One of the keys to Fat Loss success is making sure that you satisfy your sweet tooth in a way that doesn’t sabotage your metabolism. Your best bet is to bake your own pastries, so you can control the ingredients.

Here are some tips to try when baking:

1. Reduce sugar by a quarter
Sugar is the enemy of fat loss because it causes spikes in blood sugar that slow metabolism. By reducing or replacing sugar, you can continue to enjoy baked goods and still stick to your fat loss goals.

In most cases, you can cut back the sugar in a recipe by 25 percent and still maintain flavor and sweetness. Another option is to replace the sugar altogether with a sugar-free sweetener like Splenda, Stevia, evaporated cane juice, organic agave nectar or brown rice syrup.

2. Replace fats with healthy alternatives.
Fat contains more calories per gram than any other food type — without much nutritional benefit — so reducing the fat in your daily menu will dramatically improve your overall metabolism function and fat burning throughout the day. If the recipe calls for butter, opt for low-fat alternatives like Earth Balance® or Smart Balance® brands. If it calls for vegetable oil, use low-fat grape seed oil instead.

3. Add fiber and omega’s with flax seed.
Flax seed is packed with fiber and Omega 3 acids that help to enhance metabolism and burn fat. And it can easily be added to many baking recipes as a substitute for margarine, oil, butter or eggs. It tends to add a nutty flavor and aroma, so it’s ideal for chocolate, caramel or nut-flavored sweets.

The key here is to use 3 tbsp. of ground flax seed for each tbsp. of margarine, oil or butter a recipe requires or combine one tablespoon of ground flax seed with three tablespoons of water for each egg.