Why You Should Eat Dessert If You’re Trying to Lose Weight

When people begin a weight loss journey, one of the first things people cut out is dessert. But I’m here to try to change your mind about this old way of thinking. In fact, allowing yourself to enjoy dessert can actually make weight loss easier.

As a registered dietitian, I think you should continue to enjoy a mindful portion of dessert while you’re trying to lose weight. Yes, you read that right. It won’t sabotage your weight loss goals, as long as you give yourself unconditional permission to eat it.

It’s also worth mentioning that weight loss shouldn’t be your only health goal. Many other factors influence your health, including quality of sleep, stress levels and how hydrated you are. But if weight loss is one of your goals, eating foods you enjoy should be a part of your plan—and that includes dessert.

In Defense of Dessert

But how can this be? Aren’t we supposed to be hardwired to fear dessert for all of the sugar and calories it can contain? First of all, fearing foods is something we learned from toxic diet culture, and that mindset can damage your relationship with food and your body. No food is inherently “bad,” and no food is guaranteed to make you automatically gain weight—regardless of what the diet world says.

Additionally, severely restricting food that you like and want to eat often leads to binging later. Binging can lead to shame and more restriction, then ultimately binging again—and so the cycle goes. By allowing yourself to enjoy your favorite desserts mindfully, you can break this cycle.

How to Eat Dessert Mindfully

All that said, I understand the idea of “eating a mindful portion” or “eating mindfully” might be a little bit vague for some. A mindful portion is not necessarily a strict definition but rather honors your physical hunger and fullness levels—which means you need to tap into your own body’s wisdom, paying attention to hunger and fullness cues. This can be easier said than done for many since we have been conditioned to ignore these cues but with practice over time, you will be able to recognize these feelings again.

Since dessert is usually eaten after a meal, it can be a good starting place to relearn these cues. So, start with a smaller portion of dessert. Then, if you eat this portion mindfully—for example, paying attention to its textures, flavors, smells and how it feels in your body—and feel like you need more, you are free to go back. This might mean starting with one cookie or brownie instead of two or a half-slice of cake instead of a full slice so you can better gauge your fullness level.

Eating mindfully also means being present while you eat—in other words, paying attention to what you’re eating—and honoring your fullness and hunger. If you are eating when you’re distracted or out of boredom, research shows that you’re more likely to eat larger portions and potentially overeat. For example, according to a 2021 article published in Appetite, there is evidence that suggests that eating slowly helps you feel more satisfied after a meal and can help you eat fewer calories altogether. In contrast, eating too quickly and not paying attention to how much you’re eating can result in feeling uncomfortably full and eating more calories than you need.

When you want to have dessert mindfully, put away your phone, turn off the TV and step away from your computer screen. Simply eat. As previously mentioned, notice flavors, textures and how the food makes you feel—physically and mentally. Try to enjoy every bite. Again, this may be more difficult if you’ve gone years ignoring hunger signals and feeling guilty for eating things diet culture says you shouldn’t eat—aka the “forbidden foods.”

Does this mean you will never reach for that second cookie or slice of cake again? No—and that’s OK. Sometimes we want to have more even if we are full just because we enjoy it so much. Honor that and notice the way it makes you feel. While overeating can still happen when eating mindfully, it will happen much less often than if you are eating distractingly or binging after restricting.

The Bottom Line

If you’re trying to lose weight, absolutely continue to enjoy dessert. Avoid making a list of “forbidden foods” when you’re trying to lose weight and instead, include foods you enjoy while eating them mindfully. This includes paying attention to the texture, smell and taste of the dessert, as well as how it feels in your body. Noticing or relearning hunger and fullness cues, honoring them and giving yourself unconditional permission to eat are also important and will go a long way in your health journey. If you need more help with these aspects of eating, consider seeing a certified Intuitive Eating Counselor or a behavioral health professional. After all, you need to eat to stay alive. Shouldn’t you enjoy what you’re eating?