Chocolate Obsessed

Find a substitute so you can walk away from the binge.

Sounds like you need to steer completely clear of chocolate since it's pretty much 'all or nothing' for you. Aside from that, you just have to practice self-control. Do something that takes your mind off of whatever it is that causes you to decide to eat some chocolate. Clearly it isn't healthiest mindset to have when you have to eat an entire thing of chocolate until you feel sick, so replacing it with something more conducive to your health goals would be most helpful.

Worst case scenario, if this isn't an every week thing, I wouldn't worry about it. Sometimes I'll buy a box of 6 ice cream drumsticks and devour the entire box in two days, then I don't want ice cream for another month. I log it, and then move on.

I second the idea of buying smaller quantities.

I'm that way with milk chocolate. Dark chocolate I can control. I like to keep around some Sanders dark chocolate sea salt caramels (70 cal) or dark chocolate covered espresso beans (about 50 cal for a dozen). That 85% stuff is just too harsh (makes good cocoa through!)

I'm now to the point where I can handle milk chocolate, but I MUST put away the bag/bar after I have taken my measured portion then go sit down to eat it, otherwise my hand is back in the bag before I even realize what I'm doing. I have found the urge to go face first into the remaining chocolate goes away quickly if I make myself wait a few minutes to enjoy the flavor of the portion I just ate then have a drink of water or tea.

If you have trouble with portion control and the "have a little bit every day to not deprive yourself" way doesn't work for you, try protein bars and/or shakes.

You're still getting your chocolate bar or chocolate "milkshake" but it's packed with lots of nutrients to keep you full. It also helps me portion control because it doesn't have that "omg I must eat more of this" effect quite the same.

I find that dark chocolate (85% cocoa) gives me the lovely chocolate hit I want but because it's quite bitter it's difficult to binge on, so I can just have one or two small squares. For me, 85% is the sweet spot, below 85% is binge-able, above 85% is not enjoyable.

I like cacao nibs with nuts or coconut. It is chocolate (sort of) but it is easier to control myself.

As long as you don't develop a craving for frozen chocolate, you can store it in the freezer. I limit the amount of readily edible chocolate in the house but keep cocoa on hand to make my own if I need it. The cooking time is a handy brake mechanism from automatic, mindless eating.

My daughter and I went on a chocolate cooking blitz this weekend. We made two types of energy bars using agave syrup with cocoa and coconut oil, coating quinoa and millet puffed cereal. (My daughter is restricting dairy, refined sugar, and gluten in an attempt to get on top of her digestive issues). I also made black bean brownies and a chocolate torte made from ground up walnuts, sunflower seeds, and banana and topped with medjool dates. They all taste good.

So much for limiting how much is around....I'm hoping the freezer will slow me down. That and I'm giving a good portion of it away.

If I have a milk chocolate candy bar in the house, I'm probably going to eat it. But if I have some super dark chocolate, I'll have a square so the chocolate craving will go away. I'd say get the darkest chocolate you will eat, I usually buy 70%, and that way it'll be harder to overeat it bc it's less sweet. I'm just assuming you don't eat super dark chocolate already. Or you could get some chocolate protein powder and make a shake.

I am also big on chocolate. I find that getting small chocolates, like Kisses, really helps me. I'll get them at the dollar store so the bag is smaller and just keep a bit on hand. I like the smaller chocolates like that because I can suck on them and make them last longer.

Better chocolates, like frufru organic and whatnot tend to be better as well. Less sugar but still sweet, and a better quality cocoa. If I buy those, I get one bar at a time. If I bought more i'd just eat them all.

I had a chocolate protein shake by Bolthouse Farms yesterday that satisfied that craving and had 30 grams of protein! It was delicious.

As myaminals said, fudge pops are great too. Low calories and super yummy.

Also Fiber One brownies are good

Purchase single servings and have chocolate more often. If you let cravings build up your self control can go out the window. Treat more often and avoid the binge. I have a magnum ice cream bar waiting for me at home for after dinner. I just had ice cream last week, but if I wait too long I end up impulse buying a Ben and Jerry tub and eating it before I even make it home.

I will melt a dozen chocolate chips with peanut or almond butter and dip apples, celery, strawberries, and or pretzels in it. It feels super indulgent but doesn't leave a big dent in my calories.

I get hung up on this..

Katrina342 wrote: »

I can be having a really good day or even week, eating well and getting lots of exercise. Then usually something happens and I decide I want some chocolate.

For me, the only way I'm having a really good day is if there's always chocolate! What I mean is that I fit it in every day, usually three times a day! My protein bars are chocolate. I add a bit of chocolate milk powder to my protein shakes. I eat some kind of dessert every night, usually a chocolatey one! So what I wonder is how you define "eating well." If it's eating unprocessed whole foods, my method probably wouldn't work for you, but if the idea is to hit certain macros while staying within your calorie goal, it's entirely possible to include chocolate on the regular. I've lost a lot of fat eating this way. Don't get me wrong.. I understand about not being able to moderate certain foods because I've been there. I just think deprivation is often what leads to that difficulty.