Does this sound like an addiction to chocolate?

[wickr]

I’ve NCed because I’m embarrassed. I just cannot stop eating chocolate. I eat at least a full family sized bar a day, I can’t remember the last time I went a day without chocolate.

I’m not sure if it’s that I have no willpower. I’ve tried not buying it on the weekly shop but I found myself walking a mile uphill with a pram to the shop in the rain a few evenings ago.

I’m sat here tonight and it’s all I can think about. I can’t concentrate on the TV. I’m trying to hold off going to the shop but I’m raiding the cupboards for something else. I’ve just eaten 3 squares from a leftover selection box from about 4 months ago that had bloomed and were grim. I’ve had a handful of chocolate weetos & a spoonful of chocolate spread.

Not sure if it’s relevant but I’m not overweight, I’m a size 8 but I’m breastfeeding if that makes any difference? DP keeps commenting on my chocolate intake too. It’s genuinely like a compulsion, I’d liken it to quitting smoking

I lost a ton of weight every time I breastfed and I was constantly craving sugar because I was so so hungry. I’m going to guess that you are hungry and need to increase your calorie intake to stop the cravings.

Have you been checked for diabetes? My neighbour has been diagnosed and was known to be an absolute fiend for chocolate and to drive miles in the early hours to buy some from the all night garage.

The price of chocolate now is enough to make you not want it !! Maybe add up all the money you’re spending on it , that might make you think twice about buying it . I’ve definitely cut down coz of cost .

I have been similar in the past, even getting out of bed in the night, dressing and driving to a local garage to get chocolate as I craved it so much. I found that in my case, it was down to my rubbish diet. Once I started eating good quality food my cravings stopped.

Are you craving something in the chocolate because of a nutritional deficiency exacerbated by breastfeeding maybe? I craved red wine when I was feeding! (Obviously I didn’t drink much but the craving was strong). Chocolate has magnesium so could be you’re magnesium stores are depleted.

No, never. I didn’t realise there could be a correlation to be honest. Is that type 1 or type 2?

Possibly? I’ve always enjoyed chocolate. Tony’s is my favourite if anyone’s curious🤣 Will the GP give me a blood test form for a magnesium test?

You need to break the cycle. I went through a stage like this - every night after dinner I would eat quite a lot of chocolate. It was such a physical craving. Btw, I am also very slim.

You have basically programmed your brain and gut biome to expect it. The reason why chocolate can be trap as it’s that mix of fat and sugar that we will keep eating as our body thinks it’s a good idea in case starvation is around the corner.

Thank you. This sounds like me too. I often get up in the night for some & will eat it before I’ve even got out of bed in the morning

Can I ask what change you made, made the biggest difference? I feel as though I eat quite well. I home cook most things, never use jars, eat lots of fish & make my own stock, that sort of thing I do love cheap white bread though

Embarrassed, again, to admit this but it literally makes no difference to me. I’ve asked to borrow money from family before to buy it.

Sounds bloody ridiculous

I’m not sure if they test for mineral deficiencies but a lot of women are low in magnesium so it won’t hurt to take a supplement (just check its safe for breastfeeding mums) and see if it makes any difference. But don’t deprive yourself of the joy of chocolate if you’re BFing. You need the calories! I ate a lot of cake as I recall!

I was living alone at the time and grabbed anything to eat as I couldn’t be bothered to cook for one. Anything quick and easy, even just a tin of something or a bowl of cereal would do. Your diet doesn’t sound too bad actually. Once I started cooking from scratch my cravings went, obviously something I was lacking in my diet.

How about getting chocolate milk? Oatly chocolate “oat milk” is amazing

it’s long life so you can heat (in winter for hot chocolate) or chill in summer

shake well before pouring

as a stepping stone down

it gives you the chocolate hit but removes the family bar a day bit

Did I write this post and then forget?? I’m also breastfeeding and am currently eating a largish bar of chocolate a day. It’s in the fridge and every time I go in the kitchen I take a square (or three…). I’m starting to think it’s a compulsion that’s gone too far but I’m so hungry all the time and, let’s face it, quite bored a lot of the time too. No matter how much chocolate I eat, though, my weight keeps going down, like I literally can’t keep up with the calories I’m expending breastfeeding. At the moment I’m not too worried but I know it’s not a habit I can maintain when I go back to work. I’m hoping I’ll stop feeding and the compulsion will go away but I’m not sure what I’ll do if it doesn’t!

Sounds like a sugar addiction, not necessarily chocolate.

I love chocolate too (not to your extent) but I find the more tired or stressed I am, the more I crave it.

I think definitely getting as much sleep as you can might help because you could be craving the sugar.

Its funny how you are BF and I definitely think having a baby/BF might have something to do with it.

Type one in my neighbour’s case. I always thought he was fit- slim, a farmer. In fact, he found it hard to gain weight.

Try eating a banana, it might help with the cravings! As a teen I was told that we crave chocolate for certain nutrients during our periods but then it causes worse cramps but banana would satisfy the cravings without the cramps - it definitely helps. Maybe have a nice fruit salad to hand and try that before reaching for the chocolate. Failing that go high coco content, at least 70% dark, as it is much less likely you’d finish a whole bar!

Sugar cravings can be caused by issues with insulin, hormones, adrenals etc… it can also simply be sleep deprivation and low energy. It might be worth getting blood tests to see if you’re missing something, if your cortisol and blood sugar are okay. Sugar is highly addictive!

There are few pleasures in life like chocolate.

You can prise it out of my cold dead hands.

A few things on chocolate- it's very high in magnesium so check where else you are getting magnesium in your diet.

It also has caffeine in it which makes it quite addictive!

If you want to reduce the sugar or calories, get some cacao powder - it's great mixed into overnight oats and majorly hits the chocolate spot without me having a full bar!