Weight Loss & Diet Plans

Cool Summer Treats That Won't Wreck Your Diet

Homemade Heat Busters continued...

Jackson and Dorfman recommend stocking the freezer with these low-cal and healthy homemade treats to take the edge off even the hottest days:

• Frozen unsweetened fruits: Blueberries, grapes, strawberries, and raspberries are great by themselves or topped with a little low-fat yogurt.
• Homemade fruit and cream pops: Fill small, Dixie-style, cups or a Popsicle mold with a blend of fruit and low-fat vanilla yogurt.
• Banana chips: Slice and freeze bananas, 12 slices to a bag, to enjoy a cold, creamy treat.
• Chilly chocolate chips: A tablespoon of chocolate chips has about 70 calories and offers a cool, quick chocolate fix.
• Cold S'mores cups: Place a graham cracker, one large marshmallow, and a few chocolate chips in a small cup and microwave for a few seconds, then freeze.
• Diet-friendly floats: Mix a scoop of low-fat vanilla ice cream with diet root beer for a root beer float.
• Coffee Coolers: Blend ice with coffee, cocoa, and low-calorie sweetener to taste for a 15- rather than 500-calorie coffeehouse-style cooler.

Experts say that it's important to allot yourself a small, 100- to 150-calorie treat occasionally when you're trying to lose weight. If you don't, constantly depriving yourself may come back to haunt you.

"If you deprive yourself, somewhere down the road -- if not that day later that week -- it's going to blow up and sabotage you," says Jackson. "So absolutely, chocolate craving, ice cream craving, go for it but just downsize and enjoy."