Lose Weight On Ice Cream

When we first told you about Anthony Howard-Crow, a 32-year-old online trainer and YouTuber in Loveland, Colorado, he had just embarked on a diet that would make the American Dietetic Association shit bricks: 2, 000 calories a day of ice cream, 500 calories a day of protein supplements, and a bit of recreational alcohol. Nothing more. Nothing less. For 100 days.

We can now report that Howard-Crow survived the diet. Some might even call it a success, in that he lost 32 pounds, and saw improvements in his blood work. Which you’d think would make him happy, right?

That’s really saying something, considering that he previously underwent stunt diets that included 30 days of nothing but fast food and a shorter experiment with 50 percent ice cream.

Video 'ice Cream Cleanse' Promises Sweet Way To Lose Weight

He was barely halfway through the project when he began to lose interest in everything. He used to spend 4 to 7 hours a day recording and editing videos for his YouTube channel (he has a degree in film production) and updating his blog. Those dwindled to a few minutes here and there. He even quit going to the gym for the final month of the diet.

His goal was to show that calories matter more than anything else for weight loss—more than macronutrients (carbs, protein, fat), more than exercise, more than when you eat or how many times you chew your food or whatever else the cool kids are talking about these days. If he could go from 192 to 160 pounds in 14 weeks while eating dessert at every meal, then it’s impossible to argue, as many do, that calories don’t matter.

“The overall goal of my projects is never to present them as healthy, real ways to lose weight, ” he says. If that's what you're looking for, The

Health Benefits Of Eating Ice Cream

MetaShred Diet is a smart, effective choice. The diet provides an eating plan that helps you control calories without even noticing—and definitely without feeling as miserable as Howard-Crow did.

. For example, his blood lipids all improved, with higher HDL cholesterol, lower LDL, and dramatically lower triglycerides. Even his blood glucose declined slightly, despite eating enough sugar to put Buddy the Elf into a diabetic coma.

Spencer Nadolsky, D.O., a weight-loss and obesity specialist, isn’t surprised that all those blood markers moved in a healthy direction. “With weight loss, a lot of these things improve regardless of the underlying issue, ” he says. “But it’s interesting that he got so tired.”

Years Of Bad Diet Advice

Nadolsky has been there, in a way. While getting down to mid-single-digit body fat for a bodybuilding contest, Nadolsky found himself increasingly tired. Not only that, he says his testosterone fell from 600 to 200 nanograms per deciliter of blood, a predictable consequence of restricting calories while still training as hard as possible. “I felt it too, ” he says. “No libido, no energy.”

I didn’t ask Howard-Crow about his sex drive, although he did mention that his wife wanted the project to end even more than he did.

But the scariest part, Howard-Crow says, was seeing how much muscle he lost. The 32 pounds he lost included a lot of muscle. “I was still not extremely lean, ” he says.

How To Lose Weight Fast With Ice Cream In Your Diet

The muscle loss was due to three factors: First, and possibly most important, he quit working out when his energy and ambition cratered. Second, he was eating below his maintenance level—which was of course the point of the experiment. Third, he estimates he was eating just 120 grams of protein a day; someone trying to maintain muscle on a weight-loss diet is typically advised to eat 1 gram per pound of target body weight.

Although he didn’t have a specific target weight in mind—again, the point of the project was to lower calories and see what happened—120 grams a day wouldn’t have been nearly enough protein to prevent muscle loss.

Seeing these results, and hearing how hard it was to achieve them, suggests Howard-Crow is done with stunt dieting. If the “after” picture isn’t much more impressive than the “before, ” what’s the point?

How To Eat Frozen Yogurt And Lose Weight — Eat This Not That

“Despite how miserable it was, I definitely don’t want this to be my last stunt diet, ” he says, while acknowledging he has no idea what his next one might be. “Hopefully some kind of food-related inspiration will just hit me one day, or come out of seeing things through my clientsthat I never even thought about. Either way, you have not seen the last of these crazy projects.”

Lou Schuler is an award-winning journalist and contributing editor to Men’s Health. His latest book is Strong: Nine Workout Programs for Women to Burn Fat, Boost Metabolism, and Build Strength for Life, with coauthor Alwyn Cosgrove.

Lou Schuler, CSCS, is a National Magazine Award-winning journalist and editorial director of the Personal Trainer Development Center. A lifelong gym rat (he joined his first health club in 1980), he’s contributed to Men’s Health for more than 20 years, and is the author or coauthor of many popular books about strength training and nutrition, including the six books in the New Rules of Lifting series, with Alwyn Cosgrove.

Can You Lose Weight By Eating Ice Cream?

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Best Low Calorie Ice Cream Options To Buy In 2023

When you’re looking to shed pounds, ice cream probably isn’t at the top of your grocery list. But it should still be on there if you get the occasional hankering for frozen treats. 

Avoiding a dessert you love won't help you lose weight. In fact, it could set you back. “I am a big believer that restriction and deprivation lead to overindulging and weight re-gain, meaning eating dessert plays a role in achieving those weight-loss goals, ” says Brigitte Zeitlin, R.D., owner of BZ Nutrition. In other words, you just need to be smart about how you indulge, so you can have your cake (or in this case, ice cream) and your slimdown, too.

Luckily, there are plenty of delicious options these days that also happen to be lower in calories or fat than a standard pint. One that might come to mind? Halo Top. Its low-cal (pints range from 240 to 360 calories, which is about what's in a single serving of other brands), high-protein (at least 20 grams per pint) flavors have gained a reputation for being a healthier ice cream option that still tastes like the real thing, which Zeitlin attributes to the fact that it’s first three ingredients on the label are real foods—milk, cream, and eggs.

How To Lose Weight And Still Eat Ice Cream

For all the ice cream devotees out there, if you prefer to stick to the real stuff, that’s okay too. The key (and biggest pitfall), no matter which route you choose, is portion control. Whether you prefer regular ice cream or lighter options like Halo Top, stick to one or two scoops (or one serving) to satisfy your craving without blowing your goals.

As for the lighter options out there, don’t waste your time and money (and calories) trying to find the best brands—we did that for you. We asked nutritionists for their frozen treat suggestions that slash cals and fat without sacrificing flavor.

You probably saw this one coming...but there’s a reason it’s so popular. It’s delish and it has all those nutritional benefits we mentioned earlier. Zeitlin’s favorite is the Chocolate Mocha Chip, at 320 cals and 24 grams of protein per pint. (But she’s also excited to try Halo Top's pumpkin pie flavor—’tis the season!)

Weight Loss Desserts That Actually Satisfy, Recommended By Dietitians — Eat This Not That

Packaged in individual servings with 100 calories and five grams of fat in each, these snack cups are the perfect solution if you’re looking for real ice cream that’s portion-controlled, says Keri Gans, R.D., author of The Small Change Diet. The key here is to make sure you only eat one!

This organic, dairy-free option is made with coconut milk, and it’s Zeitlin’s go-to recommendation for those looking for a vegan, low cal-option. Her favorite Nadamoo flavor is the Cookies & Creme, at 140 calories per serving.

“When you’re looking for something cold and refreshing, but not too sweet, I like these, ” says Zeitlin. “They’re ice pops made from fruits and vegetables, and their Nourish flavor, a combo of banana, peanut butter, and vanilla, makes for the perfect dessert.” Her favorite flavor packs only 100 cals and 1.5 grams of fat per bar, but the other flavors have as a few as 45 or 60 calories per serving.

Weight Loss Strawberry Ice Cream

Yasso bars are made from frozen Greek yogurt and nonfat milk, and each bar ranges from 80 to 100 calories. “Personally I am a vanilla lover, and their vanilla bean is simply delicious, ” says Gans. “With five grams of protein, it could also serve as a low-calorie snack option