Chocolate

I read an article the other day and I've been thinking about ever since. It was a study about chocolate and dieting.  First of all we all know dark chocolate is better than the others.  For those who participated in it, those who ate one ounce of  dark chocolate at breakfast time was more opt not to cheat and  have cravings through out the day.  There for not only helping reduce weight loss, but be  able to stick on the diet longer (the study showed this also).

I'm thinking about giving this a shot.  I am a chocoholic, and would love to not be able to crave it during the day.  Think that's why I love protein drinks so much! :)  Anyone ever try this before?  I'm just worried it will set me off to wanting to eat more of it! 

I know a few of you use to eat small portions every day.  Ever try it in the morning with your breakfast and only eat dark chocolate?   

 

Honestly, I wouldn't even try it because I have NO portion control with sweets.  I would not be able to eat a small amount of chocolate and say buh-bye to it for the rest of the day.  No way.  I'm just not strong enough.

I personally think any food that's a "trigger" food for me is not a good one to have in the house.  Right now I have some Hershey bars in the freezer (for when the grandkids come over, we have a campfire and S'mores).  They really called my name yesterday, so I went and threw them underneath the frozen salmon so I couldn't see them everytime I opened the freezer.  Finally needed to get out of the house in the afternoon cause I was craving candy (not hungry, had all my protein and water).  Went to my daughter's house and about an hour after the kids came home from school they dragged out their Halloween candy and offered me some....had to leave and come home again!

Right now I know I won't give in cause I'm just into day 3 on my plan and determined and motivated.  In a couple of weeks I can have some candy two days a week on my "carb up" days, but I would like to avoid it cause it has always led to cravings in the past.

You can always give it a try....but I know it wouldn't work for me.  Those trigger foods that I will allow myself (in small quantities) once in a while have to be had out of the house.  I couldn't have a bag of mini Three Musketeers in the freezer....EVER!  The grandkids are gonna get fed chocolate bars when they come again...should have taken them over there yesterday except my daughter would probably have killed me...they've got too much candy right now anyway.

Let us know how it works if you give it a try, Holly.  It might work if you get all of the sugar and cravings out of your system first for a week or so and then have just once piece in the morning.  That dark chocolate isn't as sweet anyways.  Good Luck!!

Hi Holly:
I read the same article and found it very interesting.  Several years ago when I was losing my weight, I would have one small piece of Dove dark chocolate every day although I didn't eat it for breakfast.  I'd keep them in my desk at work and eat it at some point during the day.  Chocolate was a trigger food for me in the past so I don't know how I was able to eat just one but that's what I did and I didn't crave more chocolate or sweets.
Kim

I usually have a small treat every day when I'm trying to eat better (as opposed to a day full of nothing but treats when I'm no****ching what I eat).  I have to, because if I tell myself anything is completely off-limits, I will obsess over it and feel miserable and deprived.  However, I can't keep any chocolate, baked goods, chips, granola bars, protein bars, or cereal in my home because I have no self-control.  So, I keep it all at work.  At work, I can stick to having just a small serving or a little piece of chocolate or whatever and then manage to forget about it.  But at home?  No way.  No package of anything, no matter how large, will last more than a few hours.  I've eaten entire large boxes of cereal in the middle of the night, half asleep in bed, using my hands (I wake up in the morning to find I've inadvertently breaded myself over night!). 

If you want to try eating chocolate in the morning, how about Cascadian Farm Organic Dark Chocolate and Almond Granola?  I've never had it but it sounds delicious. 

Yea, it is an iffy one.  I'm usually one that doesn't have self control.  But I'm to the point in my life where I'm trying everything under the sun and moon.  I have nothing to lose at this point.  I think since it's dark chocolate, that might be the life savor right there.  I don't think I could eat that much dark chocolate!  I ate one piece of the kids chocolate today from their trick or treating candy.  I found out it was a .3 oz size, so it would be like three of those tiny little things for around 150 calories!  That part I must say is really disturbing me.  

That is one thing I've been doing a lot this past year, is when I want something really bad...look at the calories real fast.  OMG it works!ha  Sometimes my kids or husband yells at me..."DON'T LOOK"!.hehe  They know I won't eat it after I see what it consists of and  how many calories it has.