How to Stop Eating Chocolate
8 helpful tips from a chocoholic
I had someone ask me on Twitter how I managed to stop eating chocolate as a self-proclaimed chocoholic. Let me first state that I will never give up chocolate completely especially dark chocolate due to its health benefits. That said, I have experienced improvements in different areas of my life through completing sugar-free challenges in the short to medium term. To date, I have completed multiple sugar-free challenges ranging from 7 to 100 days.
My goal in these challenges is to remove all processed sugar from my diet which of course includes chocolate for a specific length of time. The challenges can be mentally and emotionally difficult, however, I’ve learnt a lot from my experiences. I, therefore, wanted to share my top 8 tips on how to stop eating chocolate for a period of time.
1/ Prepare Yourself
When you decide to stop eating chocolate for a period of time, it helps to prepare yourself for the challenge that you have chosen. That does not mean eating all the chocolate you currently have so that you don’t waste it. Rather, it’s about preparing yourself mentally as you develop a plan to deal with the chocolate temptation and cravings that you will face.
Know yourself and your tendencies too. Plan accordingly to set yourself up for success. Some people can go cold turkey when giving up chocolate, while others need to make small gradual changes. Think of it like going into the sea or a lake. Some people dive right in. Others dip their toes in and gradually work their way up until their whole body is wet. Determine which strategy will work better for you.
It’s important to note that gradual changes are generally easier to maintain over long periods.
Don’t be afraid to start small with your challenge, if it’s half a day without chocolate, that’s a beginning. However, make sure that you are not simply shuffling around the times when you eat chocolate. Remember, the goal is to decrease your chocolate intake to zero.
2/ Prepare Your Surroundings
Ensuring that chocolate is not easy or convenient to grab by not having any around can make it easier to stay committed to the challenge. Remove all the chocolate that you have at home (gift it others if you can) and start with a clean slate. “Out of sight, out of mind” has certainly been helpful for me as I created my personal sugar-free zones.
3/ Distract Yourself
This tip is important when experiencing chocolate cravings. It doesn’t help to think about all the chocolate that you cannot eat during your challenge. Distract yourself by taking the focus off the negative ie what you cannot eat or what you are giving up. Focus on the positives and what you GET to eat. I found that fruits became my go-to treat. I became really excited about the different types of fruits that I could have.
In addition, I found that trying new activities or channelling my energy and emotions in another direction was a great way to distract myself. Occupying my mind with another activity definitely shifted my focus, and pushed the craving to the back burner in my mind. It certainly wasn’t easy, especially in the beginning. However, that was where I benefitted from the sugar-free zones I had created at the start of the challenge as I did not have chocolate lying around as additional temptation.
4/ Discover Substitutes & New Recipes
This tip flows on from #3 as I distracted myself with substitutes. As I mentioned, I turned to fruits when I still wanted to enjoy a sweet treat. It is crucial to note that fruits still should be consumed in moderation. Even though they contain natural sugars, the sugar content can still be quite high if you eat a lot of fruits. Not all fruits are sweet so I made sure to mix more citrus and acidic fruits with the sweet ones for balance.
Tea was also a substitute for me as I had made it a habit to have a sweet treat after my dinner. Instead of trying to break the habit, I swapped and started to have tea after dinner which provided health benefits. The additional liquid also helped to make me feel full and less likely to look for something else to eat so this was a win/win.
Trying new recipes was a great strategy too. I was able to use ingredients and items I was already familiar with in new ways. It was a great way to add variety to my diet and keep the focus off what I wasn’t having. Also, I discovered some amazing desserts which use bananas or plantains as sweeteners so I still indulged my sweet tooth without the processed sugar.
5/ Know your Why
Understanding your real reason for giving up chocolate helps you to dig in when the going gets tough. When I tried my first sugar-free challenge, it was more about whether I could complete the full 28 days for the challenge. However, after the first 2–3 days, the rest of the first week became really tough as my body detoxed from the sugar.
It quickly became crucial that I found a reason that truly mattered to me on a personal level to help keep me committed. Maintaining good health through eating well and exercising makes it possible for me to pursue my goals in life. In addition, there are lots of benefits associated with exercise and healthy eating.
6/ Be Accountable
This tip is really helpful and definitely makes a difference when you have someone with whom you share how you are doing regularly. This could be a person who is participating in the challenge with you. Alternatively, it could be someone else who will support you, check in on you and most importantly call you out if you start to waver.
For my first sugar-free challenge, my best friend and I attempted it together. It was certainly a huge blessing to have someone who could relate to what I was experiencing and we were able to encourage and motivate each other.
I’m also part of a Facebook group where we share our fitness journeys and encourage each other online. Find a small community, whether in person or online, who will help encourage you along the way.
7/ Stay Motivated
With all the content available to us online and offline, staying motivated is easier than before. I’ve found that saving motivational fitness quotes as the background or lock screen on my phone serves as a visual reminder of my health goals.
Watching videos on Youtube on fitness and nutrition is another way to keep my goals top of mind and learn new information as well. It is inspiring to see and learn from others further along on their journey. One of my favourite channels is AthleanX as you’re guaranteed to learn something new. There are hundreds of channels and blogs out there to choose from which can help keep you motivated and moving forward on your journey. Find the one that works best for you based on your goals and personality.
Using a habit tracker app has been a great way for me to track my progress. As I gain momentum and watch my streak build, that becomes a motivator to not break the streak. Then with more days accumulated in my streak, mentally it became easier to keep going.
8/ Reward Yourself
Last but not least, celebrate and reward yourself for successfully completing your challenge. Find non-food ways to reward yourself. I’ve personally found this approach to be a bit easier mentally and emotionally. Also, you don’t have to wait until the end of the challenge to celebrate and enjoy some rewards. As you hit important milestones along the way, you can reward yourself with smaller rewards. Enjoy a mani/pedi or purchase an item on your wishlist, the possibilities are numerous based on your interests and personality.
Make sure that you pause and take time to celebrate your progress :D (that’s important) then KEEP GOING!
One final encouragement- Your tastes change when you undertake challenges like these and with momentum on your side, it really becomes easier as you progress in the challenge.
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