We know this time of year is full of holiday cheer, and holiday cookies, and holiday cakes, and cocktails... the list goes on! How do you make it through without indulging, or if you are in Step 3, overindulging in those sugary filled little treats?

From the ITG Test Kitchen, we have been busy getting creative to put out our ITG Sweet Treat Recipe Guide to all of our dieters throughout the month. See below for the official download. Put these recipes to use any time of year that calls for something sweet (or even if it's a Saturday afternoon and you feel like making yourself a Step 1 compliant goodie!)

We know it's tough to get through the holidays when everyone else around you is eating whatever they want whenever they want! One of our local dieters has been doing such a fantastic job and has already made it through Halloween and Thanksgiving without ever adding a fraction of a pound. She came to us at the beginning of December for her weekly weigh-in and we asked what her Christmas plans were. She told us that she would be making her grandmother's special recipe for Buckeye cookies - those delicious little sweet peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate - if you have never indulged, have a real one in Step 3 on your Reward Day!

She told us she had to make them this year, and she would be eating them too. We didn't want to see her struggle and potentially fall off the program. Remember with sugar cravings, if you do add back some sugar by mistake or because you went off the plan for a little while, that sugar can cause intense cravings and you may end up having more the next day, and then again the day after that... which quickly snowballs into steady weight gain for months and a lot more work to do in the future!

We came up with the recipe for ITG Buckeye Cookies with her in mind to keep her on track. They are simple - made with Walden Farms Peanut Butter Spread, ITG Dulce De Leche pudding mix, and ITG Chocolate Dream Bars. We whipped up a batch and had them ready for her to try at her next weigh-in. She loved them! She said this would help satisfy her sweet tooth. And while she was still going to make Buckeyes for her family and friends, she would eat her special Buckeyes that would keep her on track to her weight loss goal all the way through the holidays! She was so happy she had tears in her eyes, and we were overjoyed that we were able to make the holidays a little bit less of a struggle and more of a fun time to focus on her family and friends - the real meaning of the holiday season!

Click here for ITG Buckeye Cookies

ITG-Holiday-Sweet-Treat-Guide

If you have an idea for a recipe or need help creating one that is Step 1 compliant, please let us know! We love a food challenge - send it over to Joseph@ITGdiet.com.