Friday, August 31, 2012

Baking While Losing Weight

LF Chocolate Mousse Cupcakes (recipe here!
It's pretty much no secret that I LOVE to bake. Nothing smells better than a house with cookies baking in the oven!
Or cake. Or muffins. Oh, and bread!

One thing I'd said when I started on my lifestyle change was that I would have to stop baking for all the obvious reasons (my favorite baked goods were too high in fat / sugar / calories, they weren't all that nutritious, I couldn't stop myself at just one cookie ...)

But now I reflect back on that mindset. By stopping myself from doing something I truly loved to lose a few pounds, was I really setting a positive light on my new healthy lifestyle? Nope. That and I was bound to rebel against my new "no baking" rule, bake fourteen recipes in one day, and have a great big ol' all I could eat sugar buffet. The next day I would get mad at myself for losing control, become depressed, and dive into the leftovers.
Cindy's Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts
And so .. I learned, that it isn't about entirely cutting out things that I love just because I had made bad habits out of them. It was about conditioning myself and changing my behaviors.

Here are some baking lessons I've learned along the way, both from myself and from other incredible people:
Dark Chocolate Chip Banana-Oatmeal Muffins
1. Try modifying your old favorite not-so-healthy recipes into new favorite not-so-terrible ones! Daddy Lego and I have become almost obsessed with "healthifying" full-fat recipes and making them into diet-friendly treats.

2. If you find having an entire batch in the home too much temptation for you, then half the recipe and bake that. That way if you do slip up and eat the whole thing, at least it was only a half-batch instead of the whole!

3. Another suggestion if having a full batch in the home is too hard to control yourself around: give some to a family member, a friend, or a neighbor. Trust me, they'll be all too happy to take a container of homemade oatmeal raisin cookies off your hands!

4. Put your freezer to good use! Wrap up your baked goods individually and freeze them. That way they're out of sight and out of mind, but still there if you need a treat. And because they're individually wrapped, you won't have to thaw out the entire bunch to have just one cookie. The rest of the tempting goodies will still be frozen and away from your mouth!
Christina's Double Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread (recipe here!)
When faced with extra temptation, ask yourself these questions: What is more important to me, that second muffin or my health / fitness goals? Is this the ONLY time I'll get to have a piece of chocolate cake ever again? Did I already have a treat today?

Remember, if you do happen to slip up and eat one cookie out of each batch that comes out of the oven to "quality test" it .. (ahem. I totally do that) ... Brush yourself off and get back to your healthy habits right away. You've worked too hard to get where you are today to let one bad decision ruin your progress!

Do you have any tips on how to control your after-baking urges? What do you do to keep your goals in check while still enjoying your baking hobby?

Happy healthy baking! :)


1 comment:

  1. I like idea number two. Half the batch huh? I never thought about that! Thanks for sharing and in the future I will try that :)

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