How to Get Slim While Still Eating Chocolate

Is it possible to melt the pounds without giving up chocolate? There are many testimonies from dieters who have managed to lose weight while still enjoying a little chocolate but you'll need to be armed with a healthy eating plan and be well disciplined to allow this indulgence to form part of your diet and still lose weight.

1- Talk to your doctor or professional nutrition specialist about a diet suitable to your needs. It is important that the majority of your diet is tailored to your health needs and contains wholesome, healthy food. You're going to be adding some chocolate to a healthy diet, not making a diet centered around chocolate!

2- Tell your doctor or professional nutrition specialist that you intend to consume a little chocolate as part of your diet plan. They can help you to rejig calories in appropriate places to make room for a treat now and then.

3- Choose only the very best and purest of dark chocolate. The reason for this is that it is going to give you the greatest nutrition and antioxidant benefits for its calories. Aim to find chocolate that has only a small amount of added sugar and avoid any chocolate with added dairy. The purer this dark chocolate, the better, so look for a chocolate with a high ratio of chocolate solids.

4- Eat the chocolate in moderation. Set a limit on how many squares of chocolate you're allowed per treat portion and stick to that. This will allow you set aside guilt. Usually one to two squares is enough per treat time. Whether you treat yourself daily or every few days depends on your diet's treat allowance and your self-discipline at eating only one to two pieces at a time.

5- Thoroughly enjoy the chocolate experience. When you do include chocolate as part of your slimming regime, appreciate its taste fully. To this end, it is recommended that you do the following:

- Set aside the chocolate treat time for the end of the meal. Your stomach will already be full from eating the meal, so there's less danger of exceeding your limit.

- Really focus on tasting the chocolate, not simply crunching it into pieces and swallowing it. Take your time, let it melt on your tongue and savor very small bites of each square so that eating it is a slow but mindful process. Good quality chocolate can be a form of relaxation or even meditation almost when eaten slowly. For more information, see How to taste dark chocolate.

- Enjoy the chocolate squares in place of a fattening dessert that you might once have had. For example, two squares of quality dark chocolate can replace a slice of cake or pudding.

- Have some of your dietary allowance of fruit with the chocolate. Make sure it complements the taste, such as a few slices of mandarin with orange or mandarin flavored dark chocolate.

6- Enjoy a piece or two of chocolate with your favorite hot drink. At snack time, this can be a tasty way to have a morsel of chocolate and avoid snacking on something unhealthy.

7- Enjoy chocolate drinks. Chocolate drinks are a great way to get the flavor without the calories, provided you choose the right drinks:

- Choose a sugar-free or low-sugar hot chocolate mix or dark, quality cocoa and make up hot chocolate for a lovely, guilt-free evening drink. Sip slowly and savor the flavor.

- Add sugar-free cocoa to cold milk when the allowance for the milk is part of your diet.
Mix well and again, savor the flavor.

- Avoid chocolate milkshakes, milk drinks with sugar and chocolate, and any chocolate alcohol drinks. All of these will be too calorie laden and sugary.

8- Sprinkle cocoa powder over raw fruit. This can give you the taste of chocolate with a fraction of the calories.
Raw cocoa nibs are another option. These are available from health food stores. Be aware that they're quite bitter though and are somewhat of an acquired taste.

9- Have a sensible daily exercise plan in place. A diet is only as good as the exercise accompanying it. Let the knowledge that you can indulge in a little quality chocolate drive you to walk, swim, bike, run, jog and weight lift just that little harder or longer.
                                             Source : HowWiki