Help needed

[Dave1961]

THIS is my nemesis - this innocent fun looking chocolate is evil I tell you - EVIL!

I promise I not a serial poster - just figured while I was here with you lovely folk I should ask!

At the moment I start work at 9 and finish at 9. Long day but I get paid for it so no biggie.

On my way home I drive straight past Woolies (think Tesco in the UK) - I am tired and it has easy quick parking next to the entrance and that EVIL chocolate is within steps of the front door. It's so embarrassing its not even a blokey looking chocolate LOL

I was never really a chocoholic but being tired as I drive home and having a sweet tooth its just SO hard not to pull in. I am clearly a food addict because my EAT IT! bit of my brain goes into overdrive.

There is no other way to go to avoid the place and no matter what my resolve is it seems to just crumble the closer I get to the supermarket. Grrr it drives me insane - I feel so powerless.

BUT I have just downloaded a weight loss podcast which I plan to listen to on the way home to distract me and hopefully get me through the worst of the cravings.

Any other ideas or techniques I could try to distract myself and bolster my willpower as that delicious chocolate calls me?

[Candystripe]

OK Dave so go with it. You really don't have to deny yourself. Break it into squares and at 10pm have ONE square only. The next day at 10pm have another square and so forth and so on. I have set you this challenge for the week but however, as a man, doubt you can do it which mean women reign supreme and you have to look for another remedy to battle against the demon nemesis!!!!

[Dave1961 25kg in reply to Candystripe]

How did you get from suggesting I sit in front of that chocolate and eat one square a day (oh please!) to throwing your superior femaleness in my face?

I like you - thats MY kinda sneaky

[Candystripe in reply to Dave1961]

Ex naval nurse.....they can be right feisty cows lol!

I kinda get the feeling that you might just meet me halfway on this challenge. Am I right????

[Dave1961 25kg in reply to Candystripe]

Well I managed to control the impulse and cruise straight past the shop. As it turns out its sort of hard to think about downing 300 gms of chocolate when you have someone podcasting in your ear about the best exercise routine for burning fat not muscle - I hardly batted an eyelid.

Clealry linked to my male superiority I would think

[Candystripe in reply to Dave1961]

Show off lol! Well done I'm VERY impressed.

[K1972]

Hmm... My tactic...

To focus on what my body 'needs' then I tend to look at the advertising, the colour, the traps... That helps me build up a little bit of contempt for manufacturers...

I would remind myself of what it is to be a beautiful human being. How precious my heart is, my desire to look after what I have whilst I have it...

All sound holier than thou?

It actually works 90% of the time, with the exception of days like yesterday where I walked in the door to a straight out of the oven warm chocolate cake...

Needless to say I was awake at 2am with the sweats and acidic tummy and cycled 22km This morning, just to deliver the last bits to a friend so that I no longer have it in the house!

So that is another key thing. Just don't buy the stuff or allow it in the house for now.

Easier said than done.

So I buy the strongest darkest chocolate which I always have available. Took a while for my taste buds to adjust but the cocoa hit works a treat at a fraction of the calorie and no rubbish. I also keep a very natural peanut butter that you may be able to get, Meridian Peanut butter... Peanut butter is one of my many vices. So I will have a teaspoonful if I feel the need. It works. I feel sated.

Keep a food/mood diary too. Write it out when you are struggling or just hacked off. I have pages and pages ranting about how I hated the feel of the rolls of back fat when I walked... I would re read it when I was close to eating a packet of biscuits or loaf of toast.

You can do this thing! It isn't a straight road but you are the navigator

Ok. I am editing because sometimes I don't have just a teaspoon of peanut butter. I might have a couple of big spoons! But I add the calories to my total and I accept that my body actually needed the fat and protein offered by the food.

I think my main thing is keeping foods as unprocessed as possible.

[Dave1961 25kg in reply to K1972]

Well that must be the first trip home in a LONG time where I didn't even consider stopping at the shop!

I like the idea of a diary and I am definitely a peanut butter person - natural, no sugar, no salt just nuts. Oats, PB and a splodge of honey is a favorite breakfast for me.

Actually the podcast reminded me of something quite simple but true. Forget losing weight and focus on being healthy. Focus on what a healthy person would do - fake it till you make it I guess is the suggestion there

[andrewleeone]

Hi Dave, You've got Craving! Craving comes in a wave. It starts low and then gets higher and higher and higher, then it peaks and goes down. Honest it goes down.

Have a read of 'The Chimp Paradox' by Prof Steve Peters. Its a fascinating read and it explains the parts of the brain which work at an emotional level - the bits that demand sweet sugary unhealthy stuff, even alcohol. The thoughts and feelings we have are really powerful, but they are just thoughts and feelings but they are not us. We are much more! When we are tired our brain works in a different way - the emotional part is much more dominant and might need a little help to get past the store! Its your inner Chimp feeling needy! Its demanding a banana!

When the craving hijacks you just take a moment to notice you've been hijacked, then get on with whatever you want to do.

The store is a pusher - they need you to give them your hard earned dosh. They only care that you live long enough to keep them going! Sweets are just the entry drug! Harder more dangerous and addictive stuff lies beyond! The packaging is there for a reason- it gets attention - your being manipulated!!

How about having a dink and a healthy snack - say a banana in the car for the drive home? Look after your Chimp and your Chimp will look after you!

[Dave1961 25kg in reply to andrewleeone]

Thanks that gave me a laugh

And yes it's my inner chimp or perhaps the way it yells it could also be my inner 4 year old child tantrumming and whaling as he lies on the floor kicking his legs and crying crocodile tears

Its odd this has only developed in the last couple of years...the feeling of being utterly addicted. I've ditched alcohol and now cigarettes so I suspect that I am desperately clinging on to the last thing I can hide behind and use as a crutch.

Once my subconscious realises that one is gone as well who knows what might happen!

Oh and i will definitely get a copy of that book - sounds like it could be just what I am looking for!

D

[alex7ra]

Swap the Cadbury's for really dark chocolate. You find the cravings go away and your tastebuds adjust eventually. It's also much harder to eat a whole bar of dark chocolate than a whole bar of cadburys. The thought of cadburys doesn't appeal at all to me anymore but I used to be serious addict.