Fitness Tips From a Professional Sweet Tooth: Amy DiTomasso of Sugar Chic Designs

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As part of our Fitness Week coverage, we'll be chatting with locals who stay fit despite jobs that are potentially hazardous to the waistline. First up: Amy diTomasso. The most glamorous candy girl we know runs luxe gift company A Sweet Delivery, and designs jaw-dropping dessert tables for swanky parties. So, how does she not consume sixteen macaroons a day? Read on to get diTomasso's tips for keeping life in sweet balance.

What are some temptations you run into on a daily basis?
Whether curating a sweet table for a special event or filling orders for my candy gift company A Sweet Delivery, I am always surrounded by candy, desserts, and sweets. They are just part of the everyday landscape of my life, so now I view sweets as a product as opposed to an indulgence. Don't get me wrong, there are a few things I absolutely love.

Such as?
As far as candy goes, my favorite temptations are: A Sweet Delivery's Triple Chocolate Malted Milk Balls and our 12 Flavor Gourmet Gummi Bear Collection. I have a confession: I have a huge jar of Triple Chocolate Malted Milk Balls by my bed. After all, I'm just a girl with a sweet tooth.

Do you have a motto or system you use to keep everything balanced?
My method is pretty organic. It sounds silly but I try to listen to my body and I always leave something on my plate. I'm not captain of the clean plate club. I hate the feeling of being overly full, so I give myself permission to eat anything I want. But only until I feel satisfied. Limiting my intake and counting every calorie always backfires for me because I become obsessively focused on it, which means I am thinking about food all day long. Funny coincidence, I was organizing all weekend and came upon an old food journal. I used to be very vigilant about my food intake and my weight. Looking back I just can't believe I logged in every berry I put into my protein shake! Quite frankly I don't have the time to do that anymore even if I wanted to. Some days it's just grab n' go!

In addition to having a soft spot for sweets, are there any health foods you're addicted to?
I love Elite's chocolate protein powder. I drink a protein shake every day.

What kind of exercise do you like to do, and how do you work it into your schedule?
My trainer Becki Colby is amazing. We do an in-home boot camp style training session three times a week. It's never the same routine twice and I never know what's coming next, which I love. I love spending one hour of my day without having to think about what's coming next. It's a nice break not to have to make a decision for an hour. By the way: Becki is a freelance personal trainer and I love recommending her because she's amazing: she's at 847-477-4281.

Thanks for the tip! What other advice would you give to folks who want to indulge from time to time, but keep everything balanced?
Give yourself permission to enjoy whatever you crave, but only have a bite or two. That works for me because I don't feel deprived and I don't obsess about it.

What is one thing you would never cut from your lifestyle or diet?
Of all the gourmet cupcakes I've tasted—and there have been many—I have to say I love the simplicity of a vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting from Sweet Mandy B's. But hold the sprinkles! I don't care for sprinkles at all. Sweet Mandy B's sprinkles all of their cupcakes, so I call ahead and ask them to set aside six, un-frosted vanilla cupcakes. Thankfully they sell containers of frosting, so I always buy a large container of chocolate frosting and frost them myself!

But if I had to pick one dessert that I just can't live without, two words: French. Macaroons. They are a staple on every sweet table I design because they are divine, but they're also very elegant. Whenever I'm in the city I always stop at Vanille and treat myself to my favorite flavor trio: raspberry, pistachio, and strawberry champagne.
· A Sweet Delivery [Official Site]
· This Candy Co. Has Treats Inspired by Missoni [Racked Chicago]
· All Fitness Week 2014 coverage [Racked Chicago]