To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume on a consistent basis. There are several ways to do that, but according to the National Institutes of Health, the safest and most reliable method involves combining regular exercise with a balanced, low-calorie diet. Since ice cream is high in calories, it's not an ideal food for weight loss, but you can fit small amounts of it into a healthy diet.
Nutrition Facts
The U.S. Department of Agriculture states that 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream has about 135 calories, 2.5 g protein, 7 g fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 15.5 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g fiber and 14 g sugar. Of the 7 g fat per serving, 4.5 g come from saturated fat. Moreover, only about 60 percent of ice cream is made up of water, which makes it a food with high energy density. According to MayoClinic.com, low energy-dense foods, which have high water and fiber contents and low fat and calorie counts, are among the best for weight loss.
Myth vs. Fact
Although you must build up a "calorie deficit" to successfully lose weight, it's a myth that a weight-loss diet can't include any high-fat or high-calorie foods such as ice cream. "It is possible to eat any kind of food you want and lose weight," states the Weight Control Information Network, but you must limit your total calorie intake and practice portion control.
Considerations
To get weight-loss results without giving up ice cream entirely, consider reducing the number of times you eat it every week. If it's your nightly dessert, for example, skip the dessert every other evening or replace it with something healthier and lower in calories, such as a fresh apple or a handful of berries. When you do have ice cream, serve it in a very small dish and don't eat more than the specified serving size on the container.
Alternatives
"Light," low-fat and low-calorie varieties of ice cream are available at major supermarkets and can help you decrease your daily calorie intake while still including ice cream in your diet. You can also replace the ice cream you eat with frozen yogurt or regular yogurt, which is lower in calories and fat and has higher amounts of satiating protein. According to the USDA, 1/2 cup of plain nonfat yogurt has about 70 calories, 7 g protein, 9.5 g carbohydrates, 9.5 g sugar and no fat or fiber.
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