I need motivation to give up cheap children's chocolate!

[artemisandaphrodite]

For a few months now I've really been getting into my exercise and now walk and swim regularly and am enjoying it a lot. I feel like I'm in the habit now and love how strong it makes me feel.

HowEVERRRRR, all that doesn't count for all that much if I can't nip to Tesco for a pint of milk without shoving a couple of Dairy Milks in my basket ... or a pack of Club biscuits ... or 3 Creme Eggs, and I scoff them ALL, usually. Or have a great surge of willpower and shove the remaining packet in the bin sometimes, but that's obviously not good either - total waste of money.

I think the fact I'm not actually overweight is part of the problem - I'm flabby and cellulite-y, but only about 9.5 stone at 5'4'' so nothing drastic, but I think that reduces my motivation to kick the habit. But it's embarrassing, inhaling bloody Maltesers aged 40!! Stupid stupid stupid.

Has anyone got any good tips to kick the habit and stop me buying stuff? Should we do it together???? I think what I need is to be presented with the hard evidence about what all that chemical crap - hydrogenated oils, palm oil, soya lecithin and all that chemicall-y jargon - will eventually do to my body. Has anyone had a wake-up call with this?

I also like a bit of reverse psychology and remember someone saying (possibly on here) that they had kept a Crunchie in their handbag for 6 months or something now, as a kind of willpower test ... not tried anything like that but may give it a go.

Any more tips?! I want to be healthy, not just slim and fit, and I know eating all that crap (every day, pretty much) is doing me no favours. Oh, and my face is looking old and shit too, and i know it wouldn't be if I just stuck to the fecking spinach smoothies!!

That's brilliant, mcgilly. I was planning to go to the local health food shop this afternoon and stock up on Montezuma's chilli or octopus flavour or whatever, but ended up being a lady what lunches ... maybe tomorrow!

But doesn't the 75% dark chocolate have lots of caffeine in it? If you eat it in the evening, doesn't it keep you awake?

OP, am struggling with the same problem :(

Lots of good ideas on here!

If you can't sleep, shag. Good for the core muscles

Yes the chocolate has a bit of caffeine but in my case that plays less havoc with sleep than the enormous amount of sugar I used to eat at bedtime. I guess you might have to experiment with what suits you.

I have eaten a large chocolate bar at bedtime ever since my baby was born ... Two years ago! It's early days quitting for me too but every morning I wake up my skin is so much better. Vanity motivates me better than health, every time!

Maybe treat yourself to some nice skincare and read up on how sugar could cause collagen breakdown etc.

The 85% chocolate is so rich that I can only eat a tiny bar so for me personally, not too much
caffeine.

Hahaah, SilkStalkings - think DH'll be happy to know of my new regime from that point of view!

Is the caffeine in choc naturally occurring in cocoa then - or is it added?

Maybe hypnosis might help?

Also, shop.dagobachocolate.com/DAGOBA-Lavender-Blueberry-Dark-chocolate-bar-59-Cacao/p/DAG-CBBLUEBERRY&c=DagobaChocolate@Bars

Second mcgilly's suggestion of sticking with 85% chocolate. It has worked for me! I am now off the cheap chocolate and on to (slightly less of) the good stuff...

OM actual GOD, Thenagain ... do they ship to the UK, I wonder??! When you look at an artisan product like that and compare it with a bloody Double Decker, well, there's no comparison really, is there?? Thanks for the link!!

Don't know but if you're desperate we can get some next time in the US and post it to you when back :)

The really good stuff - like Dagoba or Green & Blacks - is too good for me to stop! I buy the Aldi Moser Roth 85% which is individually wrapped in little bars. Good luck! I'm on early days too.

See, I don't actually like green and blacks, never have, even their milk stuff. Think I've been put off proper organic chocolate a bit by g&b's ubiquity, though I know there is much nicer stuff out there, such as Montezuma's. And that Dagoba stuff too, I bet!!