Even if you are not a seasoned gym trainer or a dietician, cutting desserts from your diet plan when you are on a quest to lose weight is probably the first thing we do or suggest others. After all, desserts=sugar and the link between sugar and weight gain is known to everyone.
But what if we told you that not only it is okay to have desserts once in a while, but they can also help you lose weight? Confused? Let us elaborate.
First things first, whenever you are planning on going on a diet, it is necessary that it is a sustainable one. So, if you are a desserts-lover, who can’t really do without a little sweet at the end of a meal, we have some good news for you.
We need to realize that the concept of good food, bad food, and certain food being completely off-limits when you are on a diet, is deeply flawed. There is no one size fits all when it comes to diet plans and weight loss.
Your body requirements are vastly different from your friends, family and even your favorite celebrity for that matter, so it is essential that you listen to your body and figure out what is a good fit for you.
The study
According to a recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, eating dessert first, instead of going the traditional route of having it after your dinner (or meal) may actually lead to eating less and inadvertently losing weight.
Remember that when we are talking about the desserts, we really mean the melt-in-your-mouth, saliva-inducing, indulgent desserts, i.e. the real ones.
The study elaborated that when participants had an indulgent, full-filling dessert at the beginning of the meal and then proceeded to eat the meal, they ate less after eating the sweet dish. In fact, the effect of even knowing that they will get to eat something sweet was powerful enough to cause the change in attitude.
To conduct the research, 134 students, staff and faculty of the University of Arizona was asked to choose between 4 different dessert options during lunch, which included fruit with lunch, lemon cheesecake with lunch and fruit and cheesecake after lunch.
The results
The results were shocking, to say the least. Around 70 percent of the participants, who had opted for the lemon cheesecake first, went on to have healthier lunch when compared to those who opted for fruit as their dessert. In fact, those who ate cheesecake after eating the rest of their lunch actually consumed about 150 more calories than those who picked it first.
The primary reason behind the same is that when you eat a healthy meal first, you tend to look forward to a tasty and finger-licking dessert, but if you have already satiated your sweet tooth, it kind of forces you to choose something lighter and healthier, subconsciously.
The bottom line
Keep in mind that this study does not give you a ticket to indulge yourself with desserts in every single meal or even every day, but rather use it strategically to aid weight loss and healthy eating. Additionally, eating desserts in moderation can also help you to curb cravings and stay right on the fitness track.