Help...I want Chocolate

[Guest_1055]

Hello everyone.....

Right at this moment the desire and craving to drive to Woolworths and buy chocolate is huge. But I don't want to give in. The reason I am writing this post is because I want victory in this area in my life. And I am hoping the strong cravings will cease, as I write here. And I want to know if anyone else struggles with this particular issue. Any advice would also be very welcomed.

I think a lot of people say chocolate is OK. But I tend to differ. For many years I have turned to it for comfort, a high or some other good feeling. But for me it is short lived. Even as I am writing this, I am visualising chocolate Easter bunnies in my head. As they are in the supermarkets now. Some people may think this is a funny situation. But for more it is not. It is a real hindrance in my life, and I want to be cut loose from the chains.

I normally eat a whole block in one go, that is a huge amount. About 200grams of the stuff. 

I am beginning to believe it is like someone turning to alcohol, drugs or whatever. Using this stuff to escape, hide or feel better, or something for a short time. I use chocolate as a coping mechanism., (so I think at the time of eating it)

 Consuming it every day also affects my emotional and mental health in a non beneficial way.  I also become more gloomy, foggy headed, irritable, angry, my heart beats faster, lethargic, headachy and fat. It is not a good use of our money either.

Anyway does anyone else have similar issues? I haven't had it for three days now. And my body is craving it big time.​

OK, thank you

Shelley xx

[Guest_5218]

Oh Shelley, I so agree.  I also crave chocolate.  It is very definitely a weakness of mine.  Along with IceCream.  Like you I can eat a full family block on my own in one sitting.  I feel guilty afterwards of course.  I find I use both chocolate and icecream as 'comfort food'.  So when I feel low, I over indulge.  Yes I guess you could say, it is a coping mechanism.

And I also recall many times here where you have your really bad headaches, it is usually as a result of too much chocolate.

I am not good at resisting the urge I'm afraid, so I usually just give in to it......  Not much help to you am I?

Sorry Shell.  But I do totally understand the cravings.    ( - :

Sherie xx

[ci]

Hi Shelly Anne 

I totally understand what you are saying the worse my depression and ocd got the more I craved chocolate ice cream anything sweet really! 3 months ago I cut out all sugar the cravings where awful also cut out tea and coffee. But so worth it after the first week the cravings slowed down still have cravings but only maybe one a week.

Feel so much better still have my bad days but they are more manageable I  was having panic attacks all the time only had few in the last 3 months. 

I found that a good way to ease the cravings was to eat some fruit and natural yogurt with a hot cup of water obviously you could have tea or coffee. The yogurt helps the cravings for something creamy and the fruit helps with the sugar. 

Good luck with the cravings hope that helps

[White_Rose]

Dear Shelley

I have to agree, eating chocolate is nice. I was quite unwell last year and decided I needed to help myself in a more positive way. So I thought I would make sure I had a healthy diet. To a large extent this was prompted by a friend of mine who decided to lose weight. It worked for her and I asked what she ate. I also took note of what I was eating and how different foods made me feel.

Chocolate and fresh bread were my downfall.  There were others but these were the main two. So I picked my friend's brains for meals ideas. Now I am not a cook. I can make edible meals but I am not a person who can throw things together and end up with delicious dishes. So I made some very simple choices about what to eat.

Instead of cereals for breakfast I make a smoothie.  Trim milk, one banana, strawberries and blueberries and an egg because I decided I needed some protein as well. And to my surprise I found that one smoothie lasted all morning. Wow!

Lunch is a salad. Now I am not a salad person. I dislike eating green leaves, tomatoes, celery etc. But my friend came to the rescue and showed me I could buy ready made salads that I enjoyed. Beetroot salad which is grated beetroot and a couple of other grated vegetables. And I really like them. I tip on a small can of salmon. And again it is enough to last until the evening meal. You can have tuna (which I also dislike), cold cooked chicken , ham or whatever takes your fancy.

The evening meal is the hardest. I have to cook for my grandson and he has the usual appetite of a 19yo. So I just eat the meat and vegetables. I know I have made it sound simple but it really works. I think that while I was recovering from the medication foul-up I went off sugar but the craving has not come back.  What I have found is that like any other addiction, the craving only lasts for so long. For me with chocolate or any sweet stuff the desperate stage lasts about a week and then a couple more weeks of less craving as it fades away. But be beware, one taste can put you right back to the beginning and like you Shelley, chocolate gives me headaches.

And the best part is, although I did not set out to lose weight I have in fact dropped a few kilos. So if you can get an eating routine and hold out on the chocolate front for a little while longer you will find you are winning the battle. Yes I understand about it being comfort food and I've certainly been there. What I have found is that I get my comfort from better eating. Woo-hoo!

Mary

[white knight]

Hi Shelley

Good topic. Like you chocolate is my weakness. Like White Rose, fresh bread- I can eat a whole loaf!!

Firstly, we are at an advantage because we live 15 minutes form the nearest shop. We cant be bothered driving there and back and risk hitting animals in the bushy surrounds.

So we buy two blocks of chocolate a week, sometimes just one. On the off nights, as I've had trouble sleeping, we have no coffee after 6pm and have one large hot chocolate drink or cold. Greek yogurt is a treat the nights we don't have chocolate. Or cherries, fresh or from a jar because cherries is the best thing to eat to avoid Gout.

My wife has also got me in a habit of just buying a small chocolate bar when we buy fuel rather than a block for an evenings pigout.

Add to that gym 3 times a week for 45 minutes and that started last July. I've lost 10 kg and my wife 6 kg. Mind you I also built a caravan over a 10 week period that helped.

Tony WK

[Gruffudd]

Shelley, 

Where you have chocolate I have deep fried food. 

I think the answer might be waiting it out and distracting yourself with something. Is there something you can do that feels good? I quite like a bubblebath. Sometimes I need to distract thoughts too, drawing and painting is rather good for that. On the weekend I went through my box of past things, in there I found a cross stitch a friend made me many years ago, then I went and found a frame and cut the board and made it all up, it looks rather good. Back from another 10 km walk just now, I wore the purple tshirt that is so soft and purple - that was my distraction. 

Rob. 

[Lost_Girl]

I am a chocoholic too. I can't get to the shop but hubby is an enabler. When I am sad he buys me chocolate....big blocks, sometimes a shopping bag full....and just last night a big tub of easter eggs (love easter egg choc). 

I thought I took the first step with my psychologist by confessing I eat choc when I am not coping.... he told me as long as it's just a little bit and it's dark choc it's good for depression. I have never been good with restraint.

Following your feed Shell as I need help with this too.

[blondguy]

Hey Shell

Lost Girls' therapist has nailed it....nothing wrong with it but stick to the dark choc...Its the only one with the health benefits that milk chocolate doesn't have.

Avoiding even entering the confectionery aisle is hard but better than walking down it...:-)

Chocolate....Yumm

Paul

[White_Rose]

Hey Shelley

Where are you? You haven't answered any of us. Can't keep us waiting in suspense because it might drive us to chocolate. How are you going? I hope you are holding on even though it's hard. The craving will pass. Have you tried any distraction activities?

Mary

[Guest_1055]

Ha Ha Mary...... I indeed hope you were not driven to the "chocolate".

And good on you for conquering this issue in your own life! Yeah....Yeah....Yeah for you.

I am quite good today. I did hold on for a little longer in regards to not venturing to the shop. But regretfully and I am scared to tell everyone ( hence I did not answer anyone) that I did buy a chocolate easter bunny.  And I scoffed the whole lot. The only positive I can see in that is I held off for much longer then most other times. Almost 4 whole days. But even though I gave in, I will pick myself up and try again....

Thankyou for all your hints about what you eat. I have heard of a similar eating lifestyle.  I think it is called "paleo".I understand about eating foods rich in protein to keep hunger at bay, or something like that. I also noted you said it takes about 1 week for the cravings to diminish a lot, then it becomes easier. And then like it is for you, you don't have the cravings at all. I will keep that it mind now.

I am starting again to withdraw myself from it. Hopefully I will succeed this time. As I now have a couple of ideas from you guys to help.

Oh I don't have much of a food routine happening like you. A lot of the time I skip meals, due to a shift worker at our place. So I will definitely take you up on that suggestion Mary. I already make smoothies. I put baby spinach in mine, and you can't even taste it. As for salads...... I try to eat them. I am not to keen on the greens myself, but find them easier to eat if they have a dressing on them. I do think I need to eat more regular like though. So thanks for reminding me of that.

Anyway thanks again for taking the time to reply to me. I truly appreciate it.

Do you like hugs? I will just put one here in case you do.

Shell xx