Is it possible to lose weight without giving up bread, sweets and your favourite foods?

Author: Alla — nutritionist and professional chef with extensive experience

Link to the Easyfind profile:   https://easyfind.ee/listing/toitumisnoustaja/

My long career as a professional chef has taught me to know ingredients and flavors well, and to understand how to make truly good food from everyday ingredients. Over the years, I have worked in restaurants in Estonia and Norway and gained valuable experience in a wide variety of professional kitchens — including Michelin-starred restaurants, a Jamie Oliver restaurant, and several popular Estonian restaurants.

But over time, another important question was added to my professional perspective on food: how does what we eat affect our bodies and how we feel?

My interest in this subject deepened particularly during pregnancy, when I experienced gestational diabetes. That was when I first began looking at food not only through a chef’s eyes and asking, “How can I make it taste good?” but also thinking about how different food choices affect the body, why some meals keep you full for longer, and whether healthy eating really has to mean constant restrictions.

After my daughter was born, my interest in nutrition grew even deeper and led me to nutritional counselling.

For me, this was not a career change, but a natural continuation of the path I had already taken. Today, I combine my extensive experience as a professional chef with my knowledge of nutrition, and I want to help people find balance without strict diets and constant prohibitions.

One of the principles behind my approach is simple: healthy eating does not have to mean giving up delicious food. It can be varied, enjoyable, and fit into real life.

But does the same principle apply when the goal is to lose weight? Is it really possible to eat bread, sweets, pasta, and other favorite foods while also losing weight?

When someone decides to lose weight, one of the first things they often do is make a list of forbidden foods.

“I’m giving up bread.”
“No more chocolate.”
“Sweets only on special occasions.”
“No pasta allowed.”
“I don’t eat after six.”
“From now on, I’ll only eat healthy food.”

In the first few days, this approach may even work. You get the feeling that everything is under control: your diet becomes “perfect,” your weight gradually starts to drop, and it seems that you have finally found the right solution.

But time passes. You start craving ordinary food, a favorite dessert, or a slice of bread to eat with soup. Constant restrictions become exhausting, and at some point, overeating may follow.

After that, feelings of guilt often arise:

“I’ve failed again. I have no willpower.”

And the person starts a diet again — this time, an even stricter one.

This is how a vicious cycle begins.

But is it really necessary to give up bread, sweets, and other favorite foods in order to lose weight?

No. Losing weight does not require completely giving up the foods you love.

Weight loss requires an energy deficit—that is, a situation in which, over an extended period, the body receives on average slightly less energy than it expends. However, this does not mean that your menu has to consist only of “diet foods.”

What matters is the overall structure of your diet: what you eat, how much and how regularly, and whether it is sustainable in the long term.

Can you eat bread while losing weight?

Bread is often one of the first foods people give up when trying to lose weight.

But bread itself does not automatically cause weight gain or prevent weight loss.

You can eat a couple of slices of bread and still lose weight, as long as your overall daily diet aligns with your goal and, on average, your energy intake is lower than your energy expenditure.

What's more, bread can be a perfectly ordinary part of a balanced meal.

Näiteks:

Breakfast: eggs, whole-grain bread, vegetables and cheese.

Or:

Lunch: soup, a slice of bread, meat or fish, and a large vegetable salad.

The problem is usually not the bread itself, but rather the quantities and the overall energy density of the meal.

There is a big difference between eating one or two slices of bread as part of a nutritious meal and unknowingly eating several slices with plenty of butter, cheese or other energy-rich toppings, then continuing to snack later.

So instead of asking:

“Can you eat bread while losing weight?”

ask:

“What amount is right for my diet and goals?”

Can you eat sweets while losing weight?

The situation with sweets is much the same.

Chocolate, cookies, ice cream or a slice of cake have no special property that automatically halts weight loss after one serving.

However, sweets often contain a relatively large amount of energy in a small quantity. This makes it easy to eat more than originally planned, especially when a person is very hungry or has been strictly restricting themselves for a long time.

This is where a paradox often arises.

A person tells themselves:

“That’s it, no more sweets ever again.”

They manage to stick to it for a few days. Then they see chocolate, which they love very much. A strong craving arises. They try to resist, but at some point they eat it anyway.

And instead of a couple of pieces, the whole bar may disappear.

Then comes the thought:

“Now everything is ruined. I might as well eat anything today and start again tomorrow.”

This “all-or-nothing” mindset can be a much bigger problem than a small amount of sweets calmly and consciously incorporated into a regular diet.

Why can forbidden food become even more tempting?

If we declare a food completely “off-limits,” it may become even more important to us.

If someone knows that they are “never allowed” to have chocolate, then every time they eat it becomes an exception of sorts.

And making an exception may lead to the thought:

“I have to eat now because I won’t be allowed to tomorrow.”

This is how a few pieces of candy can turn into a much larger amount of sweets.

Therefore, the goal of weight loss does not have to be learning never to eat your favorite foods.

It is much more beneficial to learn to eat them in amounts and in a way that fits into your overall diet.

For example, you can plan a small dessert into your day.

Not as “cheating.”

Not as a reward.

Not as breaking the diet.

Simply as part of a normal diet.

Do you have to eat only the “right” foods while losing weight?

No.

The main part of a balanced diet should consist of foods that help provide enough protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients the body needs.

Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts, seeds, and other nutrient-rich foods can form the basis of the daily diet.

However, this does not mean that every food has to be as “clean” or fat-free as possible or prepared only at home.

Healthy eating does not mean that your diet can never include pizza, chocolate or baked goods.

What matters more is what your overall diet looks like over the longer term.

What might a diet without excessive restrictions look like?

Let’s imagine a perfectly ordinary day.

Breakfast: an omelet with vegetables and whole-grain bread.

Lunch: kana, kartul ja suur köögiviljasalat.

Snack: yogurt and fruit.

Dinner: fish, vegetables and a little rice.

And after dinner—a couple of pieces of chocolate.

Here, you don’t have to choose between “eating right” and chocolate.

It is possible to eat a varied and nutritious diet while also leaving room for food that simply tastes good.

This is precisely what makes the diet more realistic for many people and easier to follow in the long term.

What matters is not an individual food, but your overall diet

One slice of bread does not define your diet.

Nor even one piece of candy.

And even one day when you ate more than usual does not determine the final outcome.

Changes in body weight are primarily influenced by how consistently a person eats over a longer period of time.

Therefore, after a slice of cake, there is no need to think:

“Now everything is ruined.”

Nothing has been ruined.

There is also no need to “compensate” for cake by starving yourself, skipping your next meal, or punishing yourself the following day.

It makes much more sense simply to continue as usual with the next meal.

What should you eat to lose weight without feeling constantly hungry?

If you want to keep your favorite foods on the menu, it is worth first establishing the foundation of the rest of your diet.

1. Eat regularly

If a person eats very little throughout the day and becomes extremely hungry by evening, it is much harder to control portions and make conscious choices.

The appropriate number of meals may vary from person to person, but it is important to avoid a situation where you go almost without eating for most of the day and become extremely hungry by evening.

2. Add enough protein to your meals

Protein helps make meals more filling and is important for maintaining muscle mass during weight loss.

Sources of protein can include eggs, fish, meat, poultry, cottage cheese, yogurt, cheese, legumes, and tofu.

3. Don’t forget vegetables and other sources of fiber

Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, seeds, and other high-fiber foods help increase the variety and nutritional value of the diet.

Foods with greater volume and fiber content also help make meals more satisfying.

4. Don't be afraid of carbohydrates

There is no need to automatically exclude potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, grains, and fruit from your diet.

Carbohydrates can be a perfectly normal part of a balanced diet and an important source of energy.

It is primarily a matter of quantities, choices, and the overall balance of the diet.

5. Leave room for enjoyment too

If you like chocolate, there is no need to tell yourself that you will never eat it again.

If you love pizza, you do not have to remove it from your diet forever.

If you like baked goods, you can learn to include them in your diet in suitable amounts.

A weight-loss menu that a person can realistically follow is generally more useful than a “perfect” diet plan that they can stick to for only a few days.

But what if I cannot stop after one piece of candy?

Then the problem may not lie solely in the candy itself.

It is worth looking at your entire day and eating habits.

Are you eating enough throughout the day?

Do you eat regular meals?

Are you getting enough protein and fiber?

Are you very hungry by the evening?

Are you restricting yourself too much?

Do you have an “all-or-nothing” mindset?

The situation of “I ate one piece of candy and couldn't stop” can sometimes begin much earlier.

For example, a person eats very little all day because they want to lose weight quickly. By evening, they are hungry, tired, and fed up with restrictions.

At that moment, readily available and tasty food becomes especially tempting.

Therefore, giving up sweets even more strictly may not be the solution. First, it is worth checking whether the rest of your diet throughout the day is sufficient, regular, and balanced.

If episodes of overeating occur frequently, are accompanied by a feeling of losing control, or eating causes severe anxiety and guilt, it is worth discussing this with an appropriate healthcare or nutrition professional.

Sa ei pea toitu välja teenima

Another common mindset is to treat sweets as a reward or punishment.

“I was good today, so I can have dessert.”

Or conversely:

“I ate something sweet, so I was bad.”

Food does not have to become a system of punishments and rewards.

You can eat dessert simply because it tastes good.

What matters is that it has an appropriate place in your overall diet.

Weight loss should not be a temporary diet

This is one of the most important points.

If you create a weight-loss diet that you can follow for only one month, a question will inevitably arise after you reach your goal:

“What next?”

If you then return completely to your old eating habits, your body weight may also gradually increase again.

Therefore, from the very beginning, it is worth developing an eating pattern that can, at least in principle, be maintained over the long term.

If you have loved bread all your life, it does not necessarily make sense to convince yourself that you now have to give it up forever.

If you love chocolate, you do not have to make it a forbidden food.

If you enjoy pasta dishes, they can also be part of your diet in moderation.

A diet suitable for weight loss does not have to be perfect. It has to be achievable.

So, is it possible to lose weight and eat sweets?

Yes.

You can lose weight and eat bread.

You can eat potatoes.

You can eat pasta.

You can eat pizza occasionally.

You can eat chocolate.

The question is not only:

“Is it allowed or not?”

The most important questions are:

How much? How often? What does the rest of your diet look like? Does it create the necessary energy deficit? And can you still follow such a diet months from now?

A system instead of restrictions

A good weight-loss diet should not consist of an endless list of foods you are forbidden to eat.

It is much more useful to learn to plan your meals so that they regularly include:

sources of protein + vegetables and fruit + suitable sources of carbohydrates + sources of fat + also, in reasonable amounts, foods that bring pleasure.

Then losing weight does not become a constant struggle with yourself.

Sa ei pea ootama esmaspäeva, et „uuesti alustada“.

Sa ei pea kartma ühte koogitükki.

Sa ei pea pidama ühte kommi läbikukkumiseks.

Sa lihtsalt jätkad järgmisel toidukorral oma tavapärase toitumisega.

And this approach can be much more sustainable than yet another very restrictive diet.

Losing weight does not necessarily mean giving up your favorite foods. It means learning how to find a suitable place for them in your diet.

If you want to lose weight but are tired of diets, restrictions, and the constant “I’ll start on Monday” mindset, the next step may not be yet another stricter diet.

It may be much more important to develop a way of eating that you can realistically maintain in your daily life.

Without unnecessary restrictions.
Without constant guilt.
Without having to start over after every minor slip-up.