How/why I'm cutting out chocolate completely!

jeebieheebies
jeebieheebies Posts: 68 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
For me, anything chocolate is my kryptonite. It is sooo delicious to me, if I just have a taste of it I turn into the shark in Finding Nemo. So I just decided to drop it cold turkey. I've been at it since July 3rd, and with some slip-ups, I've been progressively getting better and it's been 10 days now chocolate-free (*chocoholics anonymous*)! My goal is just to make my taste buds forget how good it tastes, and convince my mind that "I don't really like chocolate," which I've been repeating to myself as kind of a mantra. The longer it goes, the less I want to break my streak as well. The good things about this, is that I can still have any other dessert thing -- ice cream, baklava, strawberry shortcake, etc etc. Because with those things, I don't have an insatiable desire and can be completely satisfied after a few bits.

I'm ready to do this for the rest of my life, as well. It really is just a food item that is delicious while I'm eating it and then can't control myself over it and it ruins everything. I've tried to do it in moderation (1x per week) and that just reminds me how much I love it and I really can't resist it. I cut out soda as well, when I was 14, and only have it when I'm drinking now, and even then, don't really like it. My friends who are vegetarian say and think, "oh, I don't eat meat" automatically -- this is how I imagine myself with chocolate.

And just quickly I want to say that I've been keeping track by a calendar print-out of July and August on my wall. I put a smiley face on days I don't have chocolate. I am rewarding myself by : 3 successful consecutive days => $5 to MAC, and 5 sucessful days => $10 to MAC. Each day I fail it is $1, and the next day $-2, etc. I'm keeping track of my tab right next to the calendar. It's very visual and 'public' -- even if the only one in my room to see it is me, it's still *out there* so visible and I want to be proud of it, of lots of lil smiley faces on it! :):) (I had a dream the other night where I was showing my LDR boyfriend it, actually)

Anyway, I wanted to post this to maybe give anyone an alternative, if they really can't deal with moderation for whatever their vice food is. And wanted to show off my method. Lololol <3

Anyone can feel free to add me! :)
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Replies

  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    A life without chocolate is a life I don't want to live. Good luck, but it sounds kind of depressing to cut out something you love so much.
  • sue1244
    sue1244 Posts: 2 Member
    You go girl. Hope you are still seeing smilie faces. It is great that you realize what your trigger is and I'm sure you feel more in control now.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Good for you. It's just a food and there are lots of other foods. It seems disordered to think you can't live a happy life without a certain food.
  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
    It sounds like you found a method that works for you that you can maintain. If it's a problem food for you, not eating it is better than constantly struggling with it.
  • BasicGreatGuy
    BasicGreatGuy Posts: 857 Member
    MoiAussi93 wrote: »
    It sounds like you found a method that works for you that you can maintain. If it's a problem food for you, not eating it is better than constantly struggling with it.

    +1
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    SoDamnHungry wrote: »
    A life without chocolate is a life I don't want to live. Good luck, but it sounds kind of depressing to cut out something you love so much.

    This^

    I won't give up chocolate forever....so I'm learning to manage it now.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    It works for you and leaves more chocolate for the rest of us.

    Win/win.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    That does not seem like a healthy view towards chocolate, but good luck with that
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    This is sad. Say you live to 100, 80 years with no chocolate would be impossible IMO.
  • JayRuby84
    JayRuby84 Posts: 557 Member
    It seems like an easy way to become even more obsessed with chocolate.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    SoDamnHungry wrote: »
    A life without chocolate is a life I don't want to live. Good luck, but it sounds kind of depressing to cut out something you love so much.
    Agreed! I love my chocolate and refuse to cut it out.


    Jee, I used to not be able to moderate chocolate, but I can now. It took a lot of hard work and willpower but I can have a thing in the house now and not scarf it down, including chocolate.

    What I tell myself is I have control over food, it does not have control over me.

  • jeebieheebies
    jeebieheebies Posts: 68 Member
    I don't think it's depressing because /yeah/, it *is* a disordered view towards chocolate. I legitimately can't get enough of it. But (1) I'm teaching myself not to like it basically, so it won't be anything to miss. (2) Chocolate gives me immediate and hedonistic pleasure, and then leaves me with regret and guilt. It isn't the kind of happiness that I value in the long-term. :) Maybe eventually I will incorporate back in though, I'm not ruling that out completely but for now, I am trying to train myself to make "nah, I don't like/eat chocolate." an automatic phrase, like "nah, I don't drink soda" is. :blush:
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    Good for you. It's just a food and there are lots of other foods. It seems disordered to think you can't live a happy life without a certain food.

    By the same token, thinking you can't eat a certain food ever again is disordered thinking.
  • jeebieheebies
    jeebieheebies Posts: 68 Member
    I'm not thinking I can't eat it ever again -- I'm thinking I don't want to eat it ever again.
  • BasicGreatGuy
    BasicGreatGuy Posts: 857 Member
    If chocolate is her nemesis, it doesn't make sense for her to keep sabotaging her progress. All that does it continue the cycle.

    Every person has a weakness. For some people, conquering the weakness and still having it around isn't a problem. For others, they can't or don't want that weakness around. It doesn't mean that their life can't or won't be happy.

    The OP is learning her limits and is working a system that appears to be helping her. Instead of saying how terrible life would be without chocolate, why not say well done, OP. If you are happy with your new path, that is what matters.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    If thinking I can't live a happy life without corn tortillas is disordered thinking, then I have disordered thinking. I can live with that.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    jeebieheebies wrote: »
    I don't think it's depressing because /yeah/, it *is* a disordered view towards chocolate. I legitimately can't get enough of it. But (1) I'm teaching myself not to like it basically, so it won't be anything to miss. (2) Chocolate gives me immediate and hedonistic pleasure, and then leaves me with regret and guilt. It isn't the kind of happiness that I value in the long-term. :) Maybe eventually I will incorporate back in though, I'm not ruling that out completely but for now, I am trying to train myself to make "nah, I don't like/eat chocolate." an automatic phrase, like "nah, I don't drink soda" is. :blush:

    You sound self aware which is great. Good luck with your experiment.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    SLLRunner wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    Good for you. It's just a food and there are lots of other foods. It seems disordered to think you can't live a happy life without a certain food.

    By the same token, thinking you can't eat a certain food ever again is disordered thinking.

    Outside of allergy or intollerance, I would agree. Giving any single food that type of importance seems disordered to me.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    edited July 2015
    jeebieheebies wrote: »
    I'm not thinking I can't eat it ever again -- I'm thinking I don't want to eat it ever again.

    Yeah, that's what I got from your OP. It's an important distiction. Best of luck.

    I did the same thing years ago with cheesecake. I love cheesecake and never used to turn it down. I haven't had any in over 10 years. It just stopped being worth the calories to me. I haven't missed it.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    Good for you, especially if it works. It wont make your tatsebuds forget though imo. Restriction is often a double edged strategy that can make people binge, but good luck. It works for some.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    There's nothing wrong with cutting something out of your life if you do not find it to be beneficial to you. Good luck.
  • krazyforyou
    krazyforyou Posts: 1,428 Member
    Mine is ice cream. But I have no plans to give it up, just learn how to control it.
  • barbecuesauce
    barbecuesauce Posts: 1,771 Member
    JayRuby84 wrote: »
    It seems like an easy way to become even more obsessed with chocolate.

    That's exactly how I think it would work for me, but it's OP's life and I wish her well.
  • sashayoung72
    sashayoung72 Posts: 441 Member
    I completely understand, hopefully someday it will be something you can have some and have a take it or leave it attitude. I'll buy ice cream and think I can really stick to the 1/2 cup serving HAHA no, i'll have 2 or 3 servings and use way more of my day on that ice cream then anything healthy.
  • bananafish80
    bananafish80 Posts: 8 Member
    I am the same way with potato chips. I just can't start eating it because then the entire bag is gone.
  • Velum_cado
    Velum_cado Posts: 1,608 Member
    For me, it was mayo. I've more or less cut it out - I no longer add it to anything myself, but I won't avoid pre-made sandwiches that have mayo on them, for instance.

    It's worked just fine for me, and I no longer have the desire to add mayo to everything I eat.

    You're the expert in your own life, OP. Do what works for you :)
  • Derpes
    Derpes Posts: 2,033 Member
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  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    krazyforyou wrote: »
    Mine is ice cream. But I have no plans to give it up, just learn how to control it.

    Same! Now I weigh out what fits in my day instead of what fits in my bowl.
  • 5stringjeff
    5stringjeff Posts: 790 Member
    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    It works for you and leaves more chocolate for the rest of us.

    Win/win.

    +1
  • Bacchants
    Bacchants Posts: 92 Member
    I can get on board with cutting out/restricting an item because it's too easy to go overboard/binge eg I avoid doritos as I find it hard to only have a portion.

    However, the trying to make yourself not like something you clearly like seems somewhat disordered. Have you thought about talking to someone about your relationship with food/chocolate in particular? I wonder if the trigger to binge on chocolate goes a bit deeper.

    Also as a footnote I've been trying to get myself to like mushrooms for a long time, and still hate the damm things.

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