Delicious Strategies for Chocolate Lovers

​Enjoy your chocolate, just choose the type that benefits your health goals. 

Delicious Weight Loss Strategies for Chocolate Lovers

Do you love chocolate?
And you want to lose weight?
Good news! There are ways to keep those calories from sabotaging your diet.

All you need to do is pick the right kind of chocolate, control your portions, and eat a balanced diet.

Here are some suggestions for taking care of your health while you indulge your sweet tooth.

Choosing the Right Chocolate:

1. Eat dark chocolate.
Dark chocolate is good for your heart and health.
Studies show that it contains plant flavonoids and antioxidants. These can improve how well your blood vessels function. They also protect you from clogged arteries.
When you want something sweet, go with dark chocolate, 70% +.

2. Drink cocoa.
Cocoa is the ingredient that endows dark chocolate with its health benefits.
Make a cup of cocoa with less sugar or use xylitol for sweetness. Keep in mind that milk can interfere with how your body absorbs the antioxidants. Another way could be to sprinkle some cocoa onto your yoghurt.

3. Enjoy chocolate scents.
Between meals, surround yourself with chocolate scents. Today, you can find products ranging from candles to lip balms.

4. Avoid milk chocolate and white chocolate.
White chocolate contains no cocoa solids. Only sugar.
Milk chocolate contains much less cocoa than the darker version.
Dark chocolate is much more nutritious.

Controlling Portions:

1. Plan ahead. Limit your treats to once a day. If you want choc chip brownies with dinner, pass on the birthday cake at the office. When you've had a chocolate muffin for breakfast, eat berries for dessert.

2. Eat slowly. Enjoy your food by sitting down and savouring every bite. Eating slower will also help you notice when you're full.

3. Share desserts. Many restaurants serve enormous portions. Ask for one dessert and two spoons so you and your companion can share. You'll both be better off. 

4. Give away holiday chocolates. Do you get lots of chocolates on special occasions? Christmas chocolates? Valentines Day chocolates? Birthday chocolates? These can be a huge temptation. It's time to share these with co-workers and friends. Most farmers market type chocolates are best eaten while fresh. But you can freeze some varieties for a later date.

5. Buy individual size chocolates. Many bakeries, sweet shops, and grocery shops sell individual pieces of chocolate. Or slices of cake. If you find it difficult to resist the lure of a whole box of chocolate only take one home.

Eating a Balanced Diet:

1. Know your calories. Even though dark chocolate is healthy, you need to check the amount you eat if you're trying to lose weight.
Those calories can add up fast!

2. Replace other sweets with dark chocolate. One easy strategy is to replace less nutritious snacks and desserts with chocolate.
Two squares of dark chocolate will have far less calories than a bag of almost any potato chips.

3. Get more exercise. Complement your healthy eating with regular exercise. Daily movement is the best way to lose weight. Take a walk or go ride a bike. It can also help to curb cravings.
Look for opportunities to stay active throughout the day. Like taking the stairs, walking a bit further at the car park. Doing squats while you watch TV. It all adds up.

As long as you stick with dark chocolate, the treats you love can be good for your health.
Eating a square of dark chocolate won't undo your healthy eating habits. Eating an entire slab could put you back.

​Being aware of what you and how you feel when you eat it makes a difference to whether you are going to overeat.

Come on over and join me and other women in my Facebook group. We're looking to get healthy through simple steps. Join us here