chocolate addiction

[Nottsangel2015]

So ive put about 3 stone on in the last couple of years, partly due to pregnancy but mostly due to rubbish eating habits and snacking. Have a holiday booked for July and want to get on it and lose some weight. Problem - I am completely out of control with chocolate. Even trying to not keep it in the house just makes me go out and fetch some I am that addicted! If we have a pack of bars I won't just have one a day I'll have 2 or 3, same with cake.
Does anyone have any tips on how to kick this habit, I don't even tell my partner how much of it I eat, I will eat it when he's not around so he doesn't know. I think that is a serious problem! I have done diets where I've tried to stick to it but the minute I allow myself a treat I binge on it and it's all over and I'm back to square one.
There must be something I can do i have no control or willpower at all!

[OrrAvenue1]

Hey Nottsangel2015 they are just balls that are made from cocoa, dates, nuts and coconut - well that is what is in my colleagues balls so I am sure there are variations! They worked for me, sweet enough to curb the cravings!

How is everyone getting on?

I had white pasta for dinner tonight - FAIL. Although i'm using it up and not too phased as I'm gradually reducing.

Had some porridge, chia and LSA (ground linseed, sunflower and almonds) for breakfast instead of of my usual sugary cereal - PASS!

[GreenBudgie]

Hello Summer and Our :-). Thanks for the snack recommendations everyone. Just nipped to Lick for milk and veg at lunchtime and managed to avoid sticking the oatcakes which I buy as "healthy"but then scoff half the pack, or the wholenut 49p chocolate in my basket. Posting here has made me accountable for my eating and shopping habits so big THANKS to everyone. Have been checking out links to YouTube 7 minute workouts and will commit to one a day. I so agree that respecting ourselves and what we put in our mouths is good for self esteem. Will post food intake tonight. Best wishes to everyone.

[GreenBudgie]

Sorry "lick"=Lidl and "Our"= Orr

[Nottsangel2015]

I am feeling loads better today as little lady had some good sleep last night which has been much needed! I had toast for breakfast (which I felt was better for me than cereal) and then didn't eat anything till lunch when I had soup and a crusty roll! No snacking! So far!!! Not sure what to make for tea dp has now gone to bed poorly so just me and dd1 but food shop not coming until tomorrow so may have to make a pasta meal which is not ideal but won't be that bad if I portion control which is much easier when I'm not eating with dp because he serves huge amounts! Am ordering some soups for lunches and some salad stuff and I think I'm going to keep meals much the same just cut my portions down and top up with side salad and veg, will not be buying any deserts etc... I'm struggling with breakfast ideas though as I think cereal starts me off on a sugary slope for the day but I want something healthier than toast. Am wondering about porridge but I normally have to lather it in sweetner or maple syrup to make it taste edible! Ideas?
Glad everyone seems to be having good days so far!!!
I'm concerned about willpower as dp not really on board, how are you all coping if your oh are not doing it with you?

[GreenBudgie]

Hi Angel, glad the poorly one is recovering. I usually have the same as Husband, but smaller portion and no bread roll and pudding on the side like he has. I have half a sliced banana with porridge. Today's food was fromage frais with seeds and banana, wholemeal bread, egg salad, and baked potato with cottage cheese and salad. Lidl cottage cheese was lovely, 4.5% fat and 200 calories in a pot. How is everyone else doing?

[AmIbeingTreasonable]

Eggs for breakfast is your best bet, the protein will keep you going for far longer than toast or cereal.
If you are not hungry in the morning there is no need to eat breakfast. Not eating until you feel physically hungry is the best thing to do.

[thenewaveragebear1983]

Hi everyone. Day 2 sugar free has gone well but tonight I'm a bit 'wanty' (as in I'm not hungry but I want something nice...however is isn't the brutal detox I was fearing so I'm going to go to bed rather than risk cracking). Today I've had porridge made with semi skimmed milk and a scan-bran, 2 bowls of thick veg and lentil soup, and roasted veg (parsnip, swede, onion, carrot, courgette, celeriac) with garlic and balsamic and a lamb steak which was bloomin' lovely. This evening I've had a handful of mixed nuts and a handful of carrot sticks with an individual pot of hummus. That all comes to about 1000 calories. I'm feeling really good to be honest, not hungry and certainly not ravenous and out of control which is what I feared. I'm going to weigh myself tomorrow to keep me motivated over the weekend. Hope you are all getting on well?

[OrrAvenue1]

thenewaveragebear1983 YUM that all sounds delicious (except the lamb, I'm veggie ) Although 1000 cals is quite low, If you start to struggle I would look at upping the calories! looking to have some lentil soup tonight aswell.

GreenBudgie I also have banana with porridge sometimes. I love it! I used to have honey but I'm trying to reduce the natural sugars aswell.

How are we all doing? End of my first week and I don't feel really better although I managed to go out a 30 min super slow jog at lunchtime which have been few and far between since I was about 8 weeks pregnant! So maybe I am starting to feel better...

[GreenBudgie]

Hi Orr, well done for getting your trainers on and out the door. Were you a regular runner pre childbirth? Ate to plan today, am aiming for 1400 calories per day, and finding that is plenty if I don't waste them by eating sugar. Was hungry when I got home, but munched celery instead of biscuits whilst preparing dinner. How was your day everyone?

[thenewaveragebear1983]

I've had a good day, it's my 3rd day sugar free. I've been hungry today and have snacked more (nuts, chicken pieces and carrot sticks!). When I weighed myself this morning I'd lost 6lb though since Wednesday which was very encouraging (although mostly water?) - really hoping to keep on track over the weekend but its my hardest time because dh eats rubbish and it tests my willpower!

[OrrAvenue1]

GreenBudgie i was a keen runner before I got pregnant, currently 20 weeks pregnant. Used to run 10ks and marathons and stuff. But from about 5 weeks pregnant I have pretty much done nothing (because of sickness and tiredness] and you can very much tell!

But on Tuesday my midwife gave me into trouble for my sugar consumption and she was deadly serious! Told me to cut it out!! So I have! I have kept eating as I was but now just not snacking on sweeties or chocolate so had porridge for breakfast, pasta for lunch and then some pizza at my works 5pm get together then had some lentil soup and pitta breads for dinner. But I had almonds, an orange and a banana yesterday for snacks instead of my usual bag of gums or chocolate bar! It is HARD! Especially when I had to buy my team cakes to celebrate our year end and I was eating an orange....

[msrisotto]

Hi everyone. i'd like to join too. I managed 6 or 7 months sugar free last year (lost a stone!), then Christmas happened. I was sugar free the whole of January but have been mostly off the wagon since. Am now 5 days clean :-)
Worst thing is, I have a cupboard full of goodies, my absolute favourites. Just sitting there and I want to eat them, but don't want to but definitely don't want to throw them away.
Interested in the app. I remember doing well with Paul McKenna hypnosis so that sounds promising.
I don't know if I could give up chocolate as well as running a strict diet. I think i'd cave.

[OrrAvenue1]

Hey msrisotto 7 months sugar free is AMAZING!!

I also have a cupboard full of goodies. I am keeping them and going to treat myself now and then! Thinking about having some of my Lindt Easter Bunny tomorrow I think it is unrealistic to think that I won't have sugary treats again (for me anyway ).

[Nottsangel2015]

Glad your all doing great! I've stocked up on eggs to have for breakfast but think I may give it a miss in most cases and eat a good filling lunch instead.
Went out for dinner with my boss yesterday to finalise going back to work and I had Mexican steak salad which was great and healthy (ish) came home and had a big fail and we had Chinese for dinner! No sugar obviously but not really the healthy dinner it should of been! Oh well better luck today! As someone mentioned I'm feeling a bit needy for sugar but so far am keeping it at bay and am very pleased I've not touched the stash of choc eggs still leftover from Easter for the girls!!! Off to twycross zoo tomorrow if the kids are better and the weather holds out so hoping we can get through the day sugar free but I doubt it, don't mind though will allow myself a day off if I do as we don't get to go out for the day often with all of us.
Do you all have any plans this weekend?

[GreenBudgie]

Hi Risotto, welcome to the thread, we can learn a lot from your experience of so many months sugar free :-). Orr, your midwife should be delighted with you next time they see you. It's not nice being nagged, but they do it for good health reasons, and they must see enough clients with problems to make them try and stop anyone else having them. Nice work and enjoy your weekend Angel. Well, had a chaotic day so far, poorly relative has passed, sold something on local Facebook site to very talkative chap who took a long time to leave, plus wrestled a washing machine into place. Ate far too many grapes after breakfast which brought about complete mood change, feeling tense and angry. I had some wholemeal toast to calm the sugar rush. If I had not been posting here I would have cleared a pack of biscuits, so it's been enlightening how now much effect sugar has on me! Hope you all are having fun.

[msrisotto]

Sometimes I question whether I really did do it or whether it was a dream!

Honestly though, the habit of it was the hardest and most important thing to break. Once i'd got out of the habit of coming home from work and heading straight for getting a biscuit or associating main course with dessert, I stopped battling with it. It fell off my radar. That will happen for you too, but you have to stick with it for long enough to get there. Good luck.

[Nottsangel2015]

Risotto that's reassuring to know, I would love to be in that position soon!
Budgie well done for not caving! So far so good here and like you if I feel the need to reach for the sweet stuff I distract myself with water or something whole meal, clearly works!!
Got our picnic made up and have packed treats for the girls but not us. Normally I'd have taken a box of cakes but am been good, did get a delicious peice of goats cheese and red pepper quiche instead for us which I hope will taste just as nice! I'm
Going to weigh myself tomorrow and see if I have actually lost anything! Fingers crossed!

[GreenBudgie]

Nice work Angel :-). I'd rather have eaten quiche than the chocolate cake I was served today. Stuck in an impossible situation as Cousins husband sadly died after a very long illness. Her children are all adults with families of her own, so cousins gathered to help with arrangements, though not much you can get done over weekend. She had baked to "keep busy" bless her, so refusing cake would have been inexcusably rude and selfish. Food all planned for tomorrow. Good luck on the scales tomorrow Angel, I'm grateful for the support of this thread, so THANKS to all who post.

[thenewaveragebear1983]

Hi everyone, hope everyone's weekend has gone to plan. I have had a pretty good one, in comparison with my recent slimming world mission, as I cannot remember the last time I didn't go completely mad at the weekend! Is time, I've had a family buffet and I just had chicken legs and salad (no pie, cake or miscellaneous beige food! ) and I took 3 cans of slimline g&t with me to avoid my fil's generous home measures. I didn't count calories over the weekend but I definitely had zero sugar! I'm feeling pretty bouyed up to be honest, I seem to have this energy from somewhere that I've not had in years and I've done jobs at home that I've been meaning to do for ages. I've lost 6lb, I can feel my tummy is less bloated and considering I'm due on (tmi!) And the house is full of Easter chocolate I genuinely cannot believe that I've not been tempted. Friday and sat were hard because I was feeling the withdrawal a bit,as much from the habit as from the sugar. I'm feeling really positive for the week ahead now and its so nice to be able to eat normally on a Monday rather than trying to claw back from the weekend to save my weigh in on weds from absolute disaster.
green budgie sorry for your loss.
Hope you all have a good Monday!

[Nottsangel2015]

So sorry to hear of your loss budgie. I think the choc cake can be excused under those circumstances! You've had a fantastic week apart from that!
Bear nice one!!!! You've done amazingly well!!
I had ice cream yesterday. Not happy about it but hoping the amount of walking we did burned it off!
I'm back on it today I've had plain porridge - I never eat it plain but don't want to risk starting a sugar spiral thanks to the ice cream as o struggled last night catching up with my series, I really wanted some chocolate, managed to resist but the compromise was crisps :-( not happy about that either as it's just like I've swapped one type of crap food for another.
Anyway a new day today and weigh in. I've lost 3lb! Not the mass amount I had hoped for but then I haven't cut out all rubbish food and have had take away etc so I'm fairly happy with that!
I've got all my meals planned out for the whole week and lots of seafood sticks to snack on and lots of salad and veg to fill up my smaller portions of dinner with! Fingers crossed!
Hope you all have a good start to the week!

[thenewaveragebear1983]

I hate plain porridge too notts so I buy a bag of frozen raspberries and put a few in while its cooking, they just turn to mush almost like jam (but not as sugary!). Pink porridge!

[GreenBudgie]

Cracking effort Bear! Love the way you can join in a meal without over indulging, and so glad you are seeing results on the scales. Angel the crisps were a good compromise, the salt stops the sugar craving and you have done well to drop 3pounds. Planning the week is such good advice. Sugar free for me today too. There were cakes on offer at work again, so I took 1 to be polite, packed it in my empty lunchbox for Husband to have as dessert. Eating good food throughout the day really kills the cravings. If I've just had wholemeal toast I'm satisfied enough to resist cake. Do you like cinnamon Bear, I have it sprinkled on porridge.

[thenewaveragebear1983]

I do actually, but never think to have it on porridge. Its supposed to help lower blood sugar isn't it or help with insulin? Today I made cauliflower/brocolli cheese using a weird cauliflower sauce (boil the cauli til its mushy and blend with cheese and mustard, then bake over the brocolli/cauli in a dish) - sounds rank but was actually yummy with roast chicken and gravy. Really helped keep the calories down as all my family were having roasties and Yorkshire puds with theirs (mummy went on strike yesterday and refused to cook Sunday lunch, so we had it today!). No sugar again for me today, that's day 6. Wondering if I can afford to have a treat one night or whether it will set me back, as I'm wanting something sweet now but also scared to break the detox..!!

[GreenBudgie]

Cinnamon is meant to help lower blood sugar, but I have no idea how much you would have to eat. Six days is amazing, well done. If I were planning a treat I would make it a special one, say a really nice slice of cream cake to enjoy slowly, rather than a chocolate bar or biscuits. Sugar free day for me. I am finding chewing a couple of celery sticks whilst cooking dinner useful to stop me eating anything else before the meal.

[Nottsangel2015]

Hello! Well done you both are doing well!
I've never thought of cinnamon think I'll get some to use on my porridge to give it some flavour.
I ate half a pack of grapes yesterday while working - I'm trying to tell myself it's a good thing as its natural sugar not refined. Logic is telling me it's better than having ate a chocolate or cake!
We also had Chinese again :-( I got home late and dd1 gave me a rubbish night sleep on Monday night so we was all too shattered to cook!
I presume I've put back on the 3lb I lost! Will be back to the meal plan today. Feel knackered today still so really hoping I can behave as I tend to reach for snacks when I'm tired. Wish me luck!