A Neglected Weight Loss Tool - DESSERT

If I asked you, what are the most important things to include in a weight loss plan, what would you say? 

Exercise

Fruits & Veggies

Whole grains

High Fiber

Lean proteins

Healthy Fats

These are just a few things that might come to mind.  However, one thing that never makes the list and DEFINITELY should be there –TREATS!!

Yes, you read it right.  Believe it or not, treats are something that shouldn’t be neglected.  I know what you’re thinking – that’s how I ended up needing to lose weight in the first place.  I understand – that’s me, too.  But having no treats at all is a mistake.  Why?  Because deprivation does not work.  Let me repeat that – DEPRIVATION DOES NOT WORK.  It’s a bad idea.  No matter how much willpower you have, no matter how determined you are, no matter how great your motivation is, no one can deprive themselves forever.  Eventually, you will break, and instead of a nice well-proportioned treats, that are fun and harmless in moderation, you open a floodgate for junk food.  Somehow we feel that one small slip-up is a reason to just throw all our healthy habits out the window and succumb to all the poor ones that leave us feeling guilty and bloated. 

We need to allow for treats in our diets.  I believe that you shouldn’t plan a diet for something that you can keep up with for a few weeks.  Instead, make changes you can do for a lifetime.  As we age, our metabolism slows and gets easier and easier to put weight on, but harder and harder to take it off.  Healthy eating can be our “norm”, as long as we aren’t depriving ourselves of treats.  

Here’s one of my favorites.  It’s super easy & better than any popsicle I’ve ever tried.

Chocolate Dipped Bananas

Simply cut a slightly ripe banana into pieces (about 1” – 2”).  Melt 2-3 tablespoons of dark chocolate chips in the microwave.  Insert a toothpick into the banana chunks and dip in the chocolate. 

Place in the freezer for about 20 minutes.  Take out and enjoy! 

Bananas are very sweet already, so they contrast well with the dark chocolate.  & because the chocolate is cold & hardened, it reminds me of eating a chocolate dipped cone from Dairy Queen.  The flavor is better, because it isn’t overly sweet.  Sugar is not meant to be tasted as a separate ingredient all by itself.  In theory it sounds good – but it’s really not.  Ask a dentist.