Chocolate Help

Beckyferg90

Hi everyone I'm back and determined I'm gonna loose weight and stick at it! Just got a few questions to ask everyone! I got a lot of chocolate at christmas time and I not sure what's the best thing to do, shall I eat abit each week? Also I'm off shopping at weekend so what essentials should I buy that are low calorie! Happy new year everyone

MyChocolateDiet

You rang?

PikaKnight

Why do the items have to be low calorie? And I say that as long as the chocolate is fitting into your calorie goals (whether by the day or week), then that's great


ETA some great links to read:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

http://body-improvements.com/2013/05/24/undiet-your-diet/

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1122891-9-reasons-fat-loss-is-always-slower-than-you-d-like

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1105036-article-on-flexible-dieting-by-armi-legge?page=1#posts-17068746

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/the-myth-of-good-and-bad-foods-by-eric-helms-588801

Phoenix_Warrior

^Joy_Joy_ is awesome and has tons of great links. ♥ chocolate.

pamperedlinny

Chocolate freezes really well. I just freeze what I'm not going to eat for a while and when I crave it I just thaw a piece and eat it.

If you really want it make it fit into your goals. I'm all for the 80/20 rule. So as long as I eat well most of the time I have no problem with having something different once in a while.

JesterMFP

The good thing about chocolate is that it lasts well, if you keep it in a cool place. I sadly didn't get any chocolate for Christmas, so I had to go and buy some of my own. Now I have a nice stash that will last me a couple of months.

While I definitely recommend enjoying your chocolate in moderation, and not cutting the things you like out of your diet, I also realise that it can be difficult, especially if you're just starting out. If you're really going to struggle with having a lot of chocolate in the house, then it might be better to give it away. If you can practise a bit of moderation, I'd just eat it, slowly. I have some nearly every day, and did all the time I was actively losing weight. :drinker:

As for what *should* you be eating... I would try not to overthink it. Start with eating what you like, and fitting it into your calorie goal. As the weeks go by, you might want to start trying new things, or tweaking the balance of your diet. Keep it simple in the beginning though.

Brandolin11

I got a lot of chocolate at christmas time and I not sure what's the best thing to do, shall I eat abit each week?

I believe the best thing to do is determine which of the following two strategies will work best for YOU specifically:

1.) eat it in moderation, or
2.) abstain from it.

Every person is different in how they best handle foods which are difficult for them (and note I did not say foods that are BAD, I said foods that are "difficult"). By "difficult" I mean foods that might trigger you into overeating. I'm going to assume in this case that chocolate has been somewhat of an issue for you in the past, otherwise you probably wouldn't be asking about it because it would be just like any other food to you. But you called it out specifically.

So how can you tell which is best? Here are a couple of "tests" to do with yourself, questions to ask yourself:

1.) When I eat chocolate, do I immediately want another piece?
2.) After eating chocolate, do I tell myself I should not eat more, but then immediately begin to obsess over wanting to have more?
3.) After eating chocolate and going around in my head several times as to whether or not I should or shouldn't have more, do I tend to "give in" and not only have more, but binge on it?
4.) If I eat a little each day, do I start out with a small amount and then find myself increasing the amount each day until a week or so later I find myself eating gobs of it and can't seem to go back to the small amount?

If you answered "yes" to the following questions above, then my recommendation would be to abstain from eating this food, at the very least for a time until you can regain control, or possibly consider abstaining from it for good. There are certain foods that certain people just cannot handle and that's okay, it doesn't make you some kind of weirdo or loser. I've abstained from lots of foods for over two years and it was the best thing I ever did - I have zero issues with "legalism" with myself, in fact, I'm freer than I've ever been. But again, this is just one strategy that works for *me*. And it might for you, if any of this resonates with you.

Or, if you answered "not really" to the questions above, then perhaps you simply have an incorrect mindset that chocolate is inherently "bad". It's not. If you can eat a little each day without losing control, then I'd work very hard to overcome the misconception that it's bad and relax and allow yourself to enjoy it. That is also very freeing!

It's totally up to you. You know yourself best. Think hard about it - what would be most helpful to yourself? Then implement it and see what happens. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

MoreBean13

Get a bunch of snack-sized baggies and divide the chocolate up in to individual portions, 1 per baggie. Put most of them in the freezer. If you feel the need for chocolate, eat one bag, and log it.

mockchoc

Help!

samr73

I'm not to be trusted with chocolate in the house - I would eat it all in one sitting. If I want some and have the calories to spare I go out and buy one bar at a time. Good luck ....

kingscrown

Quite frankly I'd get rid of most of that chocolate. Pull out maybe some choice dark chocolates stick them in the freezer. Let yourself enjoy a small square every day. As for food you don't really need low cal foods you need fruits and vegetables and lean proteins. When I first began my journey my catch phrase was "put it on a bed of lettuce." I was surprise at all the things I ate that were actually good thrown on top of a nice salad. The salad bulked up my meal and snuck in much needed veggies. Frankly, that should be a permanent phrase of mine. Work on regular exercise and eating foods that are as close to their natural form.