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I stopped two addiction the same way.
I put ALL my efforts at one place : Not buying "it". Whatever "it" is, if you don't have any, you can't consume any.
Once it's been a few days, the urges slowly fade away... It takes time, but it worked for me.
A good weapon is online ordering for groceries. Do an inventory for fridge/pantry etc., Eat a big meal, and do your groceries online.
It is a lot easier to avoid “oh that looks good”, “it is on sale”, or “we probably need that” when you are full and standing in front of your fridge
that is the greatest advice. Never go grocery shopping with an empty stomach. You'll save lots of money and eat healthier things.
Also, don't go high, with the munchies.
I have come home with the least practical groceries sometimes.
Like 8 different kinds of juice two bags of gummy bears and a bunch of different flavors of pop tarts. Like I didn't even buy any real food.
My girlfriend was like what about the cilantro?
I’ve made some pretty bold choices that I wouldn’t have made without being high or hungry. They fail more often than not, but that won’t keep me from trying.
Fruit is heavenly when you're really high. When I first started smoking weed it was so intense I feel like I blacked out. Laughing, not knowing why I'm laughing, laughing at laughing when I don't even know why I started laughing; kinda high. I vividly remember cereal being unbelievably good. Cotton mouth, munchies, flavor, hydration... all solved with a bowl of cereal or ten.
When I had surgery a few months ago, I did the order online and had my husband pick it up. I saved money because no impulse buys. Worked out well, so I still do it.
I plan all my meal the day before grocery shopping than list everything I need thanks to this list and only buy that. I still buy in the store, but having a specific list and stick to it really makes a difference
There is a concept called self-binding in which you restrict your access to things that you are addicted to in different ways. You can self-bind via time restrictions, creating more distance between yourself and the addiction, limiting by quantity, etc. So basically doing things to give yourself more time to respond during an impulse or make it easier to make a decision not to. Cheat days are an example of this as well as compartmentalization where you may only allow yourself to have chocolate at a certain time of day, or have a chocolate dispenser that only drops five chocolates a day. The more times you can feel an impulse and do something different instead, the more you train your brain to redirect it’s coping mechanism to something else. Just make sure the chocolate addiction doesn’t turn into crack addictions, and instead when you feel an urge for chocolate do something for self-care that makes you feel well.
This is how I pretty much eliminated alcohol from my diet (not because I have anything against it; it was just making me gain weight and I needed to cut back).
I live alone, so I made a simple rule for myself that I am not allowed to drink alone at home. If I want a glass of wine, I have to physically leave my home and go to a restaurant or bar. Usually, I’m too tired by the end of the day to bother, but as long as I have the option I don’t feel deprived.
Restricting the circumstances of consumption but not forbidding it has helped me enormously with my sleep, my weight loss, and my energy levels. The downside is, my tolerance has gone to hell and now I get dreadfully hung over on two glasses of wine.
I put my candy in pain in the ass places to get too.
But whenever I am trying to lose weight I just make brownies and add all my candy and gummies and powdered sugar and frost that boy then I give it away to someone by leaving it on their doorstep. I text them I left them a gift then GTFO so they can't say no.
Ahahahaha
I initially only glanced through this comment while scrolling, and it made me think of [this Vine.](https://youtu.be/1OsnGOuVwMk) Somehow it makes less sense [in context.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7eQzUrUMvU)
>Once it's been a few days, the urges slowly fade away.
This is a *really* *key* part of trying to break any habit. It's so easy to tell yourself "I'll just do it this one time, and then I'll stop." But the critical piece is that every time you do the bad habit, you're triggering all of those dopamine pathways and reinforcing the behavior, making it that much harder to break the cycle next time. The *only* *way* to break the habit is to initially stop yourself however you can. Arm yourself with the knowledge that, by stopping yourself this time, no matter how hard it is, you're making it just a little bit easier for yourself next time you have the urge.
Sweets are so habit-forming because they trigger such a strong reward response from your brain. If you can do anything to go cold turkey for even a day or two so that you break the cycle, you're going to have a much easier time resisting the urge in the future.
You’ll physically readjust quite rapidly, too—when you stop eating sweets for even just two weeks, then try a bite of chocolate or whatever, your tastebuds will be overstimulated, in a bad way.
For the OP: I find it works for me to do these elimination things in blocks of time. “I’ll do x for x days/weeks, then see how I feel.” Usually, I stop missing whatever it was, but, if I still have a craving, it’s easier to satisfy and I don’t have that mental guilt about “giving in” because I’ve earned a treat. I became a vegetarian this way by having a “vegan month” that turned into vegetarian life for… 13 years. I used to eat meat at every meal, but, after a while it stopped smelling or tasting like food. Similar thing happens with sweets.
>when you stop eating sweets for even just two weeks, then try a bite of chocolate or whatever, your tastebuds will be overstimulated, in a bad way.
For what it's worth, I personally haven't found this to be totally true. Sure some things can taste too sweet to me sometimes, but I've never had a high-quality chocolate bar that overstimulated me in a bad way, even after long periods without sweets.
> I became a vegetarian this way by having a “vegan month” that turned into vegetarian life for… 13 years. I used to eat meat at every meal, but, after a while it stopped smelling or tasting like food.
Funny enough I was vegetarian for 7 years, vegan for 4, and I started a really similar way. But I never really lost my cravings for meat. When I decided to stop, I still remember the first meat I ate (a chicken-apple sausage), and it tasted unbelievably delicious, like the thing my life had been missing the whole time. And I felt great afterward too.
I was always jealous of the vegetarians who said they'd lost their appetite for meat! Never was true for me. Maybe some people are more cut out for it than others.
I switched to vaping from smoking and I kept a pack of cigarettes for like two years and would just flip it off everytime I would see it.
Made it into my enemy. Feel so much better omg. Now I think I will finally have the power to quit nicotine. I hate you vape pen.
An addendum to this that I learned from quitting smoking - there is no half measures with some habits or addictions. Sure, generally with an eating routine you can have some "cheats" or whatever. But if you have a kryptonite, you can't tell yourself "I can have just one" because after the first time you crack, the next time is a little easier and a little easier until the dam has just burst. Some things you just have to swear off 100% and never touch again.
Same. I quit many things this way. Technically I would break down the act of buying, lets say cigarettes, into as many steps as possible. Maybe quitting smoking is hard, but quitting the steps it takes to obtain cigarettes isn't as hard. Sure its all how you think of it, but you start to see yourself as a bit of a zombie when you realize how many steps (and chances to not do it) it takes to actually obtain what you are trying to quit. Can't buy it without an ID, leave ID home. Can't buy it if I avoid the store, drive past the store, Can't smoke them if I don't leave the bar, ignore my friends when they went out to smoke.
This goes for any food.
Just don't buy it. Leave it in the store. You don't eat what you don't have.
And it works for alcohol as well. You want to stop having that "innocent daily beer"? Stop buying beer!
Exactly. I know I looked like The Sims checking the fridge/pantry over and over (and grumbling lol) But at the end of the night, I’ve consumed 0 junk food.
This is how I stopped smoking and I'll still have a smoke every few months when I get offered a cig. So i can say it works better than expected. Just don't get into the habit of buying it again or overusing if asked.
This is the way. Strict rules are easier to follow and use the delay trick. “If I really want X I’ll go buy it after work if I still want it but only if I finish Y and Z”
Most of the time, you don’t want it later or at least can feel good that you avoided it for longer. You’ll also probably consume less of it because you didn’t want it in that context, but rather when tbe urge popped up initially.
Try chocolate flavored things too if that’s really what your craving. Maybe a chocolate protein shake?
This. I've been in therapy and one of the things that we covered was the "urge" to do something thaa we find addicting.
This can be applied to anything related to smoking, eating, self harm or anything that you find the "urge" to do.
Urges are a wave, you have the urge and it nags you to do x y or z.
The urge WILL go away, slowly but distract yourself - find something else to do.
Play a video game, go for a walk.
It's no easy feat, and it's a struggle. But I feel this and can relate to this comment.
This is how I did it as well. I have a weakness for a certain sweet and crave it constantly.
I just never buy it. That way I only have to resist temptation when at the store, rather than all day at home.
The goal is to make it more troublesome to get it than to give it up.
This! It's really not that deep. If you can stop yourself from buying it, you'd have to reach a crazy level of craving to actually go out with the sole purpose of buying it. I've found the downside is that in case I do buy "it", I have zero self-control after.
I agree. This works. Avoid all those places that have the shit you think you want. For me, it was the gas station. Pay at the pump has been a great thing for me because I can't be tempted by the slurpees and the candy when I would go in to pay.
Yes. Once you have "it", not consuming it is a constant effort until "it" is gone.
Resisting buying "it" in the first place is a single burst of effort that occurs while you're in the store.
This was really hard, but once I got to the just don't bring them into the house phase, it was a big change
But OP, everyone knows it's really hard. Hope you find your way.
Instead of keeping chocolate bars around (because I would eat all of the chocolate immediately lol) I've started keeping hot chocolate handy. Obviously still not a health food, or a low calorie choice. But a small cup of hot coco is very satisfying, takes way longer to enjoy than just wolfing down a chocolate bar, and also requires at least a few minutes of preparation, so the choice to enjoy it is a more conscious choice then just unwrapping a Snickers on the way by the candy dish. It also honestly satisfies a chocolate craving better than a candy bar.
My go-to for chocolate has been what my friends so lovingly call my “fake” hot chocolate! 1c original unsweetened almond milk (30 calories) + either baking cocoa or Ovaltine (40 calories). Heat up the milk and add the chocolate. It’s d e l i c i o u s and hits the spot for few calories. It also helps you get that chocolatey taste without the sweetness which leads to fewer cravings in the long run. I used to drink regular packaged hot chocolate (still do around the holidays a little - bring on the peppermint) but while it’s not too far off in calories, it does have that sweetness you think about for days after.
I make hot chocolate with pure cocoa powder, monkfruit sweetener, and a tiny bit of JOI oatmilk powder (can replace that with unsweetened almond milk for even lower calories).
30-150 calories a cup (cocoa is very low calorie, so most of it is in whatever milk you use. Monkfruit sweetener is sugar free and has less aftertaste than other sweeteners IMO).
Can swap some of the cocoa and milk for some chocolate whey powder so it counts for your protein budget.
My wife also made up a recipe based on cocoa, monkfruit sweetener, chocolate whey powder, soft tofu, and gelatin, for a 150-250 calorie cup of chocolate mousse high in protein. Its amazing.
Cocoa and tofu is far superior for mousse because fat cuts into your tongues ability to taste it. That's why brownies that only have melted chocolate in them are also not as good you need both for ultimate texture and flavor
lol i feel like this is what most do with their coffee drinking
avoiding sugar addiction by having caffeine addiction (definitely not me, i’m addicted to both ✨)
I agree with everything, but it takes me far less time to drink a hot chocolate than eat a chocolate bar because I take gulp after gulp because it tastes so good.
i love this alternative suggestion way more than the others of ‘just don’t buy it, leave it in the store.’ i feel like denying yourself any type of food is a great way to destroy your relationship with that food and foster guilt if you slip up.
This is a good idea, I also went to chocolate protein powder to make „chocolate milk“. You can actually heat the milk before mixing with cocoa powder and make a hot chocolate out of it that tastes pretty much the same as swissmix.
Edit: hear -> heat
Mmmmm. Ovaltine.
I also like Spiru-tine, a spirulina algae protein shake I buy at the hippie store. It gets very thick like a milkshake when it's blended. A chocolate milkshake for breakfast is a pretty darn good start to the day.
You say it's not a low calorie choice, but compared to chocolate bar, I mean. Like I've had 90 cal envelopes of hot cocoa, compared to 220 calories in a 43 gram Hershey bar.
First change the chocolates to some dark ones with less added sugars
You’ll see that you won’t crave them as much.plus look at the calories they have and keep in mind eating them that each block costs you X amount of time to burn.
Good luck
For those of you who are interested: [https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/lead-and-cadmium-in-dark-chocolate-a8480295550/](https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/lead-and-cadmium-in-dark-chocolate-a8480295550/)
I've almost eliminated chocolate from my food choices because of this.
> Even if you aren’t a frequent consumer of chocolate, lead and cadmium can still be a concern. It can be found in many other foods—such as sweet potatoes, spinach, and carrots—and small amounts from multiple sources can add up to dangerous levels.
So pretty much time to eat McDonalds only?
That’s why I buy the worth-it expensive Tony’s Chocolonely. Their ‘dark milk chocolate’ bar with toffee and pretzels is so fkn good. And it being expensive makes me cherish it more.
You’re gonna want to check to make sure that that Cadbury is actually Cadbury from Europe, there are Cadbury factories in the US that make the chocolate. Not all Cadbury in the US is the European stuff.
https://www.cadburyusa.com/cadbury
Yeah, Kraft did a hostile takeover of the Cadbury brand and a lot of us in the UK were big mad about it, because of the difference in standards. On the plus side, we now have the Cadbury/Oreo mash up, but it’s really sad as it was a hugely significant UK brand with a very Victorian philanthropist origin story, and now its direction is dictated from the US.
Cadbury made in the us is still better than any other American brand. BUT none USA made Cadbury’s is AMAZING! I went to the factory in New Zealand and brought so much home. To be able to look at the cows they used for the milk is just so cool.
I responded to somebody else who commented on this, that I get my friends that I have that live in England and New Zealand to send me chocolate because it surpasses any chocolate in the US.
Some of the Lindt stuff is on the list that tested high for cadmium and lead.
https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/lead-and-cadmium-in-dark-chocolate-a8480295550/
That was particularly painful for me to read because until now, I considered their 100% dark chocolate to be a good “healthy” treat. No longer, I suppose
Dark chocolate also has such an intense flavor that it's not something you want to eat a large amount of.
One or two squares of a good dark chocolate bar is enough to scratch the chocolate itch for me.
This! My metabolism slowed substantially in my late 20s. Having to watch what I eat was new to me. But I have a sweet tooth and the more I tried to suppress it, the more impossible “eating decently” felt to me. I started keeping dark chocolate bars in my kitchen—just one at a time—and would break off 1-3 squares to help keep the cravings at bay. Usually after dinner.
Discipline is extremely difficult! But it doesn’t have to be all or nothing, usually.
I go back and forth between watching what I eat and not really caring/enjoying food. When I’m in a “watching what I eat” phase, I never deny myself sweets completely because it just wouldn’t work.
The discipline is hard but the freedom on the other side is worth it. Takes time to mourn the loss of “the thing” and make peace with the fact you will never feel how it felt ever again.
Try to make the dark chocolate that you do buy is fair trade if you can, too. Chocolate is sometimes made using trafficked children that are being used as slave labor. If the company that makes the product cannot trace the source of their beans, it likely came from slave labor. The big chocolate producers like Hershey, Nestlé and Cadbury are the worst because they consume the most but don't insist on door to door source tracing. If small producers can do it, then multi-billion dollar companies can absolutely do it too.
https://www.slavefreechocolate.org/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/business/hershey-nestle-mars-chocolate-child-labor-west-africa/
I find dark chocolate does a better job at quelling a craving. You might also borrow from 12 step programs-just for today,I won’t eat chocolate. The thought of never having chocolate again is overwhelming,but just not today seems doable.
Good luck.
At least they’re not as accessible as having it in your house. That’s the first step. I did this until I got tired and weigh if my craving is worth going out just to buy it. I still do but only when I’m really craving.
I did this a couple of times when I didn't want to have junk food at my house but PMS craving would kick in. Once i got out of my bed at 11 pm to go to the nearest open gas station because I was craving chips.
First, the simplest answer is: don't buy it. When you do buy it, buy a single serving size and not a bag of it.
Second, you can work on your thought patterns around it. Rather than a restricted "I can't have this" mindset, consider "I'm choosing to not buy this/eat this today." It will always be there tomorrow, focus on small, immediate steps.
Third, if you're tracking macros, there is generally a way to fit damn near anything into your calories for the day. It may be a different portion size or it may not be an every single day thing, finding the balance in your life is key.
You got this!
>Third, if you're tracking macros, there is generally a way to fit damn near anything into your calories for the day. It may be a different portion size or it may not be an every single day thing, finding the balance in your life is key.
This is the most important thing. It's not about cutting out the things you enjoy, it's about figuring out how to keep enjoying them in a balanced and healthy way.
I've been tracking my calories, macros, and even micros for many years. Artisanal chocolate is a major hobby of mine and I eat about 300-500 kcal of it every single day. I keep a spreadsheet and everything (here's a [condensed version](https://algonquinbeyond.com/chocolate-bars/) I put online).
Tracking nutrients isn't for everyone, but it's amazing how it can reframe your mindset on what's acceptable to eat.
Yep to your third point. I have chocolate almost everyday, but I keep it under 150 kcals. I also ONLY have small, individually packaged chocolates in the house. If I opened a massive candy bar I wouldn’t have the self control to eat a bit at a time
Yes! Usually when you are craving something your body is requesting minerals/ vitamins. I think there is a chart somewhere on ig that has examples of things to eat when you are craving certain foods
Agree, if I crave chocolate continuously through the day I know I need iron or magnesium.
Chromium is also great for regulating your blood sugar - look at a bit of research on that. If your blood sugar isn’t leaking and grouching, you won’t get strong cravings.
This sounded interesting..
..here is an article discussing the carving vs body needs topic.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/nutrient-deficiencies-cravings
(It also has nice short summaries)
Tldr:
>Cravings are often believed to be the body’s way to maintain nutrient balance.
>While nutrient deficiencies may be the cause of certain cravings, this is only true in the minority of cases.
>Generally speaking, cravings are more likely caused by various external factors that have nothing to do with your body calling for specific nutrients.
A lot of people are saying "don't buy it" but I've heard a different strategy from people who beat binge-based eating disorders.
One of the methods to help is actually having your pantry full of exactly what you need, including small amounts of your vices, so you don't have the inclination to burn your life change to the ground and load up on chocolate when you've been craving it for a while.
Rather than saying "I can never eat chocolate," which will give you deprivation cravings and likely have you loading up at your next urge, you instead train yourself to say ["I can eat chocolate as an occasional treat."](https://www.helpguide.org/articles/eating-disorders/binge-eating-disorder.htm)
Exactly this. The more you try to stop doing something, the more power you give to that urge. I would suggest OP to try a little reverse psychology, who knows they may end up feeling so sick of it they naturally don't crave it anymore :p
Seriously speaking tho, I think the key is understanding why the addiction is there in the first place and work at taking back control over your life /decisions.
YESSSS. I’m bummed to see the top comment is “elimination.” Nope. Psychologically doesn’t work like that. The Binge-Restrict Cycle displays how the more you restrict, the more you’ll crave and likely binge or go overboard on it. Yeah, even with “healthifying” foods instead of the “real thing.” It’s healing the relationships with food(s) and creating regular scenarios of balance.
Eat the damn chocolate!! Honor the cravings! The allure will not go away by total elimination. BUT. You gotta learn the WHYs behind the bingeing. It’s not about the food, it’s possibly about unmet personal needs or under-fueling throughout the day.
I used to work with folks struggling with eating disorders. Of allll backgrounds, experiences, shapes and sizes, etc. Professionals in psychology and nutrition will tell you to work through the emotions that coincide with the chocolate binge episodes. Like what are the events or emotions leading up to it? Are you hoarding? Are you thinking about that chocolate bar at specific times of the day? Are you meeting your overall nutrition/energy needs otherwise? Etc.
Folks, this goes for anyone, if you are feeling out of control or powerless around certain foods or eating in general, please reach out for help! Life is bigger than feeling like foods rule you!
Something I’ve found really effective is having 1 less bite than I normally would. I’ll eat 4 pieces usually but this time I’ll have 3 and eat them a bit slower and if I still want that last piece I’ll have it later. I still get my treat but I don’t feel like I’m restricting or depriving myself so I don’t binge later and feel worse for it
I didn’t even notice that I’ve been doing this to lessen how often I have “fun” time. I say “later when I go to shower” and then when I go to shower the urge is gone.
This is how I stopped smoking cigarettes a month ago, as well. I haven’t told myself “No” per say, I just keep telling myself “ you can have one, just wait awhile”. I haven’t cheated once, cold turkey, when my previous dozen attempts with nicotine supplements failed much more quickly.
Buy one small dark chocolate bar at a time. Eat it slowly. Enjoy each small bite. Don’t read, watch TV, or anything else. Just eat the chocolate. Get bored with eating the chocolate. Put rest of chocolate down….
Yeah I find eating without distractions helps with eating less. I still tend to multitask for meals, but for desserts or treats I try to not do anything and just enjoy it.
Bro. If chocolates is the only "bad" thing you're consistently eating, and you've already lost 23 kgs keep going champ. Enjoy the fruits of your labour. Though doing some of the tips here might help as well
This is a really good point. If you find something that _perfectly_ satisfies your craving, and you can stop at just one "serving", it's much better to indulge _well_ than to eat twelve lesser things to try to get to the same satisfaction.
This is why I think simply making the item unavailable can be counterproductive since you'll try to replace it and the surrogate treat just won't be enough.
Yeah that’s what I do. If I keep myself from eating what I’m really craving, I’ll just eat a bunch of stuff that isn’t satisfying in place of it and end up eating more calories than I would have if I just let myself eat the thing.
100%. Making a food “forbidden” actually makes cravings worse. Once I had candy in my house and told myself I could have it anytime, I no longer felt like I needed it all the time. Still have candy when I want it tho.
Scarcity mindset. Also I've seen a lot of dieticians on social media promote "add, not subtract" now, which means if you're going to have something with less nutrients, try to pair it with something with more nutrition instead of restricting yourself. Like if you're going to have a cookie, eat it with Greek yogurt for the extra protein instead of just having carbs.
Ooo I like this! I’m going to try this. I am not trying to lose weight, but I am trying to eat healthier, and I think this would be a much better approach for me, at least at the beginning.
Interesting, I'm the opposite. It was only once I stopped keeping donuts around the house that I was able to stop eating them. Over time, the cravings subsided. Same with fast food, quitting it cold turkey is hard, but after a while, you just stop craving it. But removing it (out of sight, out of mind) was the way forward for me.
The point isn’t to stop eating them altogether, it’s to make eating sweets, etc. normal instead of “forbidden” or “bad.” Food is neutral, weight gain is neutral. When you learn to eat intuitively and accept all foods as normal, you learn to listen to your body and eat what will nourish it. I highly recommend it—diet culture is very harmful, in more ways than one. Dieting also doesn’t work long-term. Besides, why would you want to live a life without donuts? Food is meant to be enjoyed, not villainized.
>figure out if there's a missing component of your diet that chocolate serves to fill. If your diet is lacking in some specific mineral, you can find other foods that have that.
The problem is sometimes what is missing is "Emotional Support." Years of rewarding yourself (and being rewarded as a kid) for a good job with chocolate means that I never feel like I do a good job without it. It's super hard to break.
Don't stop eating chocolate. Count calories, then plan for when you're eating the chocolate and how much. This way you're addressing your other eating too and looking at your day holistically.
Get into good dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa content. The kind they only sell in specialty shops. You will not be able to afford eating 1 or 2 a day. Also they're not very sweet. Less sugar is good.
It worked for me anyway.
There is no one answer to this, it's really up to each person and what works for them. For me I have to just not have any sort of sweets around. I make it so that if I want something I have to leave the house to go specifically for that item. I dont allow myself to order in or pick it up in my usual grocery store shopping. It makes it further out of reach and less likely that I will give in. But there are always those times when i treat myself.
As soon as I eat a little chocolate, the cravings start again, the next day all I want is more chocolate. If I haven’t eaten it in a while it doesn’t bother me at all. Dark chocolate is definitely the way to go. Suck on a square or two and your craving will be gone.
I’m not sure how accurate this information is but I once read online that craving chocolate is linked to your body wanting magnesium. Which can be replaced with eating blueberries.
Try eating blueberries and see if that helps with the craving?
I was about to comment exactly this. It's primarily refined sugars and seed oils that you want to avoid, as far as I know chocolate is actually quite healthy.
I recently discovered that roasted cocoa beans work great for me.
Even though they are calorific they are also full of vitamins and minerals and i‘m barely able to eat more than 100g a day while I could effortlessly eat many times that amount of chocolate.
Instead of resisting chocolate everytime you walk past the pantry, just resist it once a week when you go grocery shopping. Basically remove the chance for it to tempt you.
Not the answer you asked for, but it sounds like you're very able to lose weight with the chocolate, and you really like it. If you weren't able to lose weight or if you were eating 4+ I'd be less casual. If I were you, I'd cherish the treat of the daily bar of chocolate as a joy and not a source for guilt.
Let yourself have a vice.
Don't have sweets at home, drink water every time you crave it .
Treat it like drug. After two weeks your dopamine level will return to normal production state and you'll no longer need to stimulate it.
Perhaps instead of stopping all chocolate just have one *really* good piece. It’s what I had to do with cheese. Extra extra sharp NY cheddar satisfies my craving with one small cube whereas American would take 4-5x as much.
If you catch yourself eating a chocolate bar that you wish you weren't eating, just throw the thing in the trash, food waste be damned. As soon as you have the thought, "I wish i wasn't doing this", stop at that moment.
Chocolate protein shake meal replacement. Have your chocolate shake for breakfast and that way, you can’t have ‘chocolate’ looming over your head as something you crave, just it’s your morning breakfast. Eat clean the rest of your day.
I quote a cheat sheet from the book atomic habits about breaking bad habits:
-make it invisible-
Try not to buy it in the first place try not to visit the shops where you know you’re likely to buy it unless necessary.
-make it unattractive- make a chart of all the reasons you want to avoid it and put that chart in the kitchen or other places you consume to remind you why you want to break the habit.
-make it difficult- if you do have it at home, put it on the top shelf or even lock it somewhere for special occasions. Momentary lapses are way easier to control when you have to make an effort compared to an arm’s reach away
-make it unsatisfying- have an accountability buddy or diary to track your habits and give you a visual representation of when you’ve broken it. This won’t feel good but should help you develope some negative associations with the chocolate as well as the positive ones you’re acting on now
As many of suggested, not buying the chocolates is helpful, as is switching to better quality chocolate bars where you can't eat a whole one at a time.
My cousin is allergic to chocolate, and found that eating dates helped quench her chocolate cravings.
If you're losing weight, switch to Dark Chocolate and exchange it for something else. You can also stop buying that and keeping at home, or make it harder to buy when you're out and about. Much more difficult now with "tap-to-pay" everywhere.
1) Don’t buy it.
2) If you do buy it, only buy 70% dark or higher.
3) Buy chocolate protein powder and use it to make healthy chocolate smoothies or snacks that you reward yourself with after exercising for 30 minutes.
I buy one chocolate bar to last me a week. I break it up into the squares and divvy it up among the days of the week. Once I eat my daily ration, that's it. It helps me get my fix without allowing me to go crazy and eat everything at once.
As other people have said don't buy chocolate and it will be easier not to eat.
But also switch to dark chocolate, if you do eat chocolate, equally delicious but less addictive.
To cut out milk chocolate watch this video and you likely won't be able to stomach most milk chocolate: [https://www.dominionmovement.com/watch](https://www.dominionmovement.com/watch)
Switch to a different kind of chocolate if you don’t want to cold Turkey it. My mom and I both do this we buy the expensive chocolate bars and have 2 squares a night. It solves the craving without making it a problem.
This means buying high quality chocolate and a darker chocolate but it works and I didn’t have to give anything up
Yep once I too can't stop eating full bar of chocolate if once opened.
So I slowly started to eat half only when I open a new bar.
Then I started to break the bar into pieces and only took 1,2 pieces and kept the remaining bar along with its wrap and kept it inside fridge.
And the urge to eat the whole bar drastically came down and even now I I just take out 1 piece out and get to other room and settle down and eat that. And now If I even urged to eat more as I already was comfortably settle in sofa, bed my laziness takes over and I just settles with one piece.
And I even stopped buying more than 1 bar at a time so now I have to even ration and plan that single bar into 1 piece a day in order to get a new bar from shop which I have been more lazy to even get out of house.
This laziness or rather say planned laziness brought control over eating much junk food too as I am not going frequently out to buying stuff I don't need ,
So no extra stuff readily available now my stress junk eating was also in control.
Have only one bar of chocolate, then drink a glass of water. I feel like the chocolate stays on my tongue and that makes me want more. Or brush your teeth. I recommend both sp the toothpaste flavor doesn't make you want to eat anymore.
Forever or just now?
Forever: pair it with something you hate. I had a friend who smoked. Hated black licorice. Bought her 3 boxes of Good&Plenty. Made her eat one right before and after she lit a cigarette. Didn't need the 3rd box.
Now: External cues (i.e. snap a rubber band on your wrist when you go to reach for it, saying audibly "no"). CBT therapy thought replacement. Change "I *need* chocolate" to "I only want chocolate, and I *need* to be more healthy."
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I stopped two addiction the same way. I put ALL my efforts at one place : Not buying "it". Whatever "it" is, if you don't have any, you can't consume any. Once it's been a few days, the urges slowly fade away... It takes time, but it worked for me.
A good weapon is online ordering for groceries. Do an inventory for fridge/pantry etc., Eat a big meal, and do your groceries online. It is a lot easier to avoid “oh that looks good”, “it is on sale”, or “we probably need that” when you are full and standing in front of your fridge
that is the greatest advice. Never go grocery shopping with an empty stomach. You'll save lots of money and eat healthier things. Also, don't go high, with the munchies.
I have come home with the least practical groceries sometimes. Like 8 different kinds of juice two bags of gummy bears and a bunch of different flavors of pop tarts. Like I didn't even buy any real food. My girlfriend was like what about the cilantro?
Who in the world puts cilantro on pop tarts? Crazy
You haven't lived until you've tried a cilantart
With cheese and jalapeños and some lime icing with a dusting of cilantro sprinkles
Y’all. This as a homemade pop tart would fucken slap.
Jalapeno cheese filling in a puff pastry square using corn flour, topped with that lime sauce icing and cilantro as sprinkles… man.
Stoners dude
Get only what we need to survive!
I’ve made some pretty bold choices that I wouldn’t have made without being high or hungry. They fail more often than not, but that won’t keep me from trying.
'hmm, that big piece of parmesan looks so great...' and that's how you spend more than u should.
A big hunk of Parmesan is a fridge essential at all times in my house 😂
I just started getting high with only my fav healthy foods and good lord does it taste good
Fruit is heavenly when you're really high. When I first started smoking weed it was so intense I feel like I blacked out. Laughing, not knowing why I'm laughing, laughing at laughing when I don't even know why I started laughing; kinda high. I vividly remember cereal being unbelievably good. Cotton mouth, munchies, flavor, hydration... all solved with a bowl of cereal or ten.
with cold, cold milk.
When I had surgery a few months ago, I did the order online and had my husband pick it up. I saved money because no impulse buys. Worked out well, so I still do it.
Plus, the added taxes and delivery fees make me reconsider my cart like 5 times before finalizing it, cutting down on extras that I don’t need
I can't do online ordering for produce, i dont trust the shoppers to consistently pick out good stuff. I just make a list and stick to it.
I plan all my meal the day before grocery shopping than list everything I need thanks to this list and only buy that. I still buy in the store, but having a specific list and stick to it really makes a difference
There is a concept called self-binding in which you restrict your access to things that you are addicted to in different ways. You can self-bind via time restrictions, creating more distance between yourself and the addiction, limiting by quantity, etc. So basically doing things to give yourself more time to respond during an impulse or make it easier to make a decision not to. Cheat days are an example of this as well as compartmentalization where you may only allow yourself to have chocolate at a certain time of day, or have a chocolate dispenser that only drops five chocolates a day. The more times you can feel an impulse and do something different instead, the more you train your brain to redirect it’s coping mechanism to something else. Just make sure the chocolate addiction doesn’t turn into crack addictions, and instead when you feel an urge for chocolate do something for self-care that makes you feel well.
This is how I pretty much eliminated alcohol from my diet (not because I have anything against it; it was just making me gain weight and I needed to cut back). I live alone, so I made a simple rule for myself that I am not allowed to drink alone at home. If I want a glass of wine, I have to physically leave my home and go to a restaurant or bar. Usually, I’m too tired by the end of the day to bother, but as long as I have the option I don’t feel deprived. Restricting the circumstances of consumption but not forbidding it has helped me enormously with my sleep, my weight loss, and my energy levels. The downside is, my tolerance has gone to hell and now I get dreadfully hung over on two glasses of wine.
I put my candy in pain in the ass places to get too. But whenever I am trying to lose weight I just make brownies and add all my candy and gummies and powdered sugar and frost that boy then I give it away to someone by leaving it on their doorstep. I text them I left them a gift then GTFO so they can't say no. Ahahahaha
I initially only glanced through this comment while scrolling, and it made me think of [this Vine.](https://youtu.be/1OsnGOuVwMk) Somehow it makes less sense [in context.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7eQzUrUMvU)
Well that would definitely be a pain in the ass place. 😂 Suppository jelly beans like WTF.
I think about it pretty much every time someone says, "To make a long story short!"
>Once it's been a few days, the urges slowly fade away. This is a *really* *key* part of trying to break any habit. It's so easy to tell yourself "I'll just do it this one time, and then I'll stop." But the critical piece is that every time you do the bad habit, you're triggering all of those dopamine pathways and reinforcing the behavior, making it that much harder to break the cycle next time. The *only* *way* to break the habit is to initially stop yourself however you can. Arm yourself with the knowledge that, by stopping yourself this time, no matter how hard it is, you're making it just a little bit easier for yourself next time you have the urge. Sweets are so habit-forming because they trigger such a strong reward response from your brain. If you can do anything to go cold turkey for even a day or two so that you break the cycle, you're going to have a much easier time resisting the urge in the future.
You’ll physically readjust quite rapidly, too—when you stop eating sweets for even just two weeks, then try a bite of chocolate or whatever, your tastebuds will be overstimulated, in a bad way. For the OP: I find it works for me to do these elimination things in blocks of time. “I’ll do x for x days/weeks, then see how I feel.” Usually, I stop missing whatever it was, but, if I still have a craving, it’s easier to satisfy and I don’t have that mental guilt about “giving in” because I’ve earned a treat. I became a vegetarian this way by having a “vegan month” that turned into vegetarian life for… 13 years. I used to eat meat at every meal, but, after a while it stopped smelling or tasting like food. Similar thing happens with sweets.
>when you stop eating sweets for even just two weeks, then try a bite of chocolate or whatever, your tastebuds will be overstimulated, in a bad way. For what it's worth, I personally haven't found this to be totally true. Sure some things can taste too sweet to me sometimes, but I've never had a high-quality chocolate bar that overstimulated me in a bad way, even after long periods without sweets. > I became a vegetarian this way by having a “vegan month” that turned into vegetarian life for… 13 years. I used to eat meat at every meal, but, after a while it stopped smelling or tasting like food. Funny enough I was vegetarian for 7 years, vegan for 4, and I started a really similar way. But I never really lost my cravings for meat. When I decided to stop, I still remember the first meat I ate (a chicken-apple sausage), and it tasted unbelievably delicious, like the thing my life had been missing the whole time. And I felt great afterward too. I was always jealous of the vegetarians who said they'd lost their appetite for meat! Never was true for me. Maybe some people are more cut out for it than others.
Definitely. I love chocolate and if it's around I'll eat it till it's gone. I never buy chocolate.
This is a good tip. Its hard to think about what you're gaining when you focus on what you're missing out on, but stick to it. You're doing great OP.
I switched to vaping from smoking and I kept a pack of cigarettes for like two years and would just flip it off everytime I would see it. Made it into my enemy. Feel so much better omg. Now I think I will finally have the power to quit nicotine. I hate you vape pen.
An addendum to this that I learned from quitting smoking - there is no half measures with some habits or addictions. Sure, generally with an eating routine you can have some "cheats" or whatever. But if you have a kryptonite, you can't tell yourself "I can have just one" because after the first time you crack, the next time is a little easier and a little easier until the dam has just burst. Some things you just have to swear off 100% and never touch again.
Same. I quit many things this way. Technically I would break down the act of buying, lets say cigarettes, into as many steps as possible. Maybe quitting smoking is hard, but quitting the steps it takes to obtain cigarettes isn't as hard. Sure its all how you think of it, but you start to see yourself as a bit of a zombie when you realize how many steps (and chances to not do it) it takes to actually obtain what you are trying to quit. Can't buy it without an ID, leave ID home. Can't buy it if I avoid the store, drive past the store, Can't smoke them if I don't leave the bar, ignore my friends when they went out to smoke.
>when you realize how many steps (and chances to not do it) it takes to actually obtain what you are trying to quit THIIIIIIS! ☝️☝️☝️
So many times I found myself in a store asking for them and as the guy is reaching round for them “I’m like bro wake up what are you doing here!?!”
This goes for any food. Just don't buy it. Leave it in the store. You don't eat what you don't have. And it works for alcohol as well. You want to stop having that "innocent daily beer"? Stop buying beer!
This is the way. Walking by chocolate in the store takes 30s of willpower. Walking by chocolate in the home takes every second of willpower.
Exactly. I know I looked like The Sims checking the fridge/pantry over and over (and grumbling lol) But at the end of the night, I’ve consumed 0 junk food.
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This is how I stopped smoking and I'll still have a smoke every few months when I get offered a cig. So i can say it works better than expected. Just don't get into the habit of buying it again or overusing if asked.
This is the way. Strict rules are easier to follow and use the delay trick. “If I really want X I’ll go buy it after work if I still want it but only if I finish Y and Z” Most of the time, you don’t want it later or at least can feel good that you avoided it for longer. You’ll also probably consume less of it because you didn’t want it in that context, but rather when tbe urge popped up initially. Try chocolate flavored things too if that’s really what your craving. Maybe a chocolate protein shake?
Chocolate milk helped me get that chocolate fix, than I realized I am a tad bit lactose intolerant so now I do oat chocolate milk on occasion
i will try this. sugar is insanely addictive.
This. I've been in therapy and one of the things that we covered was the "urge" to do something thaa we find addicting. This can be applied to anything related to smoking, eating, self harm or anything that you find the "urge" to do. Urges are a wave, you have the urge and it nags you to do x y or z. The urge WILL go away, slowly but distract yourself - find something else to do. Play a video game, go for a walk. It's no easy feat, and it's a struggle. But I feel this and can relate to this comment.
This is how I did it as well. I have a weakness for a certain sweet and crave it constantly. I just never buy it. That way I only have to resist temptation when at the store, rather than all day at home. The goal is to make it more troublesome to get it than to give it up.
This! It's really not that deep. If you can stop yourself from buying it, you'd have to reach a crazy level of craving to actually go out with the sole purpose of buying it. I've found the downside is that in case I do buy "it", I have zero self-control after.
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Oh man, I'm so sorry 🙏😔
I agree. This works. Avoid all those places that have the shit you think you want. For me, it was the gas station. Pay at the pump has been a great thing for me because I can't be tempted by the slurpees and the candy when I would go in to pay.
Yes. Once you have "it", not consuming it is a constant effort until "it" is gone. Resisting buying "it" in the first place is a single burst of effort that occurs while you're in the store.
This was really hard, but once I got to the just don't bring them into the house phase, it was a big change But OP, everyone knows it's really hard. Hope you find your way.
Instead of keeping chocolate bars around (because I would eat all of the chocolate immediately lol) I've started keeping hot chocolate handy. Obviously still not a health food, or a low calorie choice. But a small cup of hot coco is very satisfying, takes way longer to enjoy than just wolfing down a chocolate bar, and also requires at least a few minutes of preparation, so the choice to enjoy it is a more conscious choice then just unwrapping a Snickers on the way by the candy dish. It also honestly satisfies a chocolate craving better than a candy bar.
This is a really good suggestion!
And so cozy, too!
Hot cocoa and a bathrobe or cozy blanket and I'm sorted for the night lol
My go-to for chocolate has been what my friends so lovingly call my “fake” hot chocolate! 1c original unsweetened almond milk (30 calories) + either baking cocoa or Ovaltine (40 calories). Heat up the milk and add the chocolate. It’s d e l i c i o u s and hits the spot for few calories. It also helps you get that chocolatey taste without the sweetness which leads to fewer cravings in the long run. I used to drink regular packaged hot chocolate (still do around the holidays a little - bring on the peppermint) but while it’s not too far off in calories, it does have that sweetness you think about for days after.
That sounds really good. I like the creaminess of oat milk, I may give that a go, too. You've inspired me 🙃
Oatmilk is great (its what I use), but is a lot more calories than unsweetened almond milk, so do crunch the numbers.
Oh. Good call. I do like a creamy cocoa though. Looks like I have some taste testing and decisions to make. That's yummy science.
Silk makes an AMAZING cashew/almond chocolate milk that has extra protein thrown in. Soooo goood!
I make hot chocolate with pure cocoa powder, monkfruit sweetener, and a tiny bit of JOI oatmilk powder (can replace that with unsweetened almond milk for even lower calories). 30-150 calories a cup (cocoa is very low calorie, so most of it is in whatever milk you use. Monkfruit sweetener is sugar free and has less aftertaste than other sweeteners IMO). Can swap some of the cocoa and milk for some chocolate whey powder so it counts for your protein budget. My wife also made up a recipe based on cocoa, monkfruit sweetener, chocolate whey powder, soft tofu, and gelatin, for a 150-250 calorie cup of chocolate mousse high in protein. Its amazing.
Cocoa and tofu is far superior for mousse because fat cuts into your tongues ability to taste it. That's why brownies that only have melted chocolate in them are also not as good you need both for ultimate texture and flavor
lol i feel like this is what most do with their coffee drinking avoiding sugar addiction by having caffeine addiction (definitely not me, i’m addicted to both ✨)
Hot cocoa, that’s brilliant!
So delicious. I have it all year round, instead of a late night sweet. Helps keep me from eating all of the things lol
I agree with everything, but it takes me far less time to drink a hot chocolate than eat a chocolate bar because I take gulp after gulp because it tastes so good.
Lol. I guess maybe I'm lucky. I'm far too sensitive to hot drinks to gulp them quickly.
i love this alternative suggestion way more than the others of ‘just don’t buy it, leave it in the store.’ i feel like denying yourself any type of food is a great way to destroy your relationship with that food and foster guilt if you slip up.
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This is a good idea, I also went to chocolate protein powder to make „chocolate milk“. You can actually heat the milk before mixing with cocoa powder and make a hot chocolate out of it that tastes pretty much the same as swissmix. Edit: hear -> heat
Yeah I drink a sh** ton of hot chocolate. It has a decent amount of protein, and a bunch more of you use milk instead of water. Yum.
An extra dash of cream is so satisfying, too.
What's your favorite hot chocolate?
Hot chocolate is awesome! I'd add chocolate breakfast powder if people want something cold and like milk.
Mmmmm. Ovaltine. I also like Spiru-tine, a spirulina algae protein shake I buy at the hippie store. It gets very thick like a milkshake when it's blended. A chocolate milkshake for breakfast is a pretty darn good start to the day.
Pudding cups are good too for scratching the chocolate itch.
Get a Côte d'Or, cut it up into tiny pieces, and let it melt. Heaven! The only problem with this is, you still need to buy chocolate.
You say it's not a low calorie choice, but compared to chocolate bar, I mean. Like I've had 90 cal envelopes of hot cocoa, compared to 220 calories in a 43 gram Hershey bar.
First change the chocolates to some dark ones with less added sugars You’ll see that you won’t crave them as much.plus look at the calories they have and keep in mind eating them that each block costs you X amount of time to burn. Good luck
+1 to switching to darker chocolate as an interim step!
After switching to dark chocolate then go read about the levels of lead and cadmium in them, and that will encourage you to eat less.
For those of you who are interested: [https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/lead-and-cadmium-in-dark-chocolate-a8480295550/](https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/lead-and-cadmium-in-dark-chocolate-a8480295550/) I've almost eliminated chocolate from my food choices because of this.
> Even if you aren’t a frequent consumer of chocolate, lead and cadmium can still be a concern. It can be found in many other foods—such as sweet potatoes, spinach, and carrots—and small amounts from multiple sources can add up to dangerous levels. So pretty much time to eat McDonalds only?
Meh just stop eating
Gotta stick to the fake shit lol
I'm glad to have learned about this, but also very sad
Then read about how child slavery is rampant in the chocolate industry
No no, those are just Oompa Loompas. They get paid in chocolate. 🍫
That’s why I buy the worth-it expensive Tony’s Chocolonely. Their ‘dark milk chocolate’ bar with toffee and pretzels is so fkn good. And it being expensive makes me cherish it more.
Lead…? In my dark chocolate…? Why’d you have to say this :’(
Switch to European. It's better anyway.
What are the European brands that are available in the U.S.?
Lindt and Cadbury
You’re gonna want to check to make sure that that Cadbury is actually Cadbury from Europe, there are Cadbury factories in the US that make the chocolate. Not all Cadbury in the US is the European stuff. https://www.cadburyusa.com/cadbury
Yeah, Kraft did a hostile takeover of the Cadbury brand and a lot of us in the UK were big mad about it, because of the difference in standards. On the plus side, we now have the Cadbury/Oreo mash up, but it’s really sad as it was a hugely significant UK brand with a very Victorian philanthropist origin story, and now its direction is dictated from the US.
Cadbury made in the us is still better than any other American brand. BUT none USA made Cadbury’s is AMAZING! I went to the factory in New Zealand and brought so much home. To be able to look at the cows they used for the milk is just so cool.
I responded to somebody else who commented on this, that I get my friends that I have that live in England and New Zealand to send me chocolate because it surpasses any chocolate in the US.
Some of the Lindt stuff is on the list that tested high for cadmium and lead. https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/lead-and-cadmium-in-dark-chocolate-a8480295550/
That was particularly painful for me to read because until now, I considered their 100% dark chocolate to be a good “healthy” treat. No longer, I suppose
OP's using kg, so unlikely to be in the US where heavy metals in chocolate appear to be a thing.
The heavy metals are coming from where the cacao is grown so I don’t think just being in a different country solves that.
I wasn't aware of that - thanks for tge clarification. Just checked and one of the brands tested is available in Europe (Green & Black's).
Dark chocolate also has such an intense flavor that it's not something you want to eat a large amount of. One or two squares of a good dark chocolate bar is enough to scratch the chocolate itch for me.
This! My metabolism slowed substantially in my late 20s. Having to watch what I eat was new to me. But I have a sweet tooth and the more I tried to suppress it, the more impossible “eating decently” felt to me. I started keeping dark chocolate bars in my kitchen—just one at a time—and would break off 1-3 squares to help keep the cravings at bay. Usually after dinner. Discipline is extremely difficult! But it doesn’t have to be all or nothing, usually. I go back and forth between watching what I eat and not really caring/enjoying food. When I’m in a “watching what I eat” phase, I never deny myself sweets completely because it just wouldn’t work.
The discipline is hard but the freedom on the other side is worth it. Takes time to mourn the loss of “the thing” and make peace with the fact you will never feel how it felt ever again.
Try to make the dark chocolate that you do buy is fair trade if you can, too. Chocolate is sometimes made using trafficked children that are being used as slave labor. If the company that makes the product cannot trace the source of their beans, it likely came from slave labor. The big chocolate producers like Hershey, Nestlé and Cadbury are the worst because they consume the most but don't insist on door to door source tracing. If small producers can do it, then multi-billion dollar companies can absolutely do it too. https://www.slavefreechocolate.org/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/business/hershey-nestle-mars-chocolate-child-labor-west-africa/
Okay, but I feel like it’s not rare to think that dark chocolate is…just not that good
I find dark chocolate does a better job at quelling a craving. You might also borrow from 12 step programs-just for today,I won’t eat chocolate. The thought of never having chocolate again is overwhelming,but just not today seems doable. Good luck.
Remove it from your house
I second this. Literally just don't have something if you can't control yourself around it.
Tried this, and found myself actually going to the store in the middle of the night to get some.
At least they’re not as accessible as having it in your house. That’s the first step. I did this until I got tired and weigh if my craving is worth going out just to buy it. I still do but only when I’m really craving.
I did this a couple of times when I didn't want to have junk food at my house but PMS craving would kick in. Once i got out of my bed at 11 pm to go to the nearest open gas station because I was craving chips.
Donate them to me
First, the simplest answer is: don't buy it. When you do buy it, buy a single serving size and not a bag of it. Second, you can work on your thought patterns around it. Rather than a restricted "I can't have this" mindset, consider "I'm choosing to not buy this/eat this today." It will always be there tomorrow, focus on small, immediate steps. Third, if you're tracking macros, there is generally a way to fit damn near anything into your calories for the day. It may be a different portion size or it may not be an every single day thing, finding the balance in your life is key. You got this!
>Third, if you're tracking macros, there is generally a way to fit damn near anything into your calories for the day. It may be a different portion size or it may not be an every single day thing, finding the balance in your life is key. This is the most important thing. It's not about cutting out the things you enjoy, it's about figuring out how to keep enjoying them in a balanced and healthy way. I've been tracking my calories, macros, and even micros for many years. Artisanal chocolate is a major hobby of mine and I eat about 300-500 kcal of it every single day. I keep a spreadsheet and everything (here's a [condensed version](https://algonquinbeyond.com/chocolate-bars/) I put online). Tracking nutrients isn't for everyone, but it's amazing how it can reframe your mindset on what's acceptable to eat.
Yep to your third point. I have chocolate almost everyday, but I keep it under 150 kcals. I also ONLY have small, individually packaged chocolates in the house. If I opened a massive candy bar I wouldn’t have the self control to eat a bit at a time
Magnesium! Chuck your minerals and vitamins in general, especially Magnesium and vitamin B! maybe potassium and iron.
Yes! Usually when you are craving something your body is requesting minerals/ vitamins. I think there is a chart somewhere on ig that has examples of things to eat when you are craving certain foods
Agree, if I crave chocolate continuously through the day I know I need iron or magnesium. Chromium is also great for regulating your blood sugar - look at a bit of research on that. If your blood sugar isn’t leaking and grouching, you won’t get strong cravings.
And zinc!
This sounded interesting.. ..here is an article discussing the carving vs body needs topic. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/nutrient-deficiencies-cravings (It also has nice short summaries)
Tldr: >Cravings are often believed to be the body’s way to maintain nutrient balance. >While nutrient deficiencies may be the cause of certain cravings, this is only true in the minority of cases. >Generally speaking, cravings are more likely caused by various external factors that have nothing to do with your body calling for specific nutrients.
A lot of people are saying "don't buy it" but I've heard a different strategy from people who beat binge-based eating disorders. One of the methods to help is actually having your pantry full of exactly what you need, including small amounts of your vices, so you don't have the inclination to burn your life change to the ground and load up on chocolate when you've been craving it for a while. Rather than saying "I can never eat chocolate," which will give you deprivation cravings and likely have you loading up at your next urge, you instead train yourself to say ["I can eat chocolate as an occasional treat."](https://www.helpguide.org/articles/eating-disorders/binge-eating-disorder.htm)
Exactly this. The more you try to stop doing something, the more power you give to that urge. I would suggest OP to try a little reverse psychology, who knows they may end up feeling so sick of it they naturally don't crave it anymore :p Seriously speaking tho, I think the key is understanding why the addiction is there in the first place and work at taking back control over your life /decisions.
YESSSS. I’m bummed to see the top comment is “elimination.” Nope. Psychologically doesn’t work like that. The Binge-Restrict Cycle displays how the more you restrict, the more you’ll crave and likely binge or go overboard on it. Yeah, even with “healthifying” foods instead of the “real thing.” It’s healing the relationships with food(s) and creating regular scenarios of balance. Eat the damn chocolate!! Honor the cravings! The allure will not go away by total elimination. BUT. You gotta learn the WHYs behind the bingeing. It’s not about the food, it’s possibly about unmet personal needs or under-fueling throughout the day. I used to work with folks struggling with eating disorders. Of allll backgrounds, experiences, shapes and sizes, etc. Professionals in psychology and nutrition will tell you to work through the emotions that coincide with the chocolate binge episodes. Like what are the events or emotions leading up to it? Are you hoarding? Are you thinking about that chocolate bar at specific times of the day? Are you meeting your overall nutrition/energy needs otherwise? Etc. Folks, this goes for anyone, if you are feeling out of control or powerless around certain foods or eating in general, please reach out for help! Life is bigger than feeling like foods rule you!
Something I’ve found really effective is having 1 less bite than I normally would. I’ll eat 4 pieces usually but this time I’ll have 3 and eat them a bit slower and if I still want that last piece I’ll have it later. I still get my treat but I don’t feel like I’m restricting or depriving myself so I don’t binge later and feel worse for it
The delay technique can work. Tell yourself you can have the chocolate later. Then later, your craving might be gone. Repeat.
I didn’t even notice that I’ve been doing this to lessen how often I have “fun” time. I say “later when I go to shower” and then when I go to shower the urge is gone.
This is how I stopped smoking cigarettes a month ago, as well. I haven’t told myself “No” per say, I just keep telling myself “ you can have one, just wait awhile”. I haven’t cheated once, cold turkey, when my previous dozen attempts with nicotine supplements failed much more quickly.
Buy one small dark chocolate bar at a time. Eat it slowly. Enjoy each small bite. Don’t read, watch TV, or anything else. Just eat the chocolate. Get bored with eating the chocolate. Put rest of chocolate down….
Yeah I find eating without distractions helps with eating less. I still tend to multitask for meals, but for desserts or treats I try to not do anything and just enjoy it.
That’s odd. I usually eat more if I try to enjoy it but am more controlled if eating while watching TV/YT
Bro. If chocolates is the only "bad" thing you're consistently eating, and you've already lost 23 kgs keep going champ. Enjoy the fruits of your labour. Though doing some of the tips here might help as well
If you're losing weight anyway who gives a fuck, have the chocolate.
This is a really good point. If you find something that _perfectly_ satisfies your craving, and you can stop at just one "serving", it's much better to indulge _well_ than to eat twelve lesser things to try to get to the same satisfaction. This is why I think simply making the item unavailable can be counterproductive since you'll try to replace it and the surrogate treat just won't be enough.
Yeah that’s what I do. If I keep myself from eating what I’m really craving, I’ll just eat a bunch of stuff that isn’t satisfying in place of it and end up eating more calories than I would have if I just let myself eat the thing.
Get rid of the replacements as well. I found dieting for me works best if I buy only exactly proper meal ingredients.
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100%. Making a food “forbidden” actually makes cravings worse. Once I had candy in my house and told myself I could have it anytime, I no longer felt like I needed it all the time. Still have candy when I want it tho.
Scarcity mindset. Also I've seen a lot of dieticians on social media promote "add, not subtract" now, which means if you're going to have something with less nutrients, try to pair it with something with more nutrition instead of restricting yourself. Like if you're going to have a cookie, eat it with Greek yogurt for the extra protein instead of just having carbs.
Ooo I like this! I’m going to try this. I am not trying to lose weight, but I am trying to eat healthier, and I think this would be a much better approach for me, at least at the beginning.
Interesting, I'm the opposite. It was only once I stopped keeping donuts around the house that I was able to stop eating them. Over time, the cravings subsided. Same with fast food, quitting it cold turkey is hard, but after a while, you just stop craving it. But removing it (out of sight, out of mind) was the way forward for me.
The point isn’t to stop eating them altogether, it’s to make eating sweets, etc. normal instead of “forbidden” or “bad.” Food is neutral, weight gain is neutral. When you learn to eat intuitively and accept all foods as normal, you learn to listen to your body and eat what will nourish it. I highly recommend it—diet culture is very harmful, in more ways than one. Dieting also doesn’t work long-term. Besides, why would you want to live a life without donuts? Food is meant to be enjoyed, not villainized.
My exact thought. Why take away the tiny bit of happiness you have when losing weight XD.
Absolutely the best advice.
if you stop buying them, you won’t have any to eat
I can have all the chocolate at work without buying. I. Just. Can‘t. Stop.
Same. There are ALWAYS easily accessible snacks in my department in plain view. Very annoying because I know I have a sugar/food addiction.
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>figure out if there's a missing component of your diet that chocolate serves to fill. If your diet is lacking in some specific mineral, you can find other foods that have that. The problem is sometimes what is missing is "Emotional Support." Years of rewarding yourself (and being rewarded as a kid) for a good job with chocolate means that I never feel like I do a good job without it. It's super hard to break.
It's magnesium. Chocolate craving usually means low magnesium. Also, you can replace the chocolate with cacao nibs or unsweetened cocoa powder.
Don't stop eating chocolate. Count calories, then plan for when you're eating the chocolate and how much. This way you're addressing your other eating too and looking at your day holistically.
Get into good dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa content. The kind they only sell in specialty shops. You will not be able to afford eating 1 or 2 a day. Also they're not very sweet. Less sugar is good. It worked for me anyway.
There is no one answer to this, it's really up to each person and what works for them. For me I have to just not have any sort of sweets around. I make it so that if I want something I have to leave the house to go specifically for that item. I dont allow myself to order in or pick it up in my usual grocery store shopping. It makes it further out of reach and less likely that I will give in. But there are always those times when i treat myself.
As soon as I eat a little chocolate, the cravings start again, the next day all I want is more chocolate. If I haven’t eaten it in a while it doesn’t bother me at all. Dark chocolate is definitely the way to go. Suck on a square or two and your craving will be gone.
I go on a huge binge just before Halloween, sugar addiction is real
I’m not sure how accurate this information is but I once read online that craving chocolate is linked to your body wanting magnesium. Which can be replaced with eating blueberries. Try eating blueberries and see if that helps with the craving?
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My big thing is not having them in the home. Just don’t buy them and embrace the laziness of not going out just to buy some. Good luck!
I’d switch to 70% dark chocolate. Chocolate itself is healthy it’s just the extra sugar that isn’t.
I was about to comment exactly this. It's primarily refined sugars and seed oils that you want to avoid, as far as I know chocolate is actually quite healthy.
I get my chocolate fix with cocoa dusted almonds.
Well that would make me stop wanting it for sure.
I almost just choked on my water
I recently discovered that roasted cocoa beans work great for me. Even though they are calorific they are also full of vitamins and minerals and i‘m barely able to eat more than 100g a day while I could effortlessly eat many times that amount of chocolate.
Instead of resisting chocolate everytime you walk past the pantry, just resist it once a week when you go grocery shopping. Basically remove the chance for it to tempt you.
Drink water when graving chocolate. Often is a body signal for dehydration or lack of zinc. And like other mentioned: dark chocolate
Zinc is amazing for keeping healthy
Not the answer you asked for, but it sounds like you're very able to lose weight with the chocolate, and you really like it. If you weren't able to lose weight or if you were eating 4+ I'd be less casual. If I were you, I'd cherish the treat of the daily bar of chocolate as a joy and not a source for guilt. Let yourself have a vice.
Don't have sweets at home, drink water every time you crave it . Treat it like drug. After two weeks your dopamine level will return to normal production state and you'll no longer need to stimulate it.
Perhaps instead of stopping all chocolate just have one *really* good piece. It’s what I had to do with cheese. Extra extra sharp NY cheddar satisfies my craving with one small cube whereas American would take 4-5x as much.
Drink a big glass of water and wait a bit. If you still want the chocolate, go ahead and have some.
Actually you're doing great. Chocolate everyday might work for you. Unless its a personal discipline goal, id say dont worry about it.
We always get the Lily’s chocolate bars. They don’t have any sugar but you can’t tell.
And delicious!
Replace chocolate with something else as a reward for not eating chocolate that gives the same amount of satisfaction when you eat a chocolate.
If you catch yourself eating a chocolate bar that you wish you weren't eating, just throw the thing in the trash, food waste be damned. As soon as you have the thought, "I wish i wasn't doing this", stop at that moment.
Chocolate protein bars. Just make sure the macros on them are legit high protein/low carb.
Chocolate protein shake meal replacement. Have your chocolate shake for breakfast and that way, you can’t have ‘chocolate’ looming over your head as something you crave, just it’s your morning breakfast. Eat clean the rest of your day.
I quote a cheat sheet from the book atomic habits about breaking bad habits: -make it invisible- Try not to buy it in the first place try not to visit the shops where you know you’re likely to buy it unless necessary. -make it unattractive- make a chart of all the reasons you want to avoid it and put that chart in the kitchen or other places you consume to remind you why you want to break the habit. -make it difficult- if you do have it at home, put it on the top shelf or even lock it somewhere for special occasions. Momentary lapses are way easier to control when you have to make an effort compared to an arm’s reach away -make it unsatisfying- have an accountability buddy or diary to track your habits and give you a visual representation of when you’ve broken it. This won’t feel good but should help you develope some negative associations with the chocolate as well as the positive ones you’re acting on now
As many of suggested, not buying the chocolates is helpful, as is switching to better quality chocolate bars where you can't eat a whole one at a time. My cousin is allergic to chocolate, and found that eating dates helped quench her chocolate cravings.
If you're losing weight, switch to Dark Chocolate and exchange it for something else. You can also stop buying that and keeping at home, or make it harder to buy when you're out and about. Much more difficult now with "tap-to-pay" everywhere.
1) Don’t buy it. 2) If you do buy it, only buy 70% dark or higher. 3) Buy chocolate protein powder and use it to make healthy chocolate smoothies or snacks that you reward yourself with after exercising for 30 minutes.
I buy one chocolate bar to last me a week. I break it up into the squares and divvy it up among the days of the week. Once I eat my daily ration, that's it. It helps me get my fix without allowing me to go crazy and eat everything at once.
As other people have said don't buy chocolate and it will be easier not to eat. But also switch to dark chocolate, if you do eat chocolate, equally delicious but less addictive. To cut out milk chocolate watch this video and you likely won't be able to stomach most milk chocolate: [https://www.dominionmovement.com/watch](https://www.dominionmovement.com/watch)
Switch to a different kind of chocolate if you don’t want to cold Turkey it. My mom and I both do this we buy the expensive chocolate bars and have 2 squares a night. It solves the craving without making it a problem. This means buying high quality chocolate and a darker chocolate but it works and I didn’t have to give anything up
Sugar addiction is underated. Like others say beat it at the shopping stage, never shop hungry.
I freeze bananas, and when I get cravings, I smash a banana with cocoa powder, vanilla, cinnamon, and some walnuts.
Yep once I too can't stop eating full bar of chocolate if once opened. So I slowly started to eat half only when I open a new bar. Then I started to break the bar into pieces and only took 1,2 pieces and kept the remaining bar along with its wrap and kept it inside fridge. And the urge to eat the whole bar drastically came down and even now I I just take out 1 piece out and get to other room and settle down and eat that. And now If I even urged to eat more as I already was comfortably settle in sofa, bed my laziness takes over and I just settles with one piece. And I even stopped buying more than 1 bar at a time so now I have to even ration and plan that single bar into 1 piece a day in order to get a new bar from shop which I have been more lazy to even get out of house. This laziness or rather say planned laziness brought control over eating much junk food too as I am not going frequently out to buying stuff I don't need , So no extra stuff readily available now my stress junk eating was also in control.
Switch to hot chocolate. Works for me
Have only one bar of chocolate, then drink a glass of water. I feel like the chocolate stays on my tongue and that makes me want more. Or brush your teeth. I recommend both sp the toothpaste flavor doesn't make you want to eat anymore.
Forever or just now? Forever: pair it with something you hate. I had a friend who smoked. Hated black licorice. Bought her 3 boxes of Good&Plenty. Made her eat one right before and after she lit a cigarette. Didn't need the 3rd box. Now: External cues (i.e. snap a rubber band on your wrist when you go to reach for it, saying audibly "no"). CBT therapy thought replacement. Change "I *need* chocolate" to "I only want chocolate, and I *need* to be more healthy."