{"id":54522,"date":"2016-12-08T11:15:42","date_gmt":"2016-12-08T16:15:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=54522"},"modified":"2021-05-13T08:41:42","modified_gmt":"2021-05-13T12:41:42","slug":"dessert-cant-lose-weight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/dessert-cant-lose-weight\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Eating Dessert Isn\u2019t The Reason You Can\u2019t Lose Weight"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Why
Photo: Twenty20<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Losing weight can be one of the toughest things you\u2019ll do \u2014 and that\u2019s even before you clear out your pantry of cake and brownie mix. For starters, a quick Google search will return a casual 24 million hits to wade through. And when it comes to food choices, one person\u2019s superfood<\/a> may be another\u2019s dangerfood<\/a>. You\u2019ll hear some sources maintain you can\u2019t lose weight without dropping your favorite dessert, but then a college professor who lost weight on \u2018The Twinkie Diet<\/a>\u2019 says otherwise. Throw in a few dozen other fad diets, Instagram feeds<\/a> swarming \u201cfitspo\u201d and countless weight loss miracle products, and it\u2019s easy to get discouraged \u2014 fast.<\/p>\n

The thing is, losing weight (and keeping it off), is about a multitude of choices. And no, your success probably doesn\u2019t hinge on what is or isn\u2019t in your dessert drawer.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>When Is It OK to Cheat? The Pros and Cons of Cheat Days<\/a><\/p>\n

Food As Fuel<\/h3>\n

First, there\u2019s the numbers game. The human body requires a minimum amount of energy from food (i.e. calories) just to function on a daily basis. (Think: breathing, blinking, regulating body temperature, and so on.) This is your basal metabolic rate<\/a> (which you can calculate here<\/a>). Any extra exercise you perform on top of that will require even more fuel.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s probably no shocker that weight loss occurs when you burn more energy than you consume. You can achieve this in a few different ways: reduce your calorie intake<\/a>, increase your exercise frequency, or do a combination of both. The determining factor is always going to be how many calories you burn versus how many you consume.<\/p>\n

A simple illustration goes like this: Let\u2019s say you burn an average of 2,300 calories per day. If you wanted to lose weight, an achievable goal might be to eat 1,800 to 2,000 calories per day, ensuring you\u2019re in a calorie deficit.<\/p>\n

And yes, an ice cream cone can be a part of that equation. Sure, putting an emphasis on eating healthy and avoiding junk foods<\/a> can go a long way. But this doesn\u2019t mean you have to forgo all foods that bring you joy. In fact, when it comes to making your diet choices work for the long term, \u201cpeople are more likely to adhere to a plan if it incorporates foods they enjoy,\u201d says Gina Starnes, RD, MS in Human Nutrition.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>How to Eat Healthy for Les Than $4 a Day<\/a><\/p>\n

Why Cheats Aren\u2019t Cheating<\/h3>\n

So do you have to follow a restrictive or rigid diet<\/a> to see results? Not necessarily. In fact, if you try a diet that\u2019s too hard to follow, you\u2019re most likely to fail. One study<\/a> even showed a correlation between the development of disordered eating behavior with diets that are too rigid. Instead, it\u2019s better to focus on maintaining a caloric deficit, exercising regularly, and having foods you enjoy along the way, says Starnes.<\/p>\n

\u201cAllowing ourselves treats can help us stick to the plan because we don\u2019t feel deprived,\u201d Stames says. \u201cMany times diets focus on what you can\u2019t have and sets a negative tone from the beginning. Instead try focusing on what you can have and allowing occasional treats<\/a> in order to make it easier to stick to the diet or meal plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keep in mind though, that the foundation of your diet should focus on whole, nutrient-dense foods. That means stocking up on fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, lean meat and fish, tubers and whole grains<\/a>, Stames says, to ensure your meal plan contains adequate amounts of protein<\/a>, carbohydrates<\/a> and fat to support your body\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n

IIFYM, Explained<\/h3>\n

Macronutrients<\/a>, in fact, are the very crux of a diet that let\u2019s you have your cake and eat it, too. Known as the IIFYM<\/a> (if it fits your macros) diet, on this plan no foods are \u201coff limits\u201d and it\u2019s still possible to lose weight if that\u2019s your goal.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>What the Heck Are Macros? The IIFYM Diet Made Simple<\/a><\/p>\n

How does this work exactly? Because you\u2019re still aiming for a caloric deficit<\/a>, any foods (think: ice cream, cake or a burger) can fit the bill \u2014 so long as they fit your predetermined macronutrient breakdown. For many IIFYM fans, that means 40 percent carbs, 40 percent protein and 20 percent fat. (Trust us, though, that last 20 percent adds up quick!)<\/p>\n

Still, having some semblance of flexibility within your diet can make all the difference.<\/p>\n

\u201cFollowing a rigid diet can be stressful, \u201c Starnes says. And around the holidays, the strain can feel that much more intense. \u201cA lot of events are centered around food and following a rigid diet doesn\u2019t allow us to enjoy the event, the people, or the food, because we are too stressed out about following the diet,\u201d she says. What\u2019s worse \u2014 stress has been shown to sabotage weight loss<\/a> in more ways than one. (And who wants that?)<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Are Food Porn Holidays Making America Fatter?<\/a><\/p>\n

The Case for Dessert<\/h3>\n

Having one dessert, cheat meal, indulgence \u2014 whatever you call it \u2014 doesn\u2019t make you a bad person. And it doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019ve blown your diet for the week. Losing weight<\/a> and keeping it off is more about consistency than it\u2019s about having the perfect exercise routine or weight loss diet. If you choose to have your favorite treat after dinner a few times per week, make sure it fits within whatever big-picture plan you choose. And if it doesn\u2019t, be sure to get back on track with your meal plan<\/a> the following day.<\/p>\n

The bottom line: One bowl of ice cream won\u2019t discount six days of eating in caloric deficit and regular exercise. So enjoy your Cookies and Cream and save room for a positive mindset, too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One cookie won\u2019t make or break your diet. In fact, an occasional dessert might actually help you lose weight, or stay the course. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":54527,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7,18],"tags":[39,41,296,51,333,341,352,285],"class_list":["post-54522","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","category-weight-loss","tag-dessert","tag-diets","tag-fast-food","tag-food-choices","tag-sugar","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2weight-loss","tag-weight-loss"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54522","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/50"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54522"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54522\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54522"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54522"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54522"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}