If you're watching your weight and eating for good health, you may have cut out rich, fattening desserts. Since consuming too many calories is bad for both your waistline and your health, it's wise to avoid eating heavy desserts daily. When enjoyed as part of a nutritious diet and a regular exercise plan, however, small portions of sensible desserts may not hamper your weight-loss efforts.
Calories Burned
The number of calories you burn during your workout depends on the type of exercise you're doing, the intensity of your workout and your weight. If, for example, you weigh 160 pounds, you'll burn about 290 calories if you jog for one half-hour. This is enough to compensate for eating a full-size candy bar containing nuts and chocolate. Ballroom dancing for an hour will work off the calories you acquired by eating a large chocolate-chip cookie from a bakery.
Dangers of Dessert
Eating high-fat or sugary desserts regularly may put you at risk for becoming overweight or obese -- which in turn, raises your chances of developing diabetes, high blood pressure and heart problems. The Drugs.com website reports that consuming fructose, which is present in many candies and processed dessert items, can allow fat cells to multiply faster, making you more likely to have a weight problem. Enjoy rich desserts in moderation and only occasionally, even if you're exercising regularly.
Substitutions
Avoiding high-calorie desserts doesn't mean that you have to deprive yourself of all dessert items. Fresh or lightly-cooked fruit provides vitamins and fiber, along with some natural sugar, to satisfy your sweet tooth. Baking your own cookies and cakes may be a healthful option if you substitute applesauce for some of the oil or butter in the recipe, and use artificial sweeteners in place of sugar. If you're tempted by a high-fat dessert, enjoy a small portion, instead of a large piece.
Benefits of Dessert
If you're dieting and following an exercise plan, eating sensible, low-fat, sugar-free desserts may actually help you lose weight, reports the EurekAlert website. Enjoying small, relatively healthy treats a few times a week may make you less likely to splurge on a fattening dessert, which can have negative effects even if only eaten once a week. As long as you're saving some of your extra calories each day to put toward your dessert, you can feel good about including treats with a low glycemic index, and no added sugar, in your diet.
References
- EurekAlert: Desserts With a Low Glycemic Index May Benefit Weight-Loss Efforts for Obese Children; Aaron Lohr; June 6, 2011
- Drugs.com: 'Junk Food' Sugar May Help Some Fat Cells Proliferate; June 20, 2010
- MayoClinic.com: Exercise for Weight Loss: Calories Burned in 1 Hour; Dec. 1, 2009
- Snickers.com: Snickers Brand
- Mrs. Fields: Nutritional Information
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