How to kick the chocolate habit?

[emmak]

Wondered if any of you have made new year's resolutions to lose weight and what actually works?

I haven't really been on a diet before but have identified my problem: chocolate.

When I confronted my husband with my excess poundage he said,"All you have to do is eat less and exercise more."

To which I said "Yes but what about CHOCOLATE? It is everywhere. Unlike heroin I can buy it at the corner shop."

So my six year old aka Sausage has become a Chocolate Gestapo and has been told by dad to "Keep her away from the chocolate and squeal if she touches it."

Crazy what? What ways have you found to kick the chocolate/cake/whatever habit?

More on my new weight loss strategy here:
mommyhasaheadache.blogspot.com/2010/01/all-hail-gym-buddha.html

Root canal.
Seriously, knowing that avoiding sweet foods will significantly cut my risk of future tooth decay (all other factors held constant, like ongoing usual dental hygiene) has been enough for me.

I suggest that in your case that you think not about cutting it out but instead focus on small amounts of quality. So if you had a whole bar before daily, you now have just one square/daily, but ensure that it's the really good stuff, and you plan to eat it very slowly and enjoy it properly (lock the kids out of room if necessary). It's hectic scoffing you've got to lose the habit of.

I saw a programme on channel 4 (Tuesday evening) called Great Big Fat Diet with Anna Ryder Richardson, she is working with some ladies who are doing a 2 week plan to lose a dress size in two weeks.

Featured on there as well was a mum with an addiction to chocolate, the advice was to have a piece of fruit every time she had a craving for chocolate.

I love chocolate, but I generally love food anyway!!

Thanks for the tip! I find if I have two almonds instead of some chocolate this helps - a bit!!

@brokenrm ...yeah must stop the scoffing!! Will buy those tiny bars of two squares of dark belgian chocolate and see if that helps.

alcohol. excellent for chocolate cravings. too much however makes for a salt fetish. which is well assuaged by celery.

Why kick it?

Divert it. Every time you crave choc, do 10 (or 20 or 50 - what ever is a realistic target for you) ab crunches or leg lifts, then reward yourself with one tiny square of something really nice. Eg Lindt 70%, or Rococo Cardamom, etc. A very high quality chocolate, which packs a strong cocoa hit and has the right texture to satisfy your mouth-feel.

Hi everyone - I'm a total chocoholic and for me the only way to stop is to cut it out completely, 'cos I can't be satisfied by just a couple of squares and the moment I get a taste of it I 'lose it' and scoff like a madwowman. For the 5 weeks leading up to xmas I cut out all chocolate, sweet biccys, cakes, white bread, sugary cereals and felt great for first time in ages. Fell off the waggon big style at xmas and I've been plagued with intense sugar cravings ever since (and giving in to them). Now need to go back onto my 5-wk plan... So emmak if you're addicted like me I reckon you'll find just cutting down very hard...

@loobs2...Yes absolutely! I have decided I need to go cold turkey on this or the craving never abates. Although it seems weird doing a lot of exercise seems to lessen the craving!

@prettycandles...I think I have to go off it because it is a real addiction. I can smoke the odd fag drink the odd drink and not get addicted but with chocs I'm a gonner!!

I have heard talk that a date with a cuppa is just as good, lol

Hi again emmak - a friend of mine who is a personal trainer has written a great article about sugar addiction on his website
www.everythingzing.com/blog/2009/07/how-to-beat-sugar-addiction-and-lose-weight/#mor e-1613
It rang so many bells with me,as well as making me realise what a common addiction this is. Today I've had my first 'sugar-free' day since xmas - are you with me on this???!

Oh god I am a chocolate addict too.

In the past when I have done WW I have had a fun size bag of maltesers every day within my points and that has been fine and I lose weight well on the WW plan.

Need to get myself on a diet and cut back on chocolate pronto. I wish you luck OP!

I knew I had a problem with chocolate, but have been going through my receipts today for my tax return. Every petrol receipt without fail also has a bar of chocolate on it - I feel very .

No idea how to stop though.

I have found it easier to cut down on chocolate if I cut down on sugars in general. If you eat in such a way that you blood sugar doesn't fluctuate wildly, then the chocolate cravings are much weaker - maybe no more than a fancy, or a habit.

A low GI diet, rather than a weight-loss diet, is very effective. And, IME, you find you slowly lose weight as well.

It is possible to cold-turkey, but you need a really good motivator. I had to do this for ds2's first six months, as my chocolate was his colic.

My tip is cocoa - have a cup of hotwater old fashioned cocoa, a smidgen of milk, and the tiniest amount of sugar. That cures the craving, without much sugar or fat.

Btw, choc contains lots of magnesium I think, that might be why you are are craving it. I think green leafy veg and some nuts have the m too.

I take a chromium tablet everyday. It took a couple of months to kick in, but now have no cravings at all for chocolate.

I treat myself to 2 lindt balls after dinner now, whereas previously I'd scoff a whole bar.

@jemesouviens...Chromium tablets. Never heard of them. Thanks so much will look into that.

@chloehandbag ....I avoid buying chocolate by not carrying any cash or even cards when I go out!!! I just buy stuff online. Desperate but what can I do.

@swanriver....yeah I think I need more magnesium. More cabbage and spinach and almonds I suppose. Get the worst choc cravings before period they should sell Choc bars beside tampons or buy one get one free

Hi everyone. So far my attempts to cut sugar out of my life have been pathetic - keep telling myself it's cos it's January, when I always feel low and turn to sugary foods for comfort. Ring any bells with anyone else? Just been to do weekly shop and put a family size bag of M&Ms and Maltesers in the trolley - was almost at checkout when I turned round and took them back! Thank God - I know I'd be scoffing them right now if I hadn't. Lucky escape...

Swanriver - that's exactly what I do - cocoa and hot water and if I'm desperate for sugar, then a tiny bit (or sometimes I also stir in a square of dark chocolate).

Emmak - I did actually consider name changing for this as it did make me feel very silly and I feel a bit silly typing it all out, but it worked for me! (Am a complete chocoholic by the way and this exercise last year made me go from about 200g a day to none for about 3 months overnight - until we moved and the stress got too much but that's another story!)

Anyway, I was told that if you get your favourite chocolate bar and sit down and look at it and say "thank you chocolate for all the pleasure you have given me but now we have to say goodbye" (or something along those lines, idea is you are thanking the chocolate but cutting ties with it) and that's it. I also had a 'motivational poster' of various things i was working towards, which I stuck on the kitchen cupboard door where i normally stashed my chocolate supply and looked at it every time I wanted some (like things you might be saving up for, or some might use a photo of them when they were slimmer if they are trying to lose weight etc).

I'm another one who only has to taste 1 bite of chocolate and that's it. I could happily eat 3-4 twirls or crunchies in one sitting

For the last few months though I have more or less given up chocolate and I do find that easier generally than cutting down. Recently though I have discovered cake bars which are not especially calorific but so sweet and scrummy and I can feel myself slipping again.

Monday and Tuesday I had nothing chocolatey, had a yoghurt after supper instead but yesterday to reward myself I had a cake bar and my cravings have started again

I will muster up the willpower again but I had an accident falling off my bike 9 days ago and haven't been able to exercise since which gets me down and makes me reach for the sweet stuff.

I might try your suggestion SkivingViking. I have ds2 at home sick today, don't think I'll do it with him in the house, he will think mummy has gone mad

I just allow myself it as a treat - a single chocolate after tea or if you've done some exercise that day - rather than eating it all the time.

I'm another one who can't stop eating chocolate if I start. I managed about a year without chocolate and with very little sugar and felt great, lost loads of weight while not watching any other aspect of my diet. I'm trying to stop again now as after a tough few months am back on several bars a day ... I found L-Glutamine tablets very useful, not sure of the science but they do seem to kill the cravings. Sugar Blues by William Duffy is a very good book to get the fear of god into you about eating lots of sugar.