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Chocolate Free Since Aug. 23*

August 23, 2009 / 32 Comments

…of 2008.

That’s right lovelies–today I have been Chocolate-Free for an entire year. I’ll pause for a minute to let that sink in.

*pause*

Annnnnnd I’m back. haha! A year ago I decided that I needed to change my diet as I was running 3 – 5km every day but still wasn’t losing any weight. At the time Spart had also decided to forgo chocolate, so I decided to do it with her, thinking it might help.

…the first week I stopped eating it I lost 3lbs. *hangs head in shame*

I’m not sure how much I was eating back then, but it was a lot. I was full-on chocoholic that needed rehab.

I decided to go cold-turkey instead. No more chocolate cake. No more chocolate chip cookies. no more brownies. *sob* No more chocolate cheesecake. Nothing.

I woke up one day, decided enough was enough, and have not tasted chocolate in it’s solid form in a year. I say “solid” as I have had a few hot chocolates over the course of the year. When you don’t drink coffee or tea your list of hot drinks becomes rather limited on cold days (we get a few of those up here in Canada) and many Tim Horton’s still don’t carry Hot Apple Cider. But I was never addicted to hot chocolate so it didn’t make me miss it at all.

The first day was agony. The first week was difficult. The second week was challenging, but by the third week I was okay. And now, 12 months later, I don’t crave it at all. Sure, I love the smell of something chocolate baking in the oven, but that “I’m going to die if I don’t taste that” feeling is gone now. I like that.

So for weeks as this anniversary was approaching I was faced with what to do next. My original goal was to see if I could last a year, and, to my own surprise, I actually made it. haha! So what now? For a while I wasn’t sure if I wanted to eat it again… could I better control how much I was eating?

I think so, or at least I want to try. I’ve decided that I am going to start eating it again, but with a few personal guidelines attached:

1. I can only eat it on days I go to the gym.
The Hubs and I recently joined a gym together and he’s been helping whip my body into shape. I don’t want to wreck it with poor eating habits, so on days that I work out, I can have chocolate.

2. No chocolate bars.
I used to be terrible for grabbing a chocolate bar on my way out of a store to eat on the way home. I’ve completely stopped this habit, and I don’t miss it. If I’m going to eat chocolate, it’s going to be GOOD chocolate. Like my mom’s turtle cake. (oh my gosh SO GOOD)

3. Eat in moderation.
I’m pretty sure that no one really needs to eat 3 large brownies after a meal. One will do for me.

4. Watch the scale.
If I begin gaining weight, it’s gone again. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that I don’t need it.

…it’s just dang good.

So those are my new “chocolate rules”, and I’ll keep you posted. I’ve decided to wait until September 1st to taste it again, and now comes the fun part–deciding what my first taste of chocolate should be!!!!

Any suggestions?? ;)

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32 Comments

  • Fionna

    August 24, 2009 at 12:35 am

    I suggest a piece of plain, really good, melt in your mouth, Belgian or Swiss chocolate. It has to be good quality though.

  • Becca Christensen

    August 24, 2009 at 1:44 am

    Wow, I'm impressed. I gave up diet coke once for aw hile and then started drinking it again. That was more to prove to myself (and my then-roommate) that I could. She gave me a prize for making it a month.

    I was thinking after writing my recent blog entry about shopping that you can I would be the perfect accessory personal shoppers. With your shoe experience and my handbag experience, we'd be a dynamic duo. : ] Let's go into business.

  • laurenjade

    August 24, 2009 at 1:48 am

    The irony is I was munching on some dark chocolate as I read your post. I would stick to a few delicious pieces of dark chocolate everyday, try dove bliss dark chocolate which is less bitter than a 70% or more bar. like chocolove bars. (they have love poems inside…so cute) anyways, the dove is great cuz they're pre wrapped so portioning is super easy. throw 2-3 in ur purse for when that craving strikes…and savor them. I suck on them for as long as I can bcuz if you chew dark it's just grainy…ITs also the best for belly fat because it has MUFA's monounsaturated fatty acids which are excellent for fighting belly fat. whew…lots to take it… anyways congrats on cutting back, but DARK (REad: NOT milk chocolate) is excellent for you, full of antioxidants as well.

  • Angela

    August 24, 2009 at 2:15 am

    I am so impressed that you gave up chocolate for an entire year!
    I would like to try this….except there are times when I get this if I don't chocolate now, I may just die moods. I need to work around that, haha!

  • Camile

    August 24, 2009 at 2:28 am

    Wow! Can't believe you gave it up for a whole year! I have found through research that most nutritionists agree that giving yourself one treat a day that is between 100-150 calories is actually good for you. It boosts your morale and you don't feel like you are depriving yourself. I have 2-3 skinny cow ice cream sandwiches per week. They are so yummy and 140 calories :)

  • Faith

    August 24, 2009 at 2:34 am

    I used to feel that way about dill pickle chips.. Humpty Dumpty brand, to be exact. When I realized just how many of them I was eating, I forced myself to give them up, and actually went over a year without touching them. Enjoy the rediscovery!

  • Ashley

    August 24, 2009 at 2:54 am

    I am in awe! I really need to get more will power. Currently I avoid buying junk food because I will eat it if it's in the house. (This sucks for Colin… not that he needs it but he won't eat a lot of it anyways.) Congratulations. I agree with eating some of your mom's turtle cake for your return into sin.

  • Helen

    August 24, 2009 at 8:42 am

    Wow, that's really impressive! I've never been much of a chocoholic, but I've got a major sweet-tooth so I've eben considering cutting out all the lovely sugary things I have way too often…

    I think now that you've broken the habit maybe a little bit is fine as long as you watch how much.
    Plus you might find you don't even enjoy it that much anymore!

    And what on earth is turtle cake?

  • kylaroma

    August 24, 2009 at 1:24 pm

    Awesome willpower lady, that's fantastic! One of my friends has started seeing a trainer recently and the rule he gave her was 65% cocoa is fine in moderation, but no milk chocolate- maybe that could be a good intermediate step?

  • Shop Girl*

    August 25, 2009 at 12:27 am

    Why thank you, m'dear! I think I will have to try this whole dark chocolate thing… I was never a fan before, but I have heard that dark chocolate is actually quite good for you!! (in moderation, of course. haha)

  • Erin

    August 25, 2009 at 1:01 am

    I am so impressed that you gave up chocolate! My best suggestion is to go the mini route. Little chocoates are so much better than the big bar. You just have to make sure you don't eat ten of them at once.

  • dategirl

    August 25, 2009 at 3:30 pm

    Those are some great chocolate rules! I have been doing something similar with sweets in general. I've got a weakness for ice cream, and my meal doesn't feel “complete” without something sweet after dinner. I've been doing portion control for dinner, and if I'm feeling too full, no dessert. Plus, I serve myself ice cream in a coffee mug, so I don't eat as much, but it feels like I'm eating a lot. :-) The little ways we trick ourselves.

  • Issa R

    August 28, 2009 at 1:04 am

    Wow! You're a pretty strong individual to have survived a year-long sabbatical from chocolate! I commend you! LOL. I think I'm gonna try this out… You're an inspiration! Thanks! :D