Treat yourself — a dietitian explains why dessert can help you lose more weight and keep it off

Make room for pastries and other treats to stick to your diet long-term.

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• Eating dessert may be the secret to losing weight for good, helping you stick to a healthy diet.
• Giving up treats can cause you to yo-yo between restriction and overindulgence, a dietitian said.
• Indulging in foods like dessert helps to manage cravings for more weight loss over the long-term.

A little treat could be your secret weapon to successful weight loss, according to nutrition science.