s on them. What? They were good before but not after you knew?

    Recipes are simply a suggestion of something that’s been successful for someone else. Look at the recipe instead of following it to the T and see how you can alter it.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,519 Member
    And I know people are sick of me singing the praises of the Ninja Creami. I swear I’m not on the Ninja payroll. 🤣

    Tonight we will each enjoy a half pint of homemade peach ice cream, for 133 calories apiece, including not one, but two squirts of whipped cream. 👍🏻

    ylh62em72fdd.jpeg

    (The extra volume comes from ice water added to the icecream base. Comes out very thick and very creamy.)

    I’ve got 101 variations on the recipe we never get bored of a big bowl of ice cream.
  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,854 Member
    edited June 16
    Quaker chocolate rice cake, 60 calories. Or the caramel one is 50 iirc.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,957 Member
    I have a chocolate wafer bar every day, and I plan for it. I also eat fruit throughout the day, which is low calorie and yummy. Hey, frozen green grapes are like ice sherbet, but you can't eat them that quickly. And yeah, totally not rock bottom 1200 calories. Exercise calories are usually compensated with more fruit, a wafer bar and possibly a pudding of sorts.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,519 Member
    edited June 17
    We’ve got a local gourmet popsicle place that sells via pushcarts and local coffee and high end food shops.

    Their raspberry lime and other fruit bars are outstanding and generally in the 50-60 calorie range.

    And very easy to copy, if you save the wrapper for ingredients and invest in an el cheapo popsicle mold.
  • Hobartlemagne
    Hobartlemagne Posts: 581 Member
    Eat in slow motion. It's delicious! chew slower, taste for a longer time, think about how good it is for a moment between bites. This is entertainment eating. The whole purpose is the experience of it. Eat a lower total amount, but slower so the enjoyment lasts more.

    This sounds like Desert Meditation. Is that a thing?
  • KareninCanada
    KareninCanada Posts: 962 Member
    edited July 8
    This:

    It feels like eating a little bit, wakes up my inner cookie monster 😂 and then I struggle with will power.

    Is why I just opt to skip it altogether right now. Sometimes boundaries are better - and easier - than moderation.
  • TracyCAZ
    TracyCAZ Posts: 7 Member
    Have a slice as part of a dessert plate, with some cut up watermelon, as well as berries with light whipped topping on the side.
  • TracyCAZ
    TracyCAZ Posts: 7 Member
    I found this recipe online many years ago, when Richard Simmons had a few teaser recipes on his website. I located a copy on a Richard Simmons-related website and will provide the link. It is called Cheesecake with a New York City Accent. Beware of some online copies, because I saw at least three that had 1/4 cup of sugar, rather than 3/4, as written in the original recipe.

    https://www.members.tripod.com/sue_in_nj/ftf3.txt

    The first time I made this, I dug the cream cheese packages out of the trash to makes sure they were fat-free. It was really that good. I tried it once with Swerve sugar substitute and it tasted just fine (passed the kid test). The person who copied the recipe left out the butter-flavored nonstick spray in the ingredients list. I will say that I've always followed the original recipe and the butter-flavored spray made it taste like a real graham cracker crust. YMMV with regular spray.

    If you want to serve it in a traditional fashion, the pie pan is fine. It also works well in an 8" or 9" square glass pan, to make snack servings. I serve mine with light whipped topping and a drizzle of SF caramel syrup. I've never tried the berries as suggested.
  • Adventurista
    Adventurista Posts: 1,974 Member
    TracyCAZ wrote: »
    I found this recipe online many years ago, when Richard Simmons had a few teaser recipes on his website. I located a copy on a Richard Simmons-related website and will provide the link. It is called Cheesecake with a New York City Accent. Beware of some online copies, because I saw at least three that had 1/4 cup of sugar, rather than 3/4, as written in the original recipe.

    https://www.members.tripod.com/sue_in_nj/ftf3.txt

    The first time I made this, I dug the cream cheese packages out of the trash to makes sure they were fat-free. It was really that good. I tried it once with Swerve sugar substitute and it tasted just fine (passed the kid test). The person who copied the recipe left out the butter-flavored nonstick spray in the ingredients list. I will say that I've always followed the original recipe and the butter-flavored spray made it taste like a real graham cracker crust. YMMV with regular spray.

    If you want to serve it in a traditional fashion, the pie pan is fine. It also works well in an 8" or 9" square glass pan, to make snack servings. I serve mine with light whipped topping and a drizzle of SF caramel syrup. I've never tried the berries as suggested.

    Oooh @TracyCAZ , thx, adding to my 'try' list!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    TracyCAZ wrote: »
    Have a slice as part of a dessert plate, with some cut up watermelon, as well as berries with light whipped topping on the side.

    Yes, I always use fruit, often berries, but this time of year cherries, to bulk up desserts. Right now I have cherries in the frig, and cherries, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries in the freezer.

    This really helps me be satisfied with a smaller portion.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    esperanzalinares wrote: »
    A moderate slice of cheesecake feels like a slap in the face 🙈, like it is just a teaser 🥺. I even prefer to skip it than to eat a normal portion. Is it because sweets are designed to make you crave more? It feels like eating a little bit, wakes up my inner cookie monster 😂 and then I struggle with will power.

    Try listening to this: https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/making-the-world-sparkle-again/

    Then eat a smaller than moderate slice of cheesecake, perhaps with fruit, very very slowly, with no distractions, and report back :smiley:

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