tara's chocolate challenge

tara747

I have a problem. It is made of vegetable fat and sugar and any number of other unhealthy ingredients. I cannot seem to stop wanting it, craving it, seeking it. Chocolate appears to be some sort of semi-addiction for me. I am currently reading everything I can to try to understand it and break the cycle.

I actually hate chocolate as it is making me fat. Correction - I am making myself fat by putting it into my mouth despite all the available evidence that I am gaining weight by eating it. So what do I want? The momentary thrill of eating a piece of chocolate or the longer lasting pleasure of being slim? I want to be slim!! So I need to forego the temporary gratification that chocolate gives me.

So I am going to keep this as a diary - how much chocolate I am buying and how much I am eating. I will also record how I feel - before, during and after. I hope that it will shame me into stopping and make me see how much money I could save (or spend on nicer things).

In the last week and a half I have purchased the following:

4x packets of Toffypops (£4) - [STRIKE]2.5[/STRIKE] 3 eaten
1x packet of Fox's Viennese biscuits (£1) - all eaten
3x 400g jars of Nutella (£3.89) - 2 eaten
1x box of five luxury chocolates (£2.99)
Total £11.88 (and about 1m cals)!!!!!!!!! :eek:

I am actually shocked at this, even though I knew what I was doing - adding it all up makes me feel ashamed. No wonder I can't lose weight!!! Who have I been kidding?

I don't mind if nobody reads this and you don't have to join in, I just thought it would help me (and maybe others) to see it all here in black and white. Anyway, I will update this thread (hopefully) daily with my progress and any slip-ups. If you want to join in you are very welcome.

Sorry for the ramble and thanks to anyone who has managed to get this far.

T

Members
smashee72
belfastgirl23
sweetserendipity
Amanita
newbeginning
Margaret52129
*Vikki*
buyitall
trudij
saverholic
ljaneyr

UPDATE 17 FEBRUARY 2011


Please see my latest post (#241), I am taking up the challenge again! Join me (pleeease). http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=41297630&postcount=241

smashee72

I ate 3 whole packets of jaffa cakes in one hour the other day.

I should be ashamed, but I havnt done it for years!........

belfastgirl23

Ooooh I am so with you I can't even begin to tell you. I ate a full packet of chocolate biscuits on Saturday on my own. A full packet. And felt sick afterwards. Bet you're wondering why you bought all that stuff as well? Yup me too. I also bought 6 slimfast choc bars (gave a couple to my friend though) and 2 bars of green and blacks plain chocolate - and have eate 1.5 of them.

I am with you!!

thevicster

Count me in!! Today I ate 2 flakes and a large Milka bar! I really need to stop!

Bronnie

Don't suppose this is really what you want to hear, but the only way I broke out of these self-destructive eating habits was to completely stop buying and eating certain things on a casual day-to-day basis.

After I lost a lot of weight 10 years ago, I realised as an "all or nothing" person, I just have to not have this stuff in the house and not buy it. I even stopped buying it to keep in the house for my kids, instead buying biscuits etc I didn't like and buying their choccie fix when we went out on a one by one basis.

I will never be satisfied with one chocolate a night from the box, one mini choc bar from a multi pack, one biscuit from the packet with my tea or (my other vice) one glass of wine when I open a bottle! It is much easier for me to NOT have these things on day to day basis and enjoy them in a more controlled way when eating out or as a planned treat for example.

I'm not particularly proud to be like this, but I do think it's part of your make-up. My gran and dad were both a bit like this. On the other hand my youngery DD still has her Easter chocolate lined up in her bedroom and picks away at a bit every now and again when the fancy takes her. (She's 5'9" and size 10!) If anyone gives me chocolates ( and most know not to now!!) I give them away immediately or take them into work for the boys to demolish.

Cutting out these sugar-rush foods is actually easier in some ways as the sugar cravings that cause us to keep topping up diminish and it is easier to stay in control.

Don't get me wrong, I could easily slip back, but I don't actually crave these foods now and I never go out and buy them for myself. The last chocolate I had was one that was left in my room on my last night of my holiday a week ago. The last biscuit was a little mini wrapped bite size one served with my coffee in a cafe last week.

Fitting into my clothes is my main motivation, money-saving doesn't really come into this particular equation for me.

Good luck tara and everyone else!!

smashee72

That is definately the answer ...stay strong whilst out shopping- ignore the sweetie/cake/biscuit aisle - I normally do this but at certain times of the month I think to myself "sod it" lol

glowgirl_2

How about trying the no sugar chocolate from Holland and Barratt, ok, its not great but it would do and as its on the expensive side about 70p for a small bar just one bar might be enough, I know how you feel, I've given up sugar totally in the past 2 weeks after reading a thread about skin tags on here that scared me but I really miss chocolate Its all or nothing with me too:oJaffa cakes didnt even touch the sides and I had a bad weakness for anything with chocolate and nuts, best of luck once your over the first week or so it does get easier:)

tara747

Thanks to all who have posted. You are more than welcome to join in, I could do with the company. I have eaten half a packet of Toffypops this morning, winder if I am subconsciously trying to 'get rid' of them. Hmm. Anyway, this cannot go on. I am going to treat myself to some exotic fruit or something healthy that I wouldn't normally buy, which will hopefully take away the chocolate craving.

belfastgirl23 wrote: »

Ooooh I am so with you I can't even begin to tell you. I ate a full packet of chocolate biscuits on Saturday on my own. A full packet. And felt sick afterwards. Bet you're wondering why you bought all that stuff as well? Yup me too. I also bought 6 slimfast choc bars (gave a couple to my friend though) and 2 bars of green and blacks plain chocolate - and have eate 1.5 of them.

I am with you!!

I take it this is the same G&B that's 2 for £3 in Tesco atm? I used to live abroad and chocolate was so hard to come by and expensive when I did find it. Cakes and pastries were more plentiful but, again, expensive. Result? I ate about one pastry a week (and boy did I enjoy it, it was like a mini work of art!) and NO chocolate. I might try to go back to that i.e. treat myself to one exquisite pastry per week and savour it, instead of eating lots of cheap chocolate junk.

thevicster wrote: »

Count me in!! Today I ate 2 flakes and a large Milka bar! I really need to stop!

If you want we can update our first posts with our chocolate tally. I'm going to anyway, I need to shame myself by writing down what I'm eating.

Bronnie wrote: »

Don't suppose this is really what you want to hear, but the only way I broke out of these self-destructive eating habits was to completely stop buying and eating certain things on a casual day-to-day basis.

After I lost a lot of weight 10 years ago, I realised as an "all or nothing" person, I just have to not have this stuff in the house and not buy it. I even stopped buying it to keep in the house for my kids, instead buying biscuits etc I didn't like and buying their choccie fix when we went out on a one by one basis.

I will never be satisfied with one chocolate a night from the box, one mini choc bar from a multi pack, one biscuit from the packet with my tea or (my other vice) one glass of wine when I open a bottle! It is much easier for me to NOT have these things on day to day basis and enjoy them in a more controlled way when eating out or as a planned treat for example.

I'm not particularly proud to be like this, but I do think it's part of your make-up. My gran and dad were both a bit like this. On the other hand my youngery DD still has her Easter chocolate lined up in her bedroom and picks away at a bit every now and again when the fancy takes her. (She's 5'9" and size 10!) If anyone gives me chocolates ( and most know not to now!!) I give them away immediately or take them into work for the boys to demolish.

Cutting out these sugar-rush foods is actually easier in some ways as the sugar cravings that cause us to keep topping up diminish and it is easier to stay in control.

Don't get me wrong, I could easily slip back, but I don't actually crave these foods now and I never go out and buy them for myself. The last chocolate I had was one that was left in my room on my last night of my holiday a week ago. The last biscuit was a little mini wrapped bite size one served with my coffee in a cafe last week.

Fitting into my clothes is my main motivation, money-saving doesn't really come into this particular equation for me.

Good luck tara and everyone else!!

Au contraire, Bronnie, this is exactly what I need to hear - the truth! You are so right - if I don't buy it, I can't eat it. Who am I kidding if I buy chocolate, of course it's going to be eaten! I think I'm the same as you - when I was slimmer, I too adopted an all-or-nothing approach to junk food and sweets. And I am going to have to go back to it. I want to fit into my clothes too, I just feel so yuk at the moment - but clearly not enough to do something about it! I really need some motivation. Thanks for your post, I will keep coming back to it. And well done on your discipline.

tara747

smashee72 wrote: »

That is definately the answer ...stay strong whilst out shopping- ignore the sweetie/cake/biscuit aisle - I normally do this but at certain times of the month I think to myself "sod it" lol

Good point. Tis better not to even see the evil stuff!!!

glowgirl wrote: »

How about trying the no sugar chocolate from Holland and Barratt, ok, its not great but it would do and as its on the expensive side about 70p for a small bar just one bar might be enough, I know how you feel, I've given up sugar totally in the past 2 weeks after reading a thread about skin tags on here that scared me but I really miss chocolate Its all or nothing with me too:oJaffa cakes didnt even touch the sides and I had a bad weakness for anything with chocolate and nuts, best of luck once your over the first week or so it does get easier:)

I might check that out glowgirl, but as I've said, cold turkey may be the only way to go.

What did you read about skin tags and have you found it difficult to give up sugar?

sweetserendipity

Good luck tara & everyone else, another closet chocoholic here

tara, have you thought about when you buy chocolate?? Is it as part of a big shop or do you nip to the shops just to buy chocolatey stuff?? As Bronnie said, you need to just stop buying it, although that can be easier said than done ...

I made the stupid mistake of going food shopping on an empty stomach today & came back with all sorts of carp Put it this way, my stomach is no longer empty & I do feel sick now!! :rotfl:

If you are trying to wean yourself off the chocolate but know you will end up struggling, why not have some minimum 70% cocoa choc in to nibble on, it's much better for you than milk choc & does taste really good when you get used to it. I bought some Prestat Choxi 70% dark chocolate from Tesco the other week & according to the blurb it's 'naturally rich in antioxidants' & the manufacturers suggest 'eating 10g a day of this extraordinary chocolate as part of a balanced diet'. I'm going to give it a try after I've eaten the giant bar of Aero I bought today!! :rotfl:

sweetserendipity

tara747 wrote: »

I take it this is the same G&B that's 2 for £3 in Tesco atm?

Even better in Co-op - currently £1 a bar!! :j