CHOOSE YOUR VICES CAREFULLY: HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT AND EAT DESSERT EVERY NIGHT

We all have a sweet-tooth for something. Whether it’s a cold bottle of full-sugar Coca Cola, a big bowl of ice cream, or a handful of your favorite candy. We all know these are nutrionally empty snacks, made almost entirely out of sugar; however, life is short, and if we can’t indulge our sweet tooth every so often, then what’s the point of living? Rather than ask my patients to achieve an impossible standard like stopping all sugary snacks completely, I recommend that we find a BETTER sugary snack that can indulge our sweet tooth without packing on unnecessary calories. For me, the biggest difference has been changing my post-dinner dessert from a bowl of Blue Bell ice cream to a couple of fudge pops or freeze pops. I still get to feed my sugar habit, but at an incredibly reduced number of calories. 

Blue Bell Vanilla Ice Cream – 230 calories per serving (2/3 cup)

Popsicle Original Fudge Pops – 40 calories each popsicle

Even if you had an extra-stressful day and decide to feast on 3 fudge popsicles, you are still only doing 120 calories-worth of damage. Weight loss is about intentionality and adjusting how you satisfy your cravings is just as important learning to crave the right things.   

Michael J. Hermelin, MD