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When working towards weight loss, we often think we need to completely cut out sugar and sweet treats to reduce calorie intake. While following a calorie-deficient diet is crucial, completely restricting desserts can sometimes backfire. Allowing yourself to enjoy your favourite sweet occasionally can help you manage cravings, stay consistent, and make your diet more sustainable in the long run. 

Dr Rachel Paul is a nutritionist who keeps sharing weight loss-related tips and tricks on her Instagram profile regularly. On June 20, Rachel shared a few hacks that can help us lose the extra kilos while managing our sweet cravings. “Listen. I have a sweet tooth, so I hear you if this is you, too! But weight loss is possible for everyone. Here are my tips if you like the sweet life,” she wrote.

1. Plan ahead

Plan ahead for how many servings of dessert you want to eat daily. The nutritionist recommended 0-2 servings of dessert per day. One serving is approximately 100-200 calories.

2. Buy single servings

A lot of desserts are so easy to overeat, especially when you’re reaching into a large container. Make your life easy by buying single servings.

3. Become a food snob

Only eat the desserts that you love. Not the desserts that are fine or just meh. When you’re more satisfied by what you’re eating, it’s much easier to stick with the serving size.

4. Find lower sugar alternatives

Added sugar is everywhere. Find products that are either smaller servings or single servings, or that have less added sugar. Often, the more sugar we eat, the more we crave it.

5. Order your drink with 1 less pump of sugar

Your drink will not taste good, but you will consume fewer calories. It will also help you to slowly reduce sugar intake, which is healthier in the long term.

6. Focus on naturally occurring food sweetness

Trust the process. The less added sugar you eat, the sweeter the added sugar will taste. Start focusing on whole, real food sweetness like fruit, sweet potatoes, a splash of cream in your coffee, and flavouring foods with cinnamon and vanilla extract.