I'm going cold turkey from eating chocolate

[DianaPrinceRocks]

Would anyone be willing to join me ? I reckon I have at least 21 days ahead of me before I'll feel on top of it.

I'm starting tomorrow as I've already binged today (large bar of Dark Milk and sharing bag of M&M's ). I know I need to stop and thankfully I feel ready as I'm sick of feeling bloated and tired and generally awful.

I've been lurking on a few of the other chocolate addiction threads but didn't want to hijack them and couldn't decide the best place to put this so I stuck with Chat.

I've got a fridge full of fruit and some choc syrup and options choc powder as a backup. I've just remembered there's half a bar of dark rum and raisin hiding in the house but I'm going to throw it away tonight 🤞.

I'm going to keep drinking loads of nice sugar free drinks to keep me full hopefully, but otherwise I'm going to eat normally. I'm just as addicted to buying it as eating it, so lunchtimes will be my weakness when I pop out.

It feels very indulgent to start a thread but I hope writing it down might help .

Everyone is doing so well!

Day 7 here too, and no cravings even though there are loads of bars in the fridge (I can't deprive the men of the house - my husband's still not got over the time I made him sit in the car and eat the takeaway he'd brought home when I was on a diet around 20 years ago 😳😂) and the withdrawals seem to have passed.

@redeyetonowheregood that's an amazing post that I needed to see!

My husband gave up alcohol for 30 days about 4 years ago and likewise just never started again. He didn't drink masses, just a normal social amount but feels so much better without it. I'd love to do the same with chocolate!

I missed posting yesterday so I'm going to do lots of shout-outs since my last post (as the chair ya know ).

Madison you are doing brilliantly - well done on turning down the cake the other day - and it's so fantastic that you can have it in the house and not crave it.

Igivein I ~think~ we're quitting twins so I am going to be keeping a close eye on you to see if we're still having the same symptoms . You are doing great!

Onatree so fab that you resisted the Lindts! I think (hope) that we will eventually realise how much better we feel without choc and that we'll get to the stage we won't want to eat it. I'm sooo not there yet mind you.

Redeye I agree with Onatree what a brilliant post (and everyone else that has posted after long-term quitting) thank you all. I can't imagine not missing chocolate yet.

Slippery and Susie pull up a chair and you are welcome to start any time!

Simon it's great you're resisting the cravings - you're doing fab!

MrsMozart woohoo on avoiding the choc aisle - another win!

I swear I wouldn't be surviving so far if it wasn't for this thread and feeling part of a 'gang' where we're all in this together. Everyone is doing brilliantly and it's (selfishly) also great that a few people are a day ahead as it's such a motivator.

I've been very lucky really as I haven't had any temptation and there's none in the house. Yesterday was my first test but I passed! Dinner at my Mum's who lives on choc & biscuits (and never puts on a lb ) but she knows I've quit so she tried to behave herself offering stuff. She did offer a choccie digestive and I said Yes but then went - 'Wait - it's chocolate - I'll have a plain one instead' and I felt very smug .

No cravings really but I am not sleeping well at all - I don't sleep great sometimes anyway, but it's like I'm completely wired at night. I wonder if it's somehow that all the choc used to almost medicate me, so I've forgotten what having normal energy is like and need to adjust.

Today is day 6 for me and I'm still feeling v determined. Keep going everyone we are doing this!!

Don't do it! Chocolate is delicious. Just have one small bar a day

089ville that's easier said than done though and I can only speak for myself but I can eat one small bar with good intentions of that being all I'll have but it never works like that.
One small bar leads to another and another.

Diana I agree that having this thread really does help, and very well done on turning down the biscuit!

haha @089ville if that was an option for me I'd be thrilled. However, as with any addiction, it's not possible sadly.

You lot kept me on the straight and narrow today!
Or at least the thought of you all and this thread did

Nipped into Asda. Tired and grouchy. Thanks to y'all I managed to turn my face from the chocolates.

I'm feeling very virtuous, albeit still tired, and drinking tea.

I forgot

I'm late to the party but just seen this thread and will join you starting tomorrow. So far today I've eaten 2 pain Au chocolate for breakfast, and then a bag of giant buttons, half a bag of twirly wirly squirlies and almost a whole bag of twirl bites. It is pure greed, I just can't stop myself so I won't be buying any more. Back in May I went on a diet for about a month and by the end of it I had no desire for chocolate but as soon as I give in to a small amount, that's it. So wish me luck, hopefully I'll stick to it!

Whattodoinleeds no fret. Now you've remembered and tomorrow will be a good day.

MaryBoBary I know that feeling!

@MrsMozartMkII it is so brilliant that the thread helped you today - well done on holding firm!!

@MaryBoBary good luck! You can do this - we are all in it together!

@Whattodoinleeds you too! It's never too late to start!

I'm nearly at the end of day 6 and no cravings woohoo.

Honestly though I despair sometimes . Would it be ok to tell an alcoholic that one drink a day is ok cos it's delicious or a smoker trying to quit that one ciggie a day won't do any harm . Maybe a certain poster (ahem) works for a chocolate factory .

Hi Diana thanks for the shoutout, good to know someone’s watching - it’ll keep me honest
Day 7, a whole week woohoo!
The weak and feebleness has definitely passed and I’m not even craving chocolate.
I’ve been avoiding sugary things altogether, which I think is helping.
Couple of unexpected side-effects: I had some grapes today and they tasted lush - really sweet and nice. Previously they would have tasted like watery pods of nothingness.
Also, I’ve lost 2lbs
Hope everyone else is hanging on in there,

Aw @igivein that's so fantastic on all counts . You are doing so brilliantly and the fact you've quit all sugary stuff is extra amazing. And woohoo for 2lbs I am weighing in tomorrow morning so wish me luck.

All good again today but I think this thread is making all the difference- just having people to 'talk' to helps so much.

Speaking of which...the rest of you are quiet today - hope everyone else is doing ok? And if not just start again

Hi, I'm still here Diana and I think it's Day 9 for me today 😁I'm surprised actually at how I'm not craving chocolate.

igivein very well done! 2lbs is wonderful!

igivein Well done!

MadisonAvenue You're doing grand!

I'm still here. Day 10. I've heard or read somewhere that it takes four weeks to break a habit. No idea if that's true or not. If it is true, then just another eighteen days to go before I can, effectively, stop thinking about the stuff.

I think the issue will be later on, if I do have a piece for some reason, it seems to open the flood gate and I'm back to square one.

Ah Madison and MrsMozart you're both doing brilliantly! 

But oh no, 28 days, I've a long way to go... I think my first big test will be my next period, I usually go even more berserk with the stuff then so it'll be interesting to see what happens.

I saw someone eating a bar today and for a split second I thought "yummy" but then I remembered it's evil poison  so I'm still good. And igivein I'm stalking you again cos I lost 2lb as well . I'm bloody thrilled cos it's hasn't felt difficult at all (yet).

Well done Madison, MrsMozart and especially the 2lbs lighter Diana!
I’m still hanging in there on day 9. Did the supermarket shop today. I walked down the chocolate aisle and I wasn’t even bothered.
I’m finding the general sugar avoidance is really helping, I’m not getting cravings or feeling ravenous and/or deprived all the time.
And not spending all my time feeling guilty about the last chocolate hit or thinking about the next chocolate hit is freeing up some headspace too. (God that sounds bad doesn’t it, but I really was / am that obsessed).

igivein that is so brilliant and I completely understand what you mean about the headspace. I feel so relieved that I'm not having to worry about smuggling chocolate into the house or hide all the wrappers in the bin.

But I had my first real challenge today - I finished a big project and every fibre of my being wanted to celebrate with loads of chocolate. It's hard to explain but it wasn't exactly a craving, but it's what I've always done and I literally had no clue how to celebrate otherwise. It felt so weird and really shocked me. I didn't really want to buy any (or eat it) but it felt like such a gap. I'm fine now but it kind of scared me a bit, I think there's something around using chocolate to avoid processing big emotions without food (sorry that's getting very deep ).

Oops ignore that without food at the end must have been a Freudian slip

Very well done on finishing the project and NOT celebrating with chocolate, Diana

It's Day 12 here and I'm doing okay. It's been a difficult week. I now seem to be of a certain age and I'm having the period from hell plus we've had some very worrying news about my mother's health and I've been a bit of an emotional wreck, but an emotional wreck without chocolate.

Oh Madison I'm really sorry to hear that you're having such a rough time .

It sounds a bit trite, but it's so admirable that you're facing all this and still resisting. Hang in there it's worth it.

I had another good day thank goodness - can't believe I've made it this far.

MadisonAvenue have a hug and a handhold lass.

DianaPrinceRocks very well done!

igivein completely understand. Well done!

Still here. Think having some physical withdrawal symptoms. Had a pack of Starbursts instead of chocolate, which for me is a major step forward.

Hi MrsMozart well done on the Starbursts! Gosh I haven't had one of them for ages - I might indulge which is perfectly ok cos I know I'm not addicted to them .

Hope the withdrawal symptoms pass soon.

I've made it through another day - still feeling very positive and determined but I know it's still relatively early days. I think it must be amazing to start counting in months instead of days - I hope I get there.

I finally got around to day 1

Had no chocolate, sweets, biscuits or crisps. I have eaten 4 satsumas and 2 apples instead...

Off to buy an entire fruit and veg aisle tomorrow!

Lovely thread 🌸