Chocolate addiction...

Switch to low sugar/ sugar free dark chocolate instead of sugary rubbish, then don't worry - cocoa is packed with minerals and antioxidants. If you cannot do that you don't have a chocolate addiction it's the sugar/ fat combination, in which case review your diet and consider your triggers.

When do the cravings begin, what happens in the hour or three prior to that - are you bored, blood sugar dropping, tired, stressed, depressed, skipping a meal, eat a badly balanced meal (all carbs/ low fat/ low protein)? Where are you seeing the chocolate, how are you getting the chocolate?

ETA looking at your diary - too low fat overall you should be above the MFP target, too low protein all morning have some at every meal and snack and get above the MFP target, way too many sweet meals and snacks, your blood sugar is likely spiking and dipping. Eat more savoury things, stick to carbs that are slow absorbing. Also your diet is way low in a raft of nutrients - I don't see much dairy, limited vegetables, almost no mineral rich foods (beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, wholegrains), no oily fish. You can't be healthy on tuna, chicken and produce.

I eat relatively healthy... Mostly at night after dinner is when I want chocolate... And it's in my house because my husband is a junk food junky and as much as we try we always have some in the house. I think if we didn't I'd probably still go buy it. As for bored I dont have time to be bored! Stressed not at night.

I edited my post after I saw your food diary, sorry. Change your diet as I suggested also STUFF yourself at your evening meal, so full you literally cannot manage chocolate. Right now you are eating tiny servings and not balanced meals. That means your evening meal is three to five full servings of non starchy vegetables, a decent sized serving of lean meat or fish (30g+ protein), a small serving of a healthy fat (nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, coconut), small serving of a very low glycaemic index carb if you want it (beans, lentils or barley). No white potato, white rice, corn/ maize or wheat products they all turn to sugar too fast, preferably no fruit either.

Ask your husband to keep his junk food somewhere else like locked in his car or at his work, if it is in your face you WILL be triggered just like a drinker or smoker is. And don't go buy some, don't have your car keys or any money to hand, lock them away, freeze them in a block of ice, give them to your husband and have him hide them. Seriously make it tough. I don't like "much as we try" - that's defeatist talk you've already decided you have failed. IMO both of you need to eat larger, healthier, really filling meals so your blood glucose is stable and you just don't want so much junk. If he then wants to eat junk for breakfast, lunch and snacks when out of the house that is totally his choice, but support the person he loves deeply in those few hours at home.

Righteously Raw also makes a good 82% one and they come in little single packs. 45 cal, no crappy ingredients, organic yummy dark chocolate.

Switch to 70% chocolate. Lindt is my favorite now. After you get used to it, work toward the 85%. The first few times you try the 85, it may not be pleasant. Try it a few more times, and then switch. Work into the 90% and you get even better nutrient rich chocolate! Even the 70% is good for you. Now, real chocolate is mostly fat. So, it is good to eat whn you are taking B-complex, or eating B rich foods like berries as the fat helps your body to absorb them as well as other nutrients. This way, you turn your addiction into a good thing. I have half a serving of 85-90% chocolate every day. I am not going to even buy the 85 any more, but I have a couple bars left.

If you really want to give it up, I guess that's okay but I'd fit it into my calorie requirements and enjoy the yummy goodness. Life is too short and you can lose weight, be fit and enjoy a little chocolate at the same time.

Switch to 70% chocolate. Lindt is my favorite now. After you get used to it, work toward the 85%. The first few times you try the 85, it may not be pleasant. Try it a few more times, and then switch. Work into the 90% and you get even better nutrient rich chocolate! Even the 70% is good for you. Now, real chocolate is mostly fat. So, it is good to eat whn you are taking B-complex, or eating B rich foods like berries as the fat helps your body to absorb them as well as other nutrients. This way, you turn your addiction into a good thing. I have half a serving of 85-90% chocolate every day. I am not going to even buy the 85 any more, but I have a couple bars left.

Also, if you eat it with nuts nad raisins, the bitterness is taken away, and it tastes almost like milk chocolate. I love bitter foods, and if you do, you will really take a liking to dark chocolate. If you do not like bitter foods, with the raisins and nuts, you will probably like the chocolate anyway!!!

If you really want to give it up, I guess that's okay but I'd fit it into my calorie requirements and enjoy the yummy goodness. Life is too short and you can lose weight, be fit and enjoy a little chocolate at the same time.

Are you kidding me? No fair putting that image on a chocoholic thread!

Oh. No, I can't like you any more. You're that evil little thing on my shoulder saying, "But did you SEE that cheesecake?"

Oh. No, I can't like you any more. You're that evil little thing on my shoulder saying, "But did you SEE that cheesecake?"

*gives an innocent look and bats her eyelashes*

Who me? :flowerforyou:

Mwahahaha..*coughs* Errr..I mean..hahahaha.

Glad you enjoyed the pictures :laugh:

Hey! You're a believer! So am I, and I'm currently working through the book, "Made to Crave" by Lysa Terkeurst...try and get your hands on a copy. You were made to crave...GOD and him in your life. I'm finding (cause sweets are a difficult point for me to) if I can redirect my attention to how BIG God is and the BEAUTY he has in store for me and my health, the sweets have less and less a hold on my life, and I'm finding it's easier not to be fixated on wanting that piece of chocolate so badly!! Don't play the pity party for yourself - be EMPOWERED to make healthy and God glorifying choices in your food!!

Love in Christ, Deanna

Switch to low sugar/ sugar free dark chocolate instead of sugary rubbish, then don't worry - cocoa is packed with minerals and antioxidants. If you cannot do that you don't have a chocolate addiction it's the sugar/ fat combination, in which case review your diet and consider your triggers.

When do the cravings begin, what happens in the hour or three prior to that - are you bored, blood sugar dropping, tired, stressed, depressed, skipping a meal, eat a badly balanced meal (all carbs/ low fat/ low protein)? Where are you seeing the chocolate, how are you getting the chocolate?

I eat relatively healthy... Mostly at night after dinner is when I want chocolate... And it's in my house because my husband is a junk food junky and as much as we try we always have some in the house. I think if we didn't I'd probably still go buy it. As for bored I dont have time to be bored! Stressed not at night.

Get a good quality cocoa, and mix two tablespoons of it with milk or water for a drinking chocolate. Add a little of your sweetener of choice. Some cinnamon or chilli is good too.

When I was trying to bring my blood glucose level down, I started switching to dark chocolate. I never liked it growing up, but I knew I needed to stop eating Reese's, Kit Kats, Mounds, etc. on a fairly regular basis because I could never stop at one piece, I had to keep having more and more.

I started by eating dark chocolate chips with walnuts -- the chips were about 50% dark. I slowly worked my way up to 60% dark chips. Eventually, I started trying Ghiradelli's 72% dark twilight delight chocolates...sometimes I have it with some Smart Balance popcorn and it really brings out the chocolatey taste. That's my go-to for chocolate cravings now.

A single piece is only 55 calories and 3g of sugar, and once I'd worked my way to that point, I found it was very satisfying to just have that one piece without grabbing for more and more like with milk chocolate. And I get some health benefits of eating dark chocolate! (Personally, I've tried to work my way up to darker chocolates, but I haven't managed it yet, I'm happy with the 72%.)

That's not to say that I never have milk chocolate, it's just that it's easier to pass by it at the food store and not be tempted to buy it like I used to.

Hey! You're a believer! So am I, and I'm currently working through the book, "Made to Crave" by Lysa Terkeurst...try and get your hands on a copy. You were made to crave...GOD and him in your life. I'm finding (cause sweets are a difficult point for me to) if I can redirect my attention to how BIG God is and the BEAUTY he has in store for me and my health, the sweets have less and less a hold on my life, and I'm finding it's easier not to be fixated on wanting that piece of chocolate so badly!! Don't play the pity party for yourself - be EMPOWERED to make healthy and God glorifying choices in your food!!

Love in Christ, Deanna

Just to point out..not everyone is the same religion.

I'm usually right there with you, but it looks like Deanna was replying to the OP - ChubbyChristianChick - with a way she's working on overcoming her cravings with techniques found in a book based in their mutual faith.

Hey! You're a believer! So am I, and I'm currently working through the book, "Made to Crave" by Lysa Terkeurst...try and get your hands on a copy. You were made to crave...GOD and him in your life. I'm finding (cause sweets are a difficult point for me to) if I can redirect my attention to how BIG God is and the BEAUTY he has in store for me and my health, the sweets have less and less a hold on my life, and I'm finding it's easier not to be fixated on wanting that piece of chocolate so badly!! Don't play the pity party for yourself - be EMPOWERED to make healthy and God glorifying choices in your food!!

Love in Christ, Deanna

Just to point out..not everyone is the same religion.

Yes, we know there's heathens out there...:drinker:

Did you say heath bars? Too much toffie, but you can suck the chocolate off a heathen, and at least that part is good.