Giving up Chocolate

[Time2b33]

Anyone successfully given up chocolate? Any strategies you can share?

My meals are good (think eggs for breakfast and meat and salad/veg for lunches or dinner) but then I spoil it by eating 500 calories of chocolate 😩

I need to lose 2 stone and I'm trying to do low carb but the chocolate craving is too strong!

I managed for several years to dramatically reduce my chocolate consumption by only buying posh chocolate, so I couldn't eat as much. Then my salary went up...

Ride it out and be prepared to restrict forever or try to learn moderation.

I lost 7st (have since regained 2 but that's down to bingeing and poor portion control - losing it again though!) and although I'm not big on chocolate I do like the odd bar and crisps are my thing so now I buy a bar or a bag rather than both and absolutely no multipacks/offers. I don't want to never have those things so I'm just making it harder to eat an excessive amount.

I love chocolate, really really love it. I've been calorie counting and losing weight since last August.

You can have chocolate, just not lots of it. So my tips would be

• have good chocolate, the stuff you really really like, have it infrequently and in small amounts.

• options, cadbury highlights or other low calorie hot chocolate drinks satisfy the immediate need and are about 40 calories. They do the job of making you feel like you've had a chocolate snack without undoing all your good work.

• go low carb in general, if you can get through the first 2 weeks with no bread, pasta, rice, potatoes or flour products your cravings for sugar disappear, then you can add back moderate amounts so that you have a varied and healthy selection of everything. The first 2 weeks are a bit of a bugger, but honestly you'll realise on day 9 or 10 that you're not hungry and not craving sweets and you'll have more energy and just feel better in general.

Hmmm I'm a big chocolate eater. I eat it for fun, when I'm stressed, tired and just because! For me, I try not to buy it. I also don't even go down the chocolate aisle in supermarkets. When I'm reducing the chocolate I eat, I find the first 3-5 days particularly difficult then the desire eases. BUT I must say, I will never give it up entirely because I like it too much. But I can get to a place where my intake is normal to low.

Also agree re hot chocolate as a good substitute.
I have also read that some people smell vanilla essence when they want chocolate to take the edge off. Never tried it myself though

I do buy good quality chocolate - think dark chocolate - but I end up eating 2 small bars instead of 2 squares 😬