Sweets for weight loss: which ones you can and which you can’t and how to replace them

No one is surprised that when losing weight, sweets are automatically included in the prohibited list. They are high in calories, have a high glycemic index, provoke a surge in insulin in the blood, and half an hour after them the appetite awakens again. So those who are struggling with extra pounds can only dream of a piece of cheesecake and ice cream that melts in your mouth.

However, nutritionists say that not all sweets are taboo when losing weight. And we’re not just talking about honey and sweeteners. This list turned out to be much more extensive.

The Positive Side of Glucose

When dieting, sweets are not only possible, but also necessary, because they:

• Activates brain function;
• Provides energy, starts metabolism;
• It has antitoxic characteristics, allowing you to more actively remove harmful compounds;
• Increases the level of the hormone of joy, improving the emotional background, resisting stress;
• Provides calorie consumption as it increases motor ability;
• Minimize the risk of diet failure.

Black chocolate

All nutritionists allow the consumption of chocolate for any diet. However, chocolate should only be black with a cocoa content of no less than 72%. Read the ingredients carefully; sugar should not come first, but cocoa, cocoa butter, carob, etc. It is dark chocolate that contains a number of useful substances that help to have a positive effect on the nervous and cardiovascular systems, helps regulate blood pressure, especially with hypotension, and improves well-being and mood. When on a diet, the daily intake of chocolate should be no more than 20 g.

Negative points

For many years, sweets were prohibited during a diet aimed at correcting the figure for the following reasons:

• High glycemic index;
• High calorie content;
• The ability to provoke a sharp release of insulin into the blood;
• Short-term saturation, quickly awakening appetite;
• The ability to provoke the development of caries and diabetes;
• The likelihood of a decrease in the elasticity of the walls of blood vessels;
• Causing rashes, acne on the skin;
• Complication of the activity of the gastrointestinal tract;
• The ability to provoke food allergies.

Is it possible to eat sweets after training?

Approximately 35-40 minutes after strength training, a “carbohydrate window” opens in the body. At this time, the absorption of carbohydrates occurs twice as actively as during sports, and it is during this period that it is necessary to replenish the reserves of glycogen spent by the muscles - the main reserve carbohydrate that is stored in the muscles. With a sharp drop in blood glucose levels, the body begins to intensively consume muscle glycogen, which reduces muscle building exercises to zero. In addition, during training, stress hormones – cortisol and adrenaline – “work”, which increase activity and endurance. And after its completion, their action must be blocked - insulin will handle this.

So, after training, you can eat something sweet. Slow carbohydrates do not work here: by the time they are digested, the body will already draw on muscle glycogen. In addition, insulin helps the absorption of amino acids. After intense sports exercises, you can consume 30-60 g of carbohydrates without harm to the body. This could be a few juicy berries, dried apricots, a piece of chocolate or marshmallows. The main thing is without fanaticism!

Diet sweets

If you are losing weight, you should include natural foods with minimal sugar content in your diet. They should be low in calories and healthy. What sweets are allowed for weight loss:

• Paste;
• Marmalade;
• Marshmallow;
• Halva;
• Black chocolate;
• Dried fruits: dried apricots, raisins, apricots, figs, dates, prunes;
• Candied fruits: oranges, pineapples, tangerines;
• Kozinaki;
• Jam;
• Honey.

Some people use special candies in their diet, sold in hypermarkets.

Not all sweets can be eaten while on a diet; the main thing is that these confectionery products are made from natural sugar substitutes - pectin and stevia.

How to use them correctly and in what quantity can be found out from the recommendations indicated on the packages.

Dried fruits and candied fruits

The list of healthy sweets for weight loss includes candied fruits and dried fruits. Dried foods have more calories than fresh ones. For this reason, their consumption should be limited to 30 g per day. The beneficial properties of dried fruits are superior to various other fruits. So dates contain the following vitamins:

• WITH;
• E;
• A;
• B9.

They contain about 70% sucrose. In order not to provoke additional weight gain, the daily intake should not exceed 15 pieces. After eating dates, a person experiences the following positive processes:

• Vision improves;
• Strengthens tooth enamel and immunity;
• Intestinal functioning is normalized.

Be sure to read: Safe weight loss ensures losing 2 kg in a week

However, this product is contraindicated for diabetics, as it contains a lot of sucrose and fructose.

Dried apricots also restore vision and perfectly remove harmful elements. The fruit strengthens the defenses and prevents the occurrence of blood diseases. The daily norm is 2 pieces.

Raisins are a common sweet used in many diets. The product is rich in B vitamins. The dried fruit also contains magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and iron. These substances compensate for the deficiency of useful elements during weight loss. You should eat no more than 30 g of these sweets per day.

The benefits of candied fruits depend on the original fruit that served as the basis for their production.

All of them are rich in microelements and vitamins, have a positive effect on the immune system, and are able to remove harmful toxins.

These products have a strengthening effect on nails and hair. 100 g of candied fruits contain 216 kcal, so nutritionists do not recommend consuming more than 40 g of them in the menu.

Halva

Halva is rightfully considered useful because it has a number of advantages:

• Contains microelements and vitamins;
• Regulates appetite;
• Improves digestive activity;
• Improves hair growth;
• Activates brain function.

This product is allowed for use by pregnant women and nursing mothers.

But it is not advisable to indulge in halva as a sweet when losing weight - no more than 1 tsp. or a small piece per day.

Marshmallow, apple marmalade

Marshmallows are most often made from applesauce, since it contains a large amount of pectin, as well as other beneficial substances that help cleanse the body of waste and toxins. Marshmallows do not contain harmful fats or dyes. This applies to the white variety of the product. The calorie content of this sweet is slightly more than 320 kcal per 100 g of product. When creating a menu for the day, be sure to take this indicator into account so as not to violate the required amount of calories.

You can also make marmalade from apples, which is obtained using an agar-agar thickener. This substance contains iodine, which is very valuable.

Fruit jelly

You can enjoy jelly prepared yourself during your diet. You can make a healthy and tasty treat from sweet fruits and agar-agar. The components included in the product contribute to the following actions:

• Improving intestinal microflora;
• Strengthening the immune system;
• Normalization of blood sugar;
• Removing toxins from the body.

Black chocolate

This category includes all kinds of goodies, such as candies with dried apricots or prunes, dipped in dark chocolate. There are also nuts for people losing weight. It is worth considering that despite the benefits of dark chocolate, you are allowed to consume a maximum of 40 g per day. For those who do not play sports, even less - 20 g.

Honey

Many diets do not deny the use of honey, although this product is similar in calorie content to sugar. However, unlike the white product, it contains approximately 70 useful elements:

• Enzymes;
• Vitamins;
• Acids.

All these substances are necessary for the body to function.

Honey helps strengthen the immune system, improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, heart and blood vessels, and is also an excellent absorbent of harmful compounds.

Fruits

All types of fruits are also worthy sugar substitutes, as they contain natural healthy sugars and a huge range of vitamins. Some of them not only fit perfectly into the diet menu, but also have a fat-burning effect on the body (pineapple and grapefruit). However, fruits such as banana and grapes should be consumed in very limited quantities as they contain large amounts of sugar.

Nutritionists recommend eating fruits in the first half of the day for better absorption of all vitamins. Moreover, it is permissible to either use them in their pure form or, for variety, make fruit mixes, seasoning them with natural low-fat yogurt. Some fruits, such as apples or pears, can be baked in the oven with cottage cheese and nuts. And by adding a little honey, you can get a wonderful sweet, but at the same time healthy dessert.

Unwanted glucose

The list of prohibited products containing sugar includes those products that have gone through various stages of production processing. They contain dyes, carcinogens, flavors, trans fats, and stabilizers. These products are characterized by high calorie content, which is unacceptable for dietary nutrition. Substances in industrial sweets provoke a malfunction of various organs and systems. The gastrointestinal tract, heart and blood vessels are the first to take the blow.

Be sure to read: Features of the bread diet

When losing weight you should absolutely not use:

• Milk chocolate;
• Puddings;
• Candies;
• Ice cream;
• Yoghurts;
• Baked muesli;
• Pastries, cakes, donuts;
• Rolls, cupcakes;
• Cookie;
• Sugar;
• Energy and carbonated drinks;
• Store-bought juices.

Substitutes

Dried fruits are an excellent alternative to forbidden sweets. You can replace flour and sweets with the following products:

• Natural yogurt;
• Sweeteners: sorbitol, stevia, sucralose, xylitol, fructose;
• Fresh muesli;
• Freshly squeezed juices;
• Fruits: grapes, bananas, persimmons;
• Berries: raspberries, strawberries, cherries;
• Jerusalem artichoke, cane sugar, agave syrup;
• Cereal bars.

The process of losing weight requires that each person losing weight individually find out how many such sweets are allowed to be consumed specifically for him.

Recommended volumes of consumption of natural sweets

The permissible amount of sweets when losing weight is calculated based on the following factors:

• The number of calories burned throughout the day;
• Daily calorie content of the menu;
• Number of kilograms desired to be eliminated.

Examples:

• The calorie content of the menu per day is 1,200 kcal. 100 g of halva for breakfast – 519 kcal. The difference from the original amount is 681 kcal, which should be distributed over lunch, snack and dinner. For this reason, it is worth considering whether it is worth using halva so as not to starve later?
• If your goal is to remove extra 20 kg, then you can use only 1 tsp from sweets. honey. When it is necessary to adjust the volume of the figure by several kilograms, then it is allowed to include marmalade and marshmallows in the diet.
• If you lose weight only through dietary nutrition, the amount of sweet food is reduced to a minimum. If a person plays sports, then he can afford a little more sweet foods.

Be sure to consider what these products are used with.

It is not advisable to drink sweets with tea or another drink, as this can harm the stomach and cause an increase in acidity.

How to eat sweets

Nutritionists recommend giving up sweets if you want to lose weight. But a person, when suddenly deprived of familiar products, feels a loss, risking never achieving the desired goal. Cakes with sweets are a source of glucose, which is so necessary for the body to function normally. Sweets quickly stimulate the production of serotonin, which is the hormone of joy.

Excessive consumption of sweets provokes metabolic dysfunction, which can lead to obesity. When on a diet, sweets are allowed, but in small quantities. There are special low-calorie sweets that have a beneficial effect on body functions - they do not interfere with losing weight.

To enjoy sweets while losing weight at the same time, you need to follow these rules:

• Sweets are allowed only before lunch;
• You are allowed to eat sweets only an hour after a meal;
• Low-calorie sweets are allowed;
• It is permissible to eat up to 50 g of dietary treats per day.

Be sure to read: List of spices for effective weight loss

Sweets are prohibited in the evening. When the body does not spend the calories received, they will certainly be deposited in fat folds.

Honey

This is the most important sugar substitute. By purchasing a couple of jars of this unique product, you can easily completely stop eating sugar. In addition to its pleasant taste, honey contains a huge amount of useful and unique vitamins and minerals. It's surprising that 20 grams (2 tablespoons) of such a sweet product contains only 70 kcal. This is exactly the amount that the human body needs to normalize metabolism, accelerate cell regeneration and simply lift your spirits. However, be careful when choosing honey.

It is important that it is natural and sugar-free. Look for sweets from reliable suppliers.

Recipes

It is advisable to prepare treats when losing weight with your own hands. The process of their preparation does not require the expenditure of effort and money. If you have cottage cheese on hand, you can make a delicious mousse from it.

A pack of lean cottage cheese (200 g) is mixed with 60 g of honey. These components must be crushed using a blender. 1 tbsp. l. gelatin should first be soaked in half a cup of warm water and left for 25 minutes to swell. Knead all products, add 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice. Beat the mixture again, add 2 egg whites and stir. Place the product in baking dishes and refrigerate for 2 hours. To improve the taste of the delicacy, you can decorate it with berries and 1 tbsp. l. cream.

Baked apples

For cinnamon lovers, here is a recipe with apples and honey. To prepare, you will need 6 peeled apples, which need to be baked in the oven at 180 degrees.

Let the fruit sit for about 20 minutes. In the meantime, do the following manipulation - take 150 g of honey and 1 tbsp. l. cinnamon cinnamon powder, stir well. Pour the honey-cinnamon mixture into the core of the apple and place everything back in the oven for 15 minutes. A delicious treat is ready!

bird's milk

Few people know that Bird’s Milk candies are a completely dietary sweet for weight loss, provided that non-standard products are used. The necessary components to create a culinary masterpiece are:

• A glass of milk and natural yogurt;
• 200 g cottage cheese (low-fat);
• 1 tbsp. l. gelatin;
• 1 scoop of stevia;
• Vanillin.

The cooking process itself includes the following points:

• Add gelatin to milk so that it increases in volume;
• Beat cottage cheese and yogurt using a blender;
• Heat the gelatin mass a little until it completely dissolves in the milk;
• Add gelatin to yogurt and curd mixture;
• Place the container in cold water;
• Keep in the cold until it acquires a thick consistency;
• Beat the mixture with a mixer;
• Transfer the delicacy into molds and place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

Ice cream

Leftover yogurt can also be used to make ice cream. The recipe makes 6 servings. For sweets you will need the following tools and products:

• Sticks;
• Forms;
• A handful of nuts;
• 1 tbsp. l. honey;
• Berries – 150 g;
• About the same amount of natural yogurt.

Low-calorie ice cream is prepared as follows:

• Mix all products using a blender;
• Place the resulting mass into molds, inserting a stick into each of them;
• Keep in the freezer for at least 6 hours.

Cookie

Sweets when losing weight may well look like low-calorie cookies. The dessert is made quickly and easily from the following products:

• Oat and wheat bran - 2 tbsp. l.;
• Maple syrup - 3 tsp;
• Low-fat cottage cheese - 5 tbsp. l.;
• Soda – 1.5 tsp;
• Yolks – 4 pcs.

All you need during the cooking process is to combine the yolks with baking powder and other ingredients. Mix all the ingredients and pour the dough into the molds. Place the mixture in the oven and bake until the product is completely cooked.

Berries

Berries are no less tasty and healthy than fruits, and also have good energy density. A snack of berries will quench your hunger well and allow you to wait for your main meal without any problems.

Here is a similar table:

For example, a man with the norm calculated above at 225 kcal can easily eat 500 g of watermelon and 220 g of raspberries or 200 g of apricots, 200 g of kiwi and 200 g of red currants during the day.

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