By Caro
We at Theyo are chocolate fans with heart and soul and love to look behind the facade of our favorite snack. Our topic today: losing weight and chocolate. Sounds impossible? But it is not. Maybe you know it from your own experience. Giving up all sweets and other unhealthy snacks from one day to the next is really hard, rarely works... and makes you pretty grumpy. What if we told you that chocolate can even help you lose weight? We look beyond the calorie information and check which health aspects chocolate serves. You'll find out why we crave sweets when we're stressed and how you can break your snacking habits. Dark chocolate instead of sinful sweets! 💪
The craving for sweets
Who does not know it? You have a lot to do, little time, it's only Tuesday and feels like Friday afternoon... and you're overcome by a craving for sweets. Common stress eating traps look something like this. In stressful situations, the body needs more energy and more glucose - so the desire for sweets is completely natural. If you eat something sweet, the sugar it contains quickly lowers your cortisol level, a hormone released when you are stressed. That's good at first and satisfies your cravings, but in the long run a lot of sugar is unhealthy and makes you fat.
But what if you didn't eat a bag of candy, but just a piece of dark chocolate? You can now find out why this can be just as rewarding and what good effects dark chocolate has on our bodies.
By the way: If you would like to read more about chocolate to reduce stress, click here .
Why dark chocolate helps you lose weight
Of course, dark chocolate also mostly contains sugar and not exactly few calories. But it also has some really good properties! Dark chocolate is rich in fiber, antioxidants such as flavonoids, which can combat stress, and even contains vitamin D. Thanks to theobromine and other neurotransmitters, it also has a stimulating effect and lifts the mood. Especially when you're about to completely change your diet, a mood booster like this is very motivating!
And there's more: Some people, including television presenter and actress Ruth Moschner, swear by two pieces of dark chocolate before every meal. This is intended to satisfy your first hunger, keep your appetite in check and boost your metabolism. Up until now we've enjoyed chocolate more as a dessert - so we've yet to try it ourselves à la Ruth Moschner.
One thing is certain: when you switch from sweet milk chocolate to dark, comparatively bitter chocolate, your sense of taste also changes. What you previously found to be a pleasant sweetness may suddenly seem far too sweet. And it is precisely this reprogramming of your taste senses that can help you lose weight.
Eating chocolate and still losing weight? The following applies here: the darker, the better ©Unsplash
Reprogram habits
Our diet depends heavily on habits. These are often the hardest to break through when it comes to losing weight. How do you manage to switch from sinful sweets and greasy salty snacks to good chocolate?
Watch your eating habits closely. For example, do you reach for snacks in stressful situations? Have a good quality dark chocolate on hand and see how your body reacts to this stress buster. Maybe this delicious cocoa creation will become your new office snack?
Our tip: slowly approach chocolate with a high cocoa content. If you are an absolute milk chocolate fan, start with a 70% chocolate. Maybe you would even dare to try a high-proof one? Remember: the goodness of chocolate is in the cocoa. In other words: More cocoa means less sugar and more concentrated cocoa power. And as you get used to the taste of dark chocolate, you can even reduce your cravings for very sweet snacks.
What we love about dark chocolate, apart from the great taste and great properties, is the conscious enjoyment. Letting them slowly melt in your mouth, perceiving the aromas of the cocoa beans... huh.
3 tips on how you can use chocolate to lose weight:
- Dark chocolate. Chocolate with at least 70% cocoa contains less sugar and more great substances from the cocoa beans. Do you want to enjoy something completely sugar-free? Then we recommend the Raaka Yacon , which is sweetened only with the yacón root. Guaranteed without refined sugar.
-
Good quality. If chocolate, then high quality! Good chocolate does not need any artificial additives such as soy lecithin or vanillin. Therefore, choose chocolates from manufacturers who understand their craft and are transparent about which ingredients they use and where they come from. This way you know what's in it and whether it's good for your body. You can find a curated selection of high-quality chocolates from selected manufacturers in our online shop .
- Balanced nutrition. Feel free to incorporate chocolate into your routine in moderation. For example, as a stress reliever or as a snack before a meal. Then it can fit wonderfully into a balanced diet and motivate you to break other habits too.
A little (chocolate) love at the end...
Chocolate is not a miracle cure for weight loss. But consciously selected and enjoyed, dark chocolate can help you achieve healthier routines and reprogram your sense of taste. And quite apart from that: chocolate - at least we can speak for ourselves - is simply part of feeling good. Constantly going without and counting calories usually only makes you more stressed and certainly not happy. So feel free to question your habits, trick your taste buds and never forget: you are beautiful, no matter what! 💛
You can find high-quality chocolate that tastes great and is really good for you in our online shop .
FAQ about chocolate and losing weight
How much chocolate can you eat if you want to lose weight?
It is difficult to give a specific figure in grams, because of course it also depends on the type of chocolate. A piece of chocolate as a sweet treat doesn't stand in the way of losing weight if you eat a generally healthy and balanced diet.
Is chocolate taboo when losing weight?
No, on the contrary, in our opinion, food bans do not correspond to a balanced diet and a healthy relationship with food. Dark chocolate in particular shines with its low sugar content and high cocoa content, which is accompanied by many healthy ingredients. So this is also in moderation
How does the chocolate diet work?
The chocolate diet involves eating two pieces of dark chocolate before every meal. This is intended to satisfy the first cravings and help you eat less.
Why does dark chocolate help you lose weight?
If you change your mind and eat dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate with a high sugar content, you can limit your sugar consumption, which will have a positive effect on the weight loss you are aiming for.
Header photo by Jamie Matociños on Unsplash
