Need help with my chocolate problem...

kerrylkatriviera

I have lost 75 pounds in the past three years - size fourteen to a size two. I do circuit training 2-4 times a week, walk several times a week and try to stick to MFP's guidelines. My weakness is chocolate. Since I do need some of it for a blast of energy, I do buy it. I like dark chocolate with nuts or chocolate covered almonds (added protein, which I need since I'm strength training.) Only problem is, once I bring it into the house, I can't seem to control myself, and it puts me over the limits for fat and sugar and sometimes even salt. How can I control myself and only eat a little bit of chocolate? Should I keep it in a padlocked container? I find that when I go for a few days with little sugar, my body craves it less. Should I just buy a little chocolate only once or twice a week? Should I put it on a high shelf so that it's a pain in the rear to get to? What are your secrets for snack issues?

L1zardQueen

I would buy smaller pieces, if you have trouble moderating chocolate.

apullum

I’d buy one serving at a time. That way it’s not there and you can’t be tempted by it. If you only have one chocolate bar in the house, you can only eat one bar.

hendersonc765

I have the same issue. I love chocolate/sweets! I keep dark chocolate chips in the freezer. When I’m craving, I’ll nibble 3-5. That’s not bad at all & helps me out.

LyndaBSS

I used to eat gumdrops every night. When I started mfp, I tossed them. Within two weeks of eating pescatarian, my cravings were gone. I haven't had gumdrops since that first day. I don't miss them.

Some people fit their treats into their daily calories. I opted not to.

kshama2001

I find chocolate chips and Ghirardelli squares easy to moderate, but not chocolate bars.

TonyRyad

You can buy very low calorie chocolate syrup ( 5 calories per tbspoon)

kshama2001

kerrylkatriviera wrote: »

I have lost 75 pounds in the past three years - size fourteen to a size two. I do circuit training 2-4 times a week, walk several times a week and try to stick to MFP's guidelines. My weakness is chocolate. Since I do need some of it for a blast of energy, I do buy it. I like dark chocolate with nuts or chocolate covered almonds (added protein, which I need since I'm strength training.) Only problem is, once I bring it into the house, I can't seem to control myself, and it puts me over the limits for fat and sugar and sometimes even salt. How can I control myself and only eat a little bit of chocolate? Should I keep it in a padlocked container? I find that when I go for a few days with little sugar, my body craves it less. Should I just buy a little chocolate only once or twice a week? Should I put it on a high shelf so that it's a pain in the rear to get to? What are your secrets for snack issues?

I like nuts too, but because they are much higher in fat than protein, I consider them a fat source with a small protein bonus, rather than a protein source.

maureenkhilde

I love chocolate as well. But candy bars just cannot keep in the house, as I have the control issue. What I have found instead. Is mixing One Tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder, they have it in dark as well. With a tsp of powdered cinnamon, one packet of truvia. Then in a container with a mix of almonds and walnuts. I weigh out in 1 oz consider a snack, 89 calories 3 carbs, 1 protein and I think either 6 or 9 fats for the day. It hits the spot and I have kept to one snack of these a day. After exercise. I think you need to find, what you can keep in the house and not attack.

aokoye

What most people said, buy it in small portions or keep most of what you want out of the house/in an area that you don't frequent often. When I need something out of sight and out of mind, that thing ends up in my car. One of my two foods that I have trouble moderating are red vines. I'll eat them every week or two but I buy them in the very small packages that 240 calories each. It's very easy for me to fit that into my calorie allowance and it's also easy for me to not buy more than one package.

katermari

kerrylkatriviera wrote: »

I have lost 75 pounds in the past three years - size fourteen to a size two. I do circuit training 2-4 times a week, walk several times a week and try to stick to MFP's guidelines. My weakness is chocolate. Since I do need some of it for a blast of energy, I do buy it. I like dark chocolate with nuts or chocolate covered almonds (added protein, which I need since I'm strength training.) Only problem is, once I bring it into the house, I can't seem to control myself, and it puts me over the limits for fat and sugar and sometimes even salt. How can I control myself and only eat a little bit of chocolate? Should I keep it in a padlocked container? I find that when I go for a few days with little sugar, my body craves it less. Should I just buy a little chocolate only once or twice a week? Should I put it on a high shelf so that it's a pain in the rear to get to? What are your secrets for snack issues?

i am in the same boat

peachvine29

I relate to you! I've lost 67 lbs. from a size 16 to a size 2 or 4 (depends on the size) right now, and also have a love of chocolate lol.

I have tried buying individually wrapped chocolate squares and different types of caramel chocolates but many times end up eating way more than I planned, and those calories add up quick. This week I bought a box of decadent truffles and plan to eat two a day. I have been pretracking my treats each day, they are planned, and I have them sometime after dinner. I intend to sit down and enjoy my treat during treat time lol. I did fine on day one, tonight will be the next trial lol.

I have heard that maybe buying pretty dark chocolate that maybe isn't the sweetest could be a solution as they aren't as tasty and addictive. I suspect that abstinence from chocolate most days could be a good solution. I never was this into chocolate before about a year ago. I started eating dark chocolate as a healthier treat, and now I crave it every day!

Good luck!

Luke_rabbit

I've thought for years that someone should design a locked box with a timer that delivers one snack (like a gumball machine) based on what interval you put in the timer. Then we would only have to be disciplined enough to put the treats in without eating them.

I've tried numerous solutions. High shelf that requires that I get out a step stool. Locked drawer that my husband hides the key to. Setting up a mental schedule (one after dinner, every Sunday, etc). Buying one treat only when I shop. Out of sight, sort of out of mind. Mentally telling myself that they are for child or husband.

Some work for a while - until they don't. It's a work in progress.

icemom011

I crave similar treats, chocolate, nuts, nut butters. Sometimes pretzels with it. I am working on moderating it, as i can't commit to abstain from treats. I love dark chocolate and find it most satisfying, so usually it's dark. But i also love truffles and different candy bars. Some more than others. So my strategies are:
- preportion treats, weigh and bag individually,
- i have treat time, after dinner, before bed, so i wait for that,
- sometimes start with frozen fruit, it's sweet, satisfying, much lower in calories than the main snack, so it's especially good on nights when I'm particularly hungry or just have very strong bottomless cravings,
- remind myself that it will be there tomorrow and if i eat too much i will be disappointed next day and probably will have to have a bit less to maintain,
- after i have my snacks, i promptly go to brush up for the night, it's the certain way to stop,
- in all fairness here, i have snacks in abandon at home, so it works for me overall
- oh, and i don't keep them on the counter, so somewhat out of sight.
I believe in practicing moderation for myself. It took some time for me to grow enough patience to wait for treat time rather than dig in too early and deal with cravings all night. And since nuts are my main source of fat, i feel free to indulge nightly.

Cahgetsfit

if it's normal chocolate or chocolate with nuts, I can't - I eat the whole bar if the bar is there. I can however moderate eating super dark - 99% dark chocolate. 3 little squares. very slowly. delicious and velvety and you can't eat more than that as it's too strong.

Can you up your dark chocolate-ness? And just get the plain one, no nuts.

slbbw

Very verydark chocolate. Montezuma absolute black is my go to, its 100% cocoa. Usually 3-4 small squares is more than enough and it hits my chocolate craving without triggering the sugar hunger cascade.

Katmary71

I wish I was a moderator, but I'm not. I love chocolate! I've tried all kinds of things but can't keep the majority of treats in the house. I even bought chocolate rice cakes after not having chocolate for a long time and scarfed them down! The one thing I've found that I'm ok and won't devour are ice cream bars. Something about opening a new one stops me where having a pint of ice cream means I'll eat the whole thing. The other thing I do is have the treat and make it a good one, like getting a chocolate peanut butter cup or truffle from a gourmet chocolate store over Reeses or a cheap candy bar.

nooshi713

I would do as others suggested and just buy single servings. You can buy a truffle or ice cream cone when you’re out but don’t keep it in the house.

Eating darker chocolate many also help. I don’t know too many people who binge and eat the whole bar of 70-80%+ cacao.

jessalittlemore

I have been on various diets for decades and as a self-admitted chocoholic, it was always the hardest thing to cut out completely, so I don't. I eat one piece of individually-wrapped Dove dark chocolate a day; 42 calories, 5 carbs, the only processed sugar I have in my diet and very much worth it because I can't miss what I have every day!

Individually packaged chocolates are a must. You open up a big candy bar and you'll end up saying, "Just two squares." But then that turns into, "Well it's open now, how about two more... and two more... and well I wouldn't want it to go stale.."

apullum

nooshi713 wrote: »

I would do as others suggested and just buy single servings. You can buy a truffle or ice cream cone when you’re out but don’t keep it in the house.

Eating darker chocolate many also help. I don’t know too many people who binge and eat the whole bar of 70-80%+ cacao.

*raises hand*

If I had not spent years learning to moderate my chocolate habit, I could do it easily. Darker chocolate might help some people feel satiated, but it’s not a sure thing.

aokoye

nooshi713 wrote: »

I would do as others suggested and just buy single servings. You can buy a truffle or ice cream cone when you’re out but don’t keep it in the house.

Eating darker chocolate many also help. I don’t know too many people who binge and eat the whole bar of 70-80%+ cacao.

If I liked most chocolate more, I could totally eat an entire bar of 70-80% chocolate. My favorite chocolate maker is Zotter, and eating an entire one of their darker chocolate bars is easy until it creeps up to 90% and above. For better than worse, chocolate is not something I crave and I can easily stop with just a small amount of chocolate in most situations.