How Do you give up a 25year love of chocolate?

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nursekj
nursekj Posts: 100 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have to eat it every day whether its a Milo drink, mochacino, or chocolate biscuit but I usually have to have my fix twice a day....need a chocolate patch. Does anyone else have this addiction or successfully curbed their love of chocolate?
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Replies

  • Hype
    Hype Posts: 349
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    I have this addiction too.....I think i manage to over come it by not eating it or eating less.....just makes me splurge the next day :(
  • lil_pulp
    lil_pulp Posts: 701 Member
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    I don't think I'd be able to give up chocolate and still be a relatively happy person. Instead I figure it into my eating plan, which generally means things like Hershey's miniatures, mini peppermint patties, not-super-bad hot chocolate, etc. So I guess my suggestion is to cut back on how much (maybe by changing the specific foods), but not to try to cut it out. But if you can do it and still function happily, more power to you! Good luck!
    -LP
  • sharonuk10
    sharonuk10 Posts: 277
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    Is there a reson you need to give it up? Such as a health reason? I still have chocolate sometimes I will have a portion everyday. I fit it into my calories for the day. I just do not have a BIG bar or even a whole bar. Portion is the key in my opinion.
  • joanneeee
    joanneeee Posts: 311 Member
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    you don't need to; just eat less! or use cocoa powder. stir it in your yoghurt/oats/etc. a little goes a long way.
  • nursekj
    nursekj Posts: 100 Member
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    Thanks for the advice, I think I will have a hot milo each night as they are low GI but it will be hard to cut back completely. I did give up all alcohol for 8 months once so I should be able to try it again. Ironically I dont like 70% dark chocolate so I wont be eating it for health reasons lol. When I look back on my diarys all my calorie blow outs are attributed to chocolate items..
  • nmcneill16
    nmcneill16 Posts: 12
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    and dark chocolate is actually good for you in moderation:)
  • KatyE213
    KatyE213 Posts: 446 Member
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    Chocolate flavoured soya milk is lovely and not too high in calories etc. I have a glass after my meal if I have a sweet craving.
  • karenjoy
    karenjoy Posts: 1,840 Member
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    I love chocolate and I am virtually a chocoholic, but I know one sure way that worked for me, I went for a month to the US and the chocolate I had there was so horrible I couldn't eat it! I got a bag of Hersheys kisses and I ate one and spat it out,, that has NEVER happened to me...ever...I then gave them to my 3 children and they hated them also, we threw them away in the end. yuk yuk yuk

    My own weakness for the wonderfulness that is chocolate is satisfied with Maltesers, they are gorgeous, a nice chocolate hit with less that 200 calories a bag. yum yum yum
  • missy1970eb
    missy1970eb Posts: 1,209 Member
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    ive managed to learn 2 control my choc eating, so instead of having to eat the lot, which i did b4 i can now have a bit and leave it:smile:
  • MissHollyGolightly
    MissHollyGolightly Posts: 7
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    Ohhh I have the same addiction...I heard somewhere it´s good to freeze everything so it takes longer to eat it...haven´t tested it yet, but I agree with you...I love all chocolate exept 70% chocolate hehe.... Why does chocolate have to be so unhealthy...it´s bad if you have migranes, makes you have an heartburn and it´s really fattening!!! I hate that I love it so much,...feel you pain!
  • cafeteriagirl
    cafeteriagirl Posts: 267 Member
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    you can have it in moderation. i am known as a chocoholic to everyone around here too. grin fit and active has chocolate shakes that are really good at 170 calories a can. also, popsicle brand has 40 and 60 calorie fudgesicles that are pretty good. they dont taste as good as the chocolate we are used to but it does help take the edge off. hope this helps you.
  • karenjoy
    karenjoy Posts: 1,840 Member
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    ooh try the 80 or 90% its lush and good for you, and not too sweet so you can stick at a few squares. My weakness is galaxy and dairy milk though, milk chocolate is the love of my life....
  • Sophronisba
    Sophronisba Posts: 9 Member
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    I buy those big blocks of dark chocolate from Trader Joe's. They have forty squares and each square is around 70 calories. I usually have one square after lunch. It's easy to ration and it's rich enough that it satisfies my cravings.
  • nursekj
    nursekj Posts: 100 Member
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    I love my home NZ chocolate, dont like waxy Aussie yuk, but then I discovered Lindt it was the worst thing for my bum and thighs, luckily it was expensive when I lived in Sydney! Then I discoverd Boost bars....and recently Reese cups on an american cruise ship... how can live in US you not eat them lol? Luckily I have not found them here! The most amazing chocolate food I have ever had was in Sicily...chocolate ravioli with lemon ricotta filling....7th heaven!
  • clioandboy
    clioandboy Posts: 963 Member
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    ive managed to learn 2 control my choc eating, so instead of having to eat the lot, which i did b4 i can now have a bit and leave it:smile:

    How do you do that???? I don't do moderation very well, abstain or binge on chocolate seems To be my way unfortunately!
  • littttlelaurra
    littttlelaurra Posts: 229 Member
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    you dont, you just love it a little less often but with more intensity when you do, try darker better for the heart

    :heart: chocolate
  • billmac
    billmac Posts: 51 Member
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    CHOOSE not to eat chocolate. I'm not being a smart alec! I find if I make an active choice about something it doesn't bother me nearly as much.
    I did start eating dates instead of chocolate. Calorific content is still quite high but I am less inclined to continue eating.
    I agree with those recommending the 80 to 90% cocoa chocolates, You need to adjust your ideas of how you appreciate it. Again this is an active mental choice. Because you are not just eating mainly sugar and maybe more fat your body does give you a feedback that you have had enough.
    Another thing, if you eat chocolate take very small nibbles. There is a bit of research around that says if you take very small nibbles for taste your satisfaction is higher and you tend to eat less.
    JMOFWIW
  • joanneeee
    joanneeee Posts: 311 Member
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    Thanks for the advice, I think I will have a hot milo each night as they are low GI but it will be hard to cut back completely. I did give up all alcohol for 8 months once so I should be able to try it again. Ironically I dont like 70% dark chocolate so I wont be eating it for health reasons lol. When I look back on my diarys all my calorie blow outs are attributed to chocolate items..

    i think you have to keep increasing your cocoa % bit by bit. so just go up 40 - 50 - 60, etc until you get to a really dark chocolate like 80-90%.
  • lily1972
    lily1972 Posts: 375 Member
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    If you don't like 70% chocolate, have you tried 65% ? There really is a big difference between the two:love: ! I've discovered that what I had heard is true: the ingredient we crave in chocolate is present in a higher proportion in purer form - so you need less to be satisfied. I tested this idea with 80% (I was brave! :wink: ) and seriously, I could have 2 pieces every two weeks and be perfectly content! I believe chocolate manufacturers actually add something to their ingredients that *make* us want to binge!! :noway: In the meantime, I actually plan chocolate into my food diary :smile: You don't have to give it up!

    Hope this helps! And congratulations on weaning yourself from alcohol!! :flowerforyou:
  • ruffledviolet
    ruffledviolet Posts: 260
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    I gave up a 20year love of chocolate. I do really love the stuff. And I get crazy cravings for it the day before I get my period.

    BUT I have a sensitivity to caffeine. Too much of it really messes me up. Even a cup of decaf coffee or decaf black tea still has an effect on me. So, I decided to give up caffeine entirely. I never liked soda - so that was easy. I switched to herbal teas (peppermint, kava, rooibos) and drink decaf green teas occasionally. I stay away from coffee completely. I would allow myself decaf coffee once in a while, but I haven't wanted to add the empty calories of it. And of course I had to give up dark chocolate. It was dark chocolate that sent me through my last episode that I decided I really needed to give up caffeine. I decided to give up all chocolate because I figured it would be easier for me. Oppose to having only white chocolate and being reminded of my love for real chocolate. I also always want to lose weight and any kind of chocolate doesn't help. There are also ethical reasons to give up (non-fair trade) chocolate, unless you support child labor and unfair working conditions. Doing research on that also helped me want to give it up. I am someone who wants to join the Peace Corps in a few years and live in a third world country. So I feel like in order to prepare, I have to stop "spoiling" myself with all this stuff that I don't really need. I figure if there are others starving to death, then it really should not be so hard for me to give up this luxury.

    I gave up chocolate in September, but messed up in November with a chocolate chip bagel - it just didn't hit me that a chocolate chip bagel had chocolate until midway through. Then I tried again and have not had chocolate since. My goal is to get through the year 2011 without it. I gave up some other things for the year as well (bottled water, facebook, straws). What's helped the most is just telling myself I'm better off without the temporary satisfaction it provides, and I use peanut butter as a sort of replacement.

    Benefits so far: I no longer really get cravings for it - it just sucks when I am in the room with a beautiful chocolate cake that I can't touch. I no longer feel like I have to have it. Also, I sort of feel like a stronger person because I was able to give up something I really enjoyed.

    I definitely think you can give it up if you want, but I don't think you necessarily have to give it up as other posters have said. There are benefits to eating chocolate. If you seem to not be able to have it in moderation - like me, then try giving it up entirely. It's hard at first, but it only gets easier, so keep telling yourself that.

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