Chocolate Addiction

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momofashlynn
momofashlynn Posts: 1
in Food and Nutrition
Hey all! So I just signed up with myfitnesspal.com Monday. I am loving it. It is helping me keep track of EVERYTHING that goes into my mouth.

Before I had my daughter, I had no issues with chocolate cravings. Now, 15 months later, CHOCOLATE is all I think about. Last week, I bought three bags of Hursheys kisses because they were on clearance. I added this to the stash of mini snickers and york peppermint patties. I think that this site has helped me realize how much chocolate I was eating before. Walk into the kitchen, grab a kiss, walk to the laundry room, grab a kiss, walk to the bathroom, grab a kiss. Get the idea? Grrr.

Soooo, what am I to do about this darn addiction that I have?
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Replies

  • lvfunandfit
    lvfunandfit Posts: 654 Member
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    I never craved chocolate before having babies either! So strange how pregnancy changes everything. I don't keep it in the house regularly! But, I came across my new favorite treat! The Kashi Go Lean Bars! They have chocolate in them and are a great snack! And take care of my choc candy bar cravings! Sometimes I'll buy all natural dark chocolate chips and make a trail mix with those and almonds along with some dried fruit. It helps and is also a healthier alternative. Chocolate protein shakes also help. Or a glass of chocolate milk.
  • jennylynn84
    jennylynn84 Posts: 659
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    Eat em.

    I'm totally serious. I am a complete chocolate addict. Reeses cups are my downfall. Especially the minis. I got a whole sack of them for Valentine's Day. And I'm eating them.

    THe thing is - I'm eating them SLOWLY. lol. I probably still have at least half the sack left.

    Its hard to stop the compulsion of just grabbing a couple. Try moving the stash elsewhere and putting only a couple (counted in MFP) in a smaller bowl out every day. That way eventually when you walk past it - its empty. But you still get to have it, just in lesser quantities.

    I also brush my teeth more. I find if I don't have the lingering awesome of my last Reeses I'm less likely to have another and another.... Also after brushing they're nasty to eat because of the minty freshness.
  • Samantharose8akaDebbie
    Samantharose8akaDebbie Posts: 407 Member
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    I am a recovering Chocoholic.....lol. Throw it all away.......its like quitting smoking.....just do it! Once your body has had time to process the fact that there is no chocolate coming into it.....it will not crave it anymore. Cold turkey baby! only way to go......Good luck and God bless you!
  • EpiGaiaRepens
    EpiGaiaRepens Posts: 824 Member
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    I think successful dieting requires one to consume chocolate. That's my motto. I buy organic vegan chocolate chips. 2 tblspoons is only 70 calories. I eat them one at a time and only have 2 tblspoons a day. Make sure you are into the chocolate, not the sugar. Sounds to me like the brands you are eating are more sugar and cream than chocolate. Dieting does require one to cut back on sugar and cream. That's my two cents!

    There's also some chocolate bars that are like 90% chocolate. At first they will taste bitter, but stick to it and you'll start to love them! Now if i try to eat a reeses, I spit it out. Tooooo sweet. Like painfully sweet. Same thing with starbucks soy lattes- i can't tolerate the ridiculous amount of sugar. I actually argued with a barista one day thinking she must have doused it with syrups! Nope. Turns out the starbucks "special" Silk has *three* times the sugar of the vanilla silk at the store!
  • marybethbeech
    marybethbeech Posts: 181
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    I buy dark chocolate Hershey's Kisses and eat 3 day (a serving is 9 Kisses). I try to save them til after dinner but sometimes I eat them in the afternoon. For me, knowing that I can have SOME chocolate every day keeps me from bingeing on chocolate when I'm stressed or PMS-y. If I thought I could never have chocolate again, it's all I would ever think about... ever.
  • ka_42
    ka_42 Posts: 720 Member
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    I never craved chocolate before having babies either! So strange how pregnancy changes everything. I don't keep it in the house regularly! But, I came across my new favorite treat! The Kashi Go Lean Bars! They have chocolate in them and are a great snack! And take care of my choc candy bar cravings! Sometimes I'll buy all natural dark chocolate chips and make a trail mix with those and almonds along with some dried fruit. It helps and is also a healthier alternative. Chocolate protein shakes also help. Or a glass of chocolate milk.

    I like making a trail mix of dried fruit, nuts and chocolate chips but I found that I can't stop eating the stuff and those calories add up fast! I like to buy one large dark chocolate bar (Most recently I've tried green and black's mint dark chocolate - yum!) and break off a couple pieces to eat when I'm craving it. Because dark chocolate is so rich in flavor it doesn't really leave me wanting/needing more. I LOVE york peppermint patties, too. I just buy one of the regular size (not a bag of minis- that would get me in trouble!) I'll eat a half at a time and they're pretty reasonable calorie wise! Logging on MFP will help you to not grab as many kisses because you'll have to keep track of how many you have had and they're like 22 cals each! Hope this helps.. best of luck. I'm a chocolate freak now I can't imagine how I'll be after children! :)
  • jenners22
    jenners22 Posts: 91
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    Oh, I hear you! I love chocolate and if I don't get my fix....I am always afraid that I will crack and just binge. So what I've done is get chocolate pudding from Jello. I have one serving every so often (like twice a week) when my craving gets sooooo bad. Its low calorie (considering its chocolate) and I use it as a dessert after dinner. It keeps me sane. Sometimes when I am getting really crabby, my son will ask when the last time I had chocolate was. LOL...he points it out to me. I'll be in a foul mood, eat my pudding and feel all better.

    Good Luck To You! :ohwell:
  • spacie
    spacie Posts: 82
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    Try getting some sugar free mints to suck.
  • weidner
    weidner Posts: 127
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    To be successful in anything, you need to rein in the good, the bad and the ugly!!!! So..that being said, NEVER deprieve yourself of anything - use moderation, we all utilize it in one way or another in our daily lives.

    I love chocolate as well, but if I want to lose the weight, I know I can't eat a bag of anything - so figure out how many calories you are willing to utilize on this additction (your words, not mine), and see how you can make it work for you. You have to customize this site to make it work for you; we have people on here who eat clean, we have vegans - everyone tailors this site to their likes and dislikes.

    You can make it work for you...bottom line!
  • Ashia1317
    Ashia1317 Posts: 415
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    Don't even try Dove chocolate. You'll never turn back!

    I can't control myself some days.
  • erumer
    erumer Posts: 5
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    Chocolate Cheerios and Skim Milk!!!!!!!!!!!! :love: :flowerforyou: :happy: :tongue: :drinker:
  • Behavior_Modification
    Behavior_Modification Posts: 24,482 Member
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    I giggled a little when I read this...oh boy does it sound familiar. I started w/ MFP (and a nutrition coach) a little over 2 months ago and this is what I did:

    1. Get RID of the stash! Never buy it because "it's on sale". (I had a HORRIBLE habit of buying bags and bags of candy because they were "such a good price and I know I'll eat it, chocolate doesn't go bad".
    2. Concentrate really hard on what type of chocolate you crave (for example for me I need chocolate/caramel combinations like Rolo's). Some people like the plain kisses or dark chocolate, but for me those would not do the trick.
    3. Buy individual servings of it like they have at grocery store check outs. (I know this will cost more money, but it will be worth it in the long run). I cringed when I payed almost a dollar for 2 little 100 grand bars when I could get a 10 pack for that price, but now I'm really glad I've been doing it that way.
    4. Never eat the chocolate just because it is there. Wait until you are seriously craving it and make sure that it is chocolate you need and you're not eating out of emotions.
    5. Remember that breaking these habits will not happen overnight and to be patinet with yourself, but make sure you are concentrating on it as best you can.

    Good luck!
  • hill242
    hill242 Posts: 412 Member
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    It's funny how our minds (and appetites) can work. If we were to have an excess of chocolate chip cookies, or cake, or brownies, I tend to lose control and overeat on these goodies.

    But I can keep a bag of dark chocolates (Dove) in the fridge and eat just 2 a night after dinner. It fits within my calorie budget, and I am Ok with skipping a day here and there because I've eaten over calories or because I've indulged in my weekly treat like a bowl of ice cream.

    The key is moderation, and if you can't moderate yourself, don't keep it at home. If you can, then enjoy a little!
  • mythicals
    mythicals Posts: 70
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    Glad to know I'm not the only one with this problem.
    It's even worse during the holidays.
    Sometimes I let myself have a mini Hersheys or Snickers as a treat.
    Chew some gum or have a sip of chocolate milk. That should help stop those cravings.
  • ambreclindaniel
    ambreclindaniel Posts: 1
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    I can def realate to this I used to always by a choclate bar everywhere I went but since January when I got my gym membershp I have bought 2 Reese pnut butter cups. That's it! You have to get your mind set that you can't have that. Also there are these choclate shakes that I get at walmart they have only 30 calories I believe and no fat and no sugar. That helps when I want choclate ! You can do it Tabatha it just won't be easy.:smile:
  • emma1488
    emma1488 Posts: 175
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    I am a recovering Chocoholic.....lol. Throw it all away.......its like quitting smoking.....just do it! Once your body has had time to process the fact that there is no chocolate coming into it.....it will not crave it anymore. Cold turkey baby! only way to go......Good luck and God bless you!

    totally agree! I looooooooooooove chocolate, and cannot restrain myself. If its there, and its open, then i HAVE to eat it ALL!!!! So i just don't have it anywhere near me! Im stoked with mfp so far, cos i haven't had any chocolate for like 5 whole days!!!:bigsmile: If you need to eat it...(which you really don't) try to only get a small dark chocolate bar and thats it. NO BLOCKS or bags!
  • kimberlymejia
    kimberlymejia Posts: 27
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    At my work, we have bags and bags and bags of chocolate!!! There is a jar that is always full with everything from snickers, to m&ms to reese's peanut butter cups and hersheys. It can be very difficult somedays. What I do allow myself is to eat the Hersheys Dark Chocolate, with or without almonds. I always get a craving after lunch so what I have begun doing, is buying the Kashi Fruit and Grain Chewy bars. They are fabulous and range from about 100-120 calories each. The three favs of mine are the Dark Chocolate Mocha, Dark Chocolate Cherry and the one that probably eliminates any cravings for the candy bars is the Dark Chocolate Coconut. They are all wonderful!

    And I know someone else mentioned it but definitely allow yourself to eat chocolate or else you may end up binging. I read an article/interview of Jillian from Biggest Loser and she allows herself 200 calories a day for chocolate. It's all about moderation and finding what works best for you on killing those cravings/habits that cause you to eat too much chocolate!
  • kgasser
    kgasser Posts: 333 Member
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    Swiss Miss Sensible Sweets hot chocolate with 1 T of sugar free French Vanilla powdered creamer - 55 calories!!!
  • charliecat
    charliecat Posts: 16
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    :happy: I am in to chocolate too and continue to try to break the habit. I used to eat a lot more in past years than now, but I don't need it. It is comforting to me so this is how I have reduced the amount of chocolate I eat, significantly.

    First of all, M&M's are my weekness. I can eat 1/2 a medium bag in one sitting. I figured out the calorie of 1 candy by dividing the calories by how many M&Ms are in a serving and came up with 3 calories per candy. Well, 1 handful is nothing when I'm eating them. So, I did some comparison and figured out how much exercise I would have to do to burn the sugary calories I consumed. Do I really want to walk 2 hours, or bike an hour, or whatever to burn a handful of M&Ms? Of corse not! The short term "high" from eating them isn't worth it, so I avoid them and eat something healthy if I am really hungry enough!

    I heard someone say once the the last bite is only as good as the first. It makes sense. Your first bite of food and the 2nd, 3rd,....etc right down to the last all taste the same, so why gorge on an unhealthy food. If you are hungry, eat well. One piece of sweets is probably ok to satisfy the craving for the taste, but don't fill up on it. So far it is working for me.

    Also, when I am convinced that I have to have chocolate or die, I will eat a Fiber One bar (Oats and Chocolate) instead of a candy bar. Some nutrition is alot better than none, right? And I love fresh strawberries dipped in Yoplait Whips Chocolate Mousse. I look for healthier alternatives that still help kill the craving - my goal to not ever crave chocolate. I am determined!!!
  • MissKaay
    MissKaay Posts: 25
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    For chocolate, the atkins endulge bars kind of satisfy, they aren;t high in sugar/calories/fat/ etc. Try it! :)

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