Cheat or Treat?
Last week, a magazine writer interviewed me for an article about "cheating". I know that “cheating” is a concern of Calorie Counters because it is often discussed in the Community Forums. And so, with that in mind, I thought you might be interested in my notes from the exchange.
Q: Why is it important to occasionally "cheat" when it comes to your diet? Can it make you a healthier individual overall?
A: Let’s define “cheat”. If "cheat" means making room for a beloved high-calorie treat, then I am all for it. You cannot feel like you’re in diet prison because that just leads binging and throwing in the towel. You have to feel like you have the right – and the power – to eat whatever you want; however, the trick is to shape your WANTS to be for wholesome foods most of the time. Over time, you learn to identify tasty foods that are low in calories or at least have nutrient profiles in proportion to their calorie counts. If your day-to-day food is very tasty and satisfying, you will yearn for a “cheat” less often.
But there are times when you'll want to partake in a favorite high calorie food and that is normal and good. You actually owe it to yourself to engage in that activity because that’s how you develop self-trust. You must keep practicing until you feel comfortable and guilt free for enjoying a reasonable amount.
Q: Are some "cheats" better than others?
A: A bad “cheat” is an eating frenzy that adds back the calories you’ve lost all week. But that isn’t a “cheat”; it’s a “binge”. I don’t use the word “cheat” because it sounds so shady. I’d rather call it a “splurge” or “indulgence” or some word that addresses the sensual enjoyment but forgoes the guilt. MyPyramid.gov actually allots a portion of your daily calories to “cheats”. They call them “discretionary calories”, which are foods that have a high calorie content relative to the nutrients they provide. My Pyramid “gives you permission” to devote some of your intake everyday to discretionary calories.
In my opinion, the best “cheat” is the one that you really love, that tastes out-of-this-world, and is enjoyed s-l-o-w-l-y. Realizing that there isn't much room in the diet for high calorie foods with little nutritional value, you will fine-tune your discriminatory thinking to become very choosy about the foods you let in. If you start to eat something indulgent and it doesn’t taste great, then why bother? Stop right there. But it’s important to learn about the calories in food so that you can make informed choices.
Q: When it comes to the following indulgences, what are some good or surprising ways to "cheat" or tweak the drink/dish so you're indulging, but not in such an extreme way?
A: Healthy eaters might use strategies like these:
- Margarita: Add lots of crushed ice, use only fresh ingredients, serve it in a fun glass, inhale the aroma, and sip it slowly to make it last.
- Ice cream: Praise the makers of the low-fat, slow-churned ice creams on the market because they taste so good. And fat free frozen yogurts with natural or artificial sweeteners are good too, as is anything from The Skinny Cow®. Ice cream contains calcium, protein, vitamins A, B6 and B12, which are fantastic, but the saturated fat and sugar is not so good. I used to eat a small amount of ice cream in a tea cup everyday, but lately I don’t buy it so often because I find I want to eat it instead of other foods and it’s just so easy to “prepare”.
- Sangria: Wine punch is practically health food! Really, sangria is full of fresh fruit, juices, red wine, and carbonated waters, lots of ice, not too strong, with just a bit of simple syrup. Of course, it is bad manners to gulp or end up drunk.
- Chocolate/candy bar: You know about the health benefits of high-cacao-content dark chocolate, but you have to really like it to bother adding it to your diet because the health properties of candy bars are overstated. Some chocolates - for instance, a Godiva Truffle - do not claim to have health properties, but they are fabulous in small amounts. In addition to candy bars, other foods can deliver a chocolate taste. I’m thinking of fat-free chocolate pudding snacks, chocolate fat-free yogurt and chocolate crunch rice cakes, but there are others.
- Movie popcorn: Movie popcorn and the accompanying soda are terrible for you and they cost a fortune! According to CSPI, a medium combo has 1,610 calories and 60 grams of saturated fat. That's nuts. This is where it pays to be discriminating. Movie popcorn in c*** and snacking at the movies is a bad habit. It's best to uncouple that un-mindful practice of watching a movie and eating. Either eat dinner before the movie or wait an hour to get higher quality food.
- Tortilla chips: Eat the baked tortilla chips or limit your intake of the regular kind. Tortilla chips have a high fiber content and some other nutrients too, but they are full of salt and trans fats. If you eat regular tortilla chips, break them in half because they are so big.
Q: What are some common "cheat" foods that actually aren't as unhealthy as you think? (The daily glass of red wine and dark chocolate come to mind... maybe guacamole could also be another one because of the healthy fats and such?)
A: Well, there's your daily glass of red wine and dark chocolate to start. Other healthy foods I see on "cheat lists" are:
- Seasonal fruit desserts (e.g. peach parfait, raspberry sorbet, strawberries with sweetened fat-free yogurt, grilled pineapple slices, pumpkin custard, etc.)
- Fat-free frozen yogurt
- Nuts, peanuts and peanut butter
- Avocados
- Lean beef
- Potatoes
- Bread
- Breakfast cereals
- Homemade salad dressing (olive oil, an acid, and fresh herbs)
- Fat-free pudding or gelatin with fat-free whipping topping
- French toast
- Spaghetti and meatballs
Honestly, I have seen people place all kinds of yummy, wholesome foods on their “Do Not Eat” list, and it’s really sad.
Question for you...
What "cheat" foods can you recommend that actually aren't as unhealthy as one might think?
Comments
I actually don't have a cheat every day, but once a week. I usually save a meal that I really love and really want for the end of the week, and that's my inspiration to do well the rest of the week. If I know I have my burrito or homemade macaroni and cheese waiting for me on Saturday, I'm going to be really good the rest of the week so I feel like I earned it. Not sure that really goes with what this article is saying, but it works for me.
Nice, i agree with you on this part of having a discretionary calories cause i already applied it since i started counting my calories and am enjoying the diet am maintaining cause every once ina while i include some chocolate bar or ice cream or any treat i know it's content and the calories included.
I simply love wut am doing and enjoying it more than i imagined!!! :D
Friday night dinner is usually my "Cheat Meal". We sometimes go out or have breakfast at home but even then, I modify it. Egg whites instead of whole eggs, turkey bacon rather than pork and whole wheat toast rather than white. It makes it easier to be good all week knowing I can be bad (somewhat) on Friday night. But again, moderation is the key.
If I have a "cheat day" I have a hard time stopping. One turns into two and so on. My diet is like a roller coaster out of control.
I recently had a revelation that my favorite potato chips are not, in fact, the detrimental monster to my diet I had thought. After studying the label I found them to be really low in sodium compared to other brands, low in saturated fat, has a good amount of healthy monounsaturated fat, and high potassium.
I enjoy these twice a week now. :)
I "Cheat" everyday, several times a day. I am addicted to sweets but have modified what I do. I like to keep M & M's around. I eat them one at a time, letting them melt in my mouth. I count out 10 before I start and when they are gone they are gone but usually I can make that last most of my work day. If I really get hungry between meals, I will eat a hard candy or fruit. The hard candy has very few calories and takes a long time to melt it down. The slow intake of calories seems to work better than something quick.
I have lost 15 lbs since begining of Feb. Of course I have added increasing exercise, usually 20 min/day in addition to the walking at work.
I agree with you about having something that is a treat. It helps me maintian the calories for the rest of the day. I have 2 dark chocolate candy kisses a day as a treat. it is about 20 calories each and helps me not cheat with other things because I feel I still have a treat a day. I usually eat them at different times. I let them melt in my mouth and savor the taste.
My cheat is to enjoy special occasions (holiday or birthday meal) for instance with at least a small serving of dessert and small amounts of otherwise banned foods.
I don't want my food choices to become a social barrier. The cheat stays a cheat instead of a binge because I take small servings. I eat slowly, and enjoy it.
I don't extend the cheat so much at large group events, though (like weddings-- Jewish weddings are notorious for the amount of food available) because there are almost always veggies and fruits and such that I can eat without cheating.
I also tend to allow myself to go to maintenance level of calories one day a week. Typically that is not much more than having a couple of servings of bread and increasing the serving size of a side or two.
Closing thought: It's not a cheat, it's a choice.
Once a week i melt down dark chocolate and mix it with oats or Kelloggs's All-bran and greek jogurt (Fat free) you get fiber and dark chocolate best cheat out there in my opnion. You can also use frozen jogurt if you want :)
Original Post by: mspancakeIf I have a "cheat day" I have a hard time stopping. One turns into two and so on. My diet is like a roller coaster out of control.
i feel the exact same way.
i had one cheat day and its now turned into over two months.
everyone says cheat days are helpful...but in my case they just hurt me in the long run.
im glad to see somebody else understands how i feel.
(:
Hmmm For me its got to be frozen berries. With summer coming up I am craving icecream - so instead I eat frozen berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries etc) which give just 38 calories in 100g!
Because they are so cold it also takes me a long time to eat 100g - I let each berry thaw in my mouth before chewing... mmmm cool and tasty!
I agree with having a cheat day. I usually have mine on Sunday. I eat a light breakfast, a good lunch usually with a small dessert, and a light dinner. That way I don't go too much over my calorie count. There are some foods that I just can't cheat with yet, ex. potato chips. I can't eat just one or a few so I don't keep those around. My goal is to get where I can have those once in a while and just enjoy them without binging on them. Until I do though I just stay away from them. This works best for me. I have lost 17 lbs since March 2nd!
I can sit through a movie without popcorn, but I also enjoy a little snack while I watch. I sometimes stick a bag of pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds into my purse. If I'm really organized, I even make my own home-popped popcorn and bring it. I know the theaters don't like it, but until they offer healthy treats (how hard would it be for them to buy an air-popper?), I'm not going to feel too bad.
I agree with renaming the "cheat" - it's not a cheat - who are you "cheating", after all? - especially if you include it in your food log. I like "splurge" or "treat" instead.
Last night I had ONE scoop of nutty coconut ice cream in a sugar cone at Baskin Robbins (31 cent scoop night). Mmmmm.....ate it slowly and really enjoyed it....and came home and added it to my food log. Not a cheat but a treat!
Laura
Original Post by: nataliereneeherrOriginal Post by: mspancakeIf I have a "cheat day" I have a hard time stopping. One turns into two and so on. My diet is like a roller coaster out of control.
i feel the exact same way.
i had one cheat day and its now turned into over two months.
everyone says cheat days are helpful...but in my case they just hurt me in the long run.
im glad to see somebody else understands how i feel.
(:
I feel the exact same way!! Giving myself the freedom to have an entire cheat day just doesn't work for me because then I end up stuffing my face all day long with the excuse that it's my cheat day...and that also generally turns into more than one day and I end up undoing all the hard work I put in during the week.
So my solution is to allow myself one cheat meal, just one, no more no less, which can include a small desert/an alcoholic drink/a non diet soda/an appetizer (but not all of those). And I try to look up the calorie content before hand to know just how much my cheat meal is going to cost me so I can either reduce my portion, only have an entree, or be really good the rest of the day.
And also, I can't allow myself to have this cheat meal at the beginning of the week because one of two things happen: 1) I end up feeling miserable over the weekend (because I tend to view weekends as the time to enjoy life and part of that enjoyment for me comes from eating good food that I like, and not constantly watching everything that goes into my mouth all weekend) and/or 2) I end up chucking my diet for the rest of the week (for some reason, I find it hard to get back on track if I fall off the wagon early in the week).
I don't know if this will be helpful to either of you, but it's what works for me...
If I really want something, I don't deprive myself. It really is about portion control and staying within your calorie range. If I happen to go over my calories every once in a while, I don't sweat it. I just get back on the wagon the next day. If this is going to be a lifestyle change for me, then I have to be realistic. I can't deprive myself of the things I love the most. I just can't have as much as I used to, or as often. The Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches are great, and only 140 calories! I have one every other day, and it really helps with the sweet cravings. I have lost 30 pounds since December, and have 15 more to go. It's going slower now, but I feel, and look, so much better.
There are actually tortilla chips out there that are organic and contain zero trans fat. To make it even better, the serving size is often far bigger than your regular tortilla chips...sometimes as many as 16 chips per serving!
Also, I don't think pizza is necessarily bad for you in moderation. Of course you should probably load it up with veggies instead of meat, and don't forget to blot! ;-)
i eat what i want (in moderation) if i want a hamburger i eat 80/20. if i want something sweet i will eat frozen berries on a shortcake, but then i also make sure i excercise EVERYDAY, except weekends thats when i do all the heaving lifting, mowing, cleaning,playing. then that way i dont have to worry about diet or counting calories, im satisfied and ive worked out and dont worry about what ive ate for the day.
I like to eat vanilla yogurt with mango chunks, banana and blue berries. You can use 0% fat yogurt sweetened with sucralose, but the calorie content of this dessert will still be around 300 cals. So eat it with discretion.
I only open the store that I work for about once a week, so I allow myself one delicious doughnut only when I open. I love doughnuts, and this gives me a perfect measure of being able to indulge in one of my favorites treats!
One I have removed from my "Do Not Eat" list is french toast. I always thought it would be considered a "cheat" and way bad for you. However my husband and I have found a way to make it even healthier and still taste very yummy. We prepare it only with the egg whites, use the Sara Lee 45 calorie bread, use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray and use a sugar free syrup. We calculated it up and it was only about 95 calories, 7g Protein and 10g Carbs for one slice!!!! That really is not that bad :)
I have been counting calories for a little over a month now and have lost about 12 pounds. I have also been doing 35 minutes of cardio 3-5 times a week. And I do "cheat" every now and then. Surprisingly I have been very good about this because I know if the past i have not-I splurge but I think I want to loose the weight bad enough. ANYWAY my favorite treat right now are snowballs....I love snowballs and this time of the year in Maryland they are very popular. Many stands along my route home. I just have had a VERY hard time determining how many calories are in a snowball. I have tried several different sites with no luck. It would be nice to know how bad my treat really is for me. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Do you have an idea of what all the ingredients are in it? If you do you could try finding the calories in each ingredient and then add them together. That's what I do when I make my homemade foods (like my chili beans). So fo rexample with my chili...I use canned beans and such for it...I usually use four different types of beans and then add tomatos and a few other things...I look at the serving size and then that amount of servings in the can. I can then get the total amount of calories for that can, then add the rest the same way. I figure out how many servings my entire pot of chili makes, divide that by the amount of calories it all totaled together. Sounds complicated and can be a real pain to do, but if you are serious about wanting to know how many calories are in something...that's the best way I can think of doing it 
Hope this somewhat helped....
Sorry I thought I hit the quote button, but didn't...my last message was for crystal0827
Original Post by: nataliereneeherrOriginal Post by: mspancakeIf I have a "cheat day" I have a hard time stopping. One turns into two and so on. My diet is like a roller coaster out of control.
i feel the exact same way.
i had one cheat day and its now turned into over two months.
everyone says cheat days are helpful...but in my case they just hurt me in the long run.
im glad to see somebody else understands how i feel.
(:
I'm the same way. I'm a food addict! And the cheat "days" were like a recovering alchoholic visiting a bar once a week. Didn't work for me because of lack of self control. So planning my "cheats" into my week really helps. There's no free for all day, but I carefully plan on eating my off limit foods in advance, it helps me practice conscious eating which was the cure for my bingeing anyway. Most bingeing was done without thinking. My advice would be change your head talk. It's not a "cheat day" it's only a cheat dessert or cheat meal. Etc.
My not-so-bad "cheat" food? Low fat mayo :) Love it on sandwiches way more than mustard and one tsp is 25 cals
OK, so I just started this diet, and my sister and I have agreed that on one day of the week we have a "Food has no calories on Sunday" day. (not that it's ALWAYS Sunday, but you get the picture) Last weekend, we had a huge BBQ with our brothers and families, and even though we indulged in so many yummy foods, (chicken, hot dogs, steak, pasta salad loaded with TONS of fresh veggies and lite dressing, and potato salad) we both found that neither of us went over our calorie allowance for the day!
The trick is, of course, to find those indulgences that you don't eat regularly, but when you do, make them worth it. Also, I have found that there are some healthier versions of candies that I used to love that have been converted to "better for you" snacks. For instance, I LOVE SNICKERS BARS!!! and I have found that Kudos bars makes a 100 cal. bar that contains pieces of snickers/m&m's/chocolate chips but they also contain high fiber & vitamin contents as compared to a snickers bar.
With a little extra time in the grocery store, you can find healthy foods that will satisfy those cravings!
Original Post by: crystal0827I have been counting calories for a little over a month now and have lost about 12 pounds. I have also been doing 35 minutes of cardio 3-5 times a week. And I do "cheat" every now and then. Surprisingly I have been very good about this because I know if the past i have not-I splurge but I think I want to loose the weight bad enough. ANYWAY my favorite treat right now are snowballs....I love snowballs and this time of the year in Maryland they are very popular. Many stands along my route home. I just have had a VERY hard time determining how many calories are in a snowball. I have tried several different sites with no luck. It would be nice to know how bad my treat really is for me. Does anyone have any suggestions?
I'm very curious...what is a "snowball"?
Laura
near home i have an ice cream shop, they have frozen yogurt and you can make any combination of fruits that you want for example my favorite banana, peach an strawberry!! and only had 100 cal.
Cheating for me usually involves desiring something sweet, I'm a sucker for chocolate covered raisins, but if I remove the chocolate part they're not so bad! I believe it's all in moderation - you can get away with a plate of fish and chips if you don't have take away everyday and you've had a light lunch, or you've done a lot of exercise. You only live once, if you're not enjoying it, what's the point!
After years of conditioning to eat at the theatre, some of us feel the need to be occupied with *something* while watching a movie. I've learned to bring knitting needles. After just a little training, a simple project like a scarf can be done completely mindlessly, and without looking at what you're doing.
What's more, in addition to taking my mind *completely* off of the expected munchies, I find that occupying myself in this way results in me having better recall of the movie. How neat is that?
I so know that slippery slope. If I entertain my 'cheat' foods, I'm done. Chips, cookies, ice cream and chocolate covered anything are foods that I'd consider cheats. However, I don't have control over my head about these foods, so I don't fool with them.
I do however allow myself to 'splurge' or celebrate with other foods. I do enjoy a big greasey cheese burger and large fries from Perkins or Eat-n-park even Micky-Ds. But instead of going out for the meal, we'll make it at home and I eat as many fries as I can.
Having lost 13.5 since Feb 15, [and none of the above cheats] it doesn't take much to make me full, so I'm happy with that splurge.
After May 15 [90 days], I'm going to really examine why those cheat foods frighten me so much. I just know, when that cookie jar is open - it doesn't close until all the cookies are gone.
I have the "special dark chocolate" bar from Hershey twice a week. 180 calories. Not that much at all. And a slice of pizza. My school has them at about 300 calories. That's 480 calories for lunch and leaves me quite happy.
Turkey hill low fat ice cream is 130 for half cup, and a cookie is about 130 as well. :) However, I have to have something sweet at night, so usually ice cream or a cookie fits the bill.
Original Post by: nataliereneeherrOriginal Post by: mspancakeIf I have a "cheat day" I have a hard time stopping. One turns into two and so on. My diet is like a roller coaster out of control.
i feel the exact same way.
i had one cheat day and its now turned into over two months.
everyone says cheat days are helpful...but in my case they just hurt me in the long run.
im glad to see somebody else understands how i feel.
(:
I'm so glad more than one of us are in the same place! too bad it's not the right place, I ussually make sunday my cheating day, It's ussually OK, but when I don't get back on track on monday, that day becomes 2, 3 or even a week.... Right now it's my 4th day cheating and it doesn't feel good at all....
By reading the blog I thoght that the mistake is having a whole day of cheating, instead, I'm going to allow myself tow or three cheating meals over the week instead of a whole day, and try to eat more of those foods that seem to be cheat food, but they're not so unhealthy as the ones listed on the article....
I "cheat" regularly with a nice tall mug of diet root beer, with a scoop of light vanilla ice cream in it :D
My favorite is dark chocolate covered almonds, 1 or 2 a day works for me...it's a treat not a cheat for me.
if i don't go over my calorie expendature for the day i'm happy. i think of calories more like money. sometimes i go into debt but as long as i make daily payments towards that debt & pay it off timely, it's all good. sometime's there are occasions where it's appropriate to eat on credit. lol! in my world, there no such thing as a "cheat".
If one doesn't "cheat" at some point, one WILL DEFINITELY "binge" at some time down the road - nothing wrong with a cheat here and there! Cheating reminds us all that we are human!
Everything in moderation!
Every Sunday morning my husband and I go for a bagel. lox and cream cheese sandwich. Since the shop puts cream cheese and lox on both halves of the bagel, we also order one plain toasted bagel, then each take a half one loaded and a half one plain, pop them together and have a delicious treat. At least we've reduced the cream cheese by half! Plus great coffee, it makes a good morning once a week. I'm not giving that up, the bagel or the outing with my hubby. Yeah, Einsteins!
Hi there...I thought I'd respond to both of you. As for what a snowball is...there are different versions but it's a round soft cookie that's usually a chocolate mixture in the middle and coconut on the outside (sometimes they have marshmallow in the middle as well). Delish!
You can make them yourself, but I've also had them commercially prepared by a brand called Lees' (Scottish). These have their Nutrition Facts on the back so I thought I'd share...hopefully it helps you.
Per 21g...100 Calories, 4.5g of Fat, 4g Saturated Fat, 0g trans or polyunsaturated fat, 0.2g of monounsaturated fat, 15mg of sodium, 60mg of potassium, 13g of carbs, 1g of Fibre, 8g of sugar, 1g Protein and 2% for Iron. These are the kind with the marshmallow/chocolate middle.
This is a great forum...I feel better about my cheat treats :)
I'm on the same page as well..I'm addicted to sugar, so I never keep sweets in the house...very rarely..that way I have to push through my cravings..I've recently been drinking hot water with ginger slices and half a small chilli pepper..occassionally adding some citrus..and I find it's curbed my sugar cravings tremendously..
Here's my tactic to keep on track and treat myself well: I round up my calories on my foods so I have wiggle room I don't count; I stick to pre-measured treats like Nonni's Biscottis, Skinny Cows and Lindt Truffles; I always count a cup of skim milk into my snacks to account for what I put in my coffee. And I'm increasing my amount and type of exercise every month. So far, it's 15 pound gone which is excellent for me. But really, it's my measurements that have seen the greatest improvement as my arms and legs are getting firmed up and my belly flap is getting smaller.
i think the most important point made here is that it is not a cheat, it's a treat.
My new favorite, Fiber One Bars. They are incredibly filling and only 2 points on the WW plan.
Original Post by: sayntbrigidI "cheat" regularly with a nice tall mug of diet root beer, with a scoop of light vanilla ice cream in it :D
mmm...sounds so good! what a great summertime treat! Laura
I definintely agree that it shouldn't be called a 'cheat' because that has a negative perception tagged with it. Instead it's an indulgence or a treat - which I am a big fan of! I've built my daily calorie allowance to allow for little items here and there (about 100-150 calories per day at most). Usually it's 10 dark chocolate Peanut M&Ms (88 calories) or 2 Hershey Bliss Dark Chocolate pieces (63 calories). I find eating these slowly satisfies the need and I still feel like I'm getting a treat. Ice cream makes the cut and I actually really love those low-fat frozen yogurts or slow-churned with a half cup of fresh strawberries - usually on the weekends. Sometimes that's my afternoon snack!
I also build many 'treats' into my meals like wine, avocados, nuts, and seasonal fruits. In many cases these are part of a specific meal - avocado on my salad, glass of wine with dinner, etc.
I actually don't believe in calling what I'm doing 'dieting'. Dieting sounds like you are limited to certain things and when you 'cheat' 'treat' you feel bad. I've been on Calorie Count since the end of September and I find it's more of a lifestyle change than a 'diet' - and I've lost 10 lbs so far. Granted that's not a fast drop, but I feel different - clothes are fitting better, I see a change in the shapes and contours of my arms, legs and belly and I know I'm making progress.
To all who are struggling, remember it takes 21 days to make something a habit. Stick to it stubbornly and you will eventually get there! You didn't gain that weight overnight and you won't loose it overnight either! There is a lot of great advice in here so use that resource!
:)
Original Post by: nataliereneeherrOriginal Post by: mspancakeIf I have a "cheat day" I have a hard time stopping. One turns into two and so on. My diet is like a roller coaster out of control.
i feel the exact same way.
i had one cheat day and its now turned into over two months.
everyone says cheat days are helpful...but in my case they just hurt me in the long run.
im glad to see somebody else understands how i feel.
(:
I did the same thing. So now, my "Cheat" is that I eat maintenance calories on the weekend instead of trying for a calorie deficit.
The side effects of allergy medications keep some people from using them. Natural remedies can be a great alternative, but some are more effective than others.
american
apples
asian
beans
beef
blog
bmi
breakfast
calcium
calories
cheese
chicken
chocolate
coffee
confidence
cooking
dessert
diabetes
diet
dieting
dietsinreview
dinner
eggs
emotionaleating
exercise
family
fiber
fish
fitness
fruit
goals
healthyeating
hunger
hungrygirl
inspiration
italian
loseweight
mediterranean
mexican
mindset
motivation
nuts
obesity
party
pasta
portioncontrol
potatoes
protein
quinoa
recipe
recipes
salad
self-esteem
sleep
snack
snacks
soup
spinach
stress
successstory
sugar
support
tbl
thebiggestloser
tips
turkey
tv
vegan
vegetable
vegetables
vegetarian
water
weightloss
workout
yogurt
Great info ! I usually have about 110 calories of 70 % dark chocolate everyday (which is two BIG squares from Lindt). Becuase its so dark and rich, you cant eat that much of it anyways. I dont feel like I'm cheating because of all the benefits of dark chocolate. Sometimes I have it with peppermint tea (with no sweetner) and it reminds me of a peppermint mocha :)