Creating Health and Happiness

Addicted to Chocolate

My name is Sabrina and I’m a chocolate addict. A very serious chocolate addict, in fact I guess the correct term would be a chocoholic.  My current chocolate obsession (drug of choice) is plain M&M’s. (I used to love the BIG Hershey Chocolate Bar with Almonds but had to give them up after moving to Vegas because they melt to fast.) I’ve also gone through phases with Peanut M&M’s but lately they cause so much bloating and heartburn I gave them up.

I don’t drink alcohol but I have a serious chocolate addiction. I can go through a Medium or Large bag within a day or two easy. I can tell you who has the cheapest and best prices for M&Ms. I buy them from different places to avoid the embarrissment of the frequency and amount that I buy. I find myself getting anxious on Friday, because I need to make sure I’ve got enough of a supply to get me through the weekend. Lately I’ve found myself buying M&M’s in the 42oz size bag, clearly signalling that I’m going through more, faster while doing nothing to improve the state of my health.

Day 1 – First Step – Remove all Chocolate from the house.

I woke up this morning feeling hung over (I don’t drink) but I had eaten a half gallon of rocky road ice cream last night and as many M&M’s as I could before I went to sleep.  If you struggle with addiction of any type, you know how it is, one last binge before a fresh new start.

Thankfully today was trash day so I cleaned out the chocolate syrup bottles, empty ice cream cartons and M&M wrappers from my fridge put them in the trash and took them out to the curb just as the trash truck pulled up – what timing!

Lately M&M’s have been my drug (chocolate fix) of choice.

I know I will be surrounded and tempted by chocolate every day but just getting all things chocolate out of my house makes it easier for me and reaffirms my committment to not eat it.

I still had some M&M’s left but I put them in a container and took them to work where I but them in the lunch room for anyone who wanted them to help themselves.

I didn’t get much sleep last night and without my normal gargantuan dose of sugar I was really dragging today, and a little bit off kilter too.

My Usual Daily Diet

Breakfast – Is a can of Dr. Pepper, some Mini Shredded Wheat (Almond flavor) dry and then M&M’s for the rest of the morning and afternoon. I am constantly eating throughout the day, hand to mouth all day long.

Lunch – I rarely eat lunch, usually just continue on with the M&M’s or come home (only work in the mornings) and have a couple of bowls of vanilla ice cream SMOTHERED in chocolate syrup covered in chopped almonds.

Dinner – I usually have a good healthy dinner, only because I live near my sister and she cooks every night for her family (the only time of the day I get any type of nutritional food).

Why I Eat Chocolate?

Good question, I think there are more than one answer to this one.  First I think it numbs my feelings that I don’t want to deal with and keep stuffing down. I eat when I’m stressed, bored and tired, out of habit, give me something to do and gives my mouth something to do.  I seem to really like a chocolate and nut combination (candy bar or ice cream).  I’ve come to believe that I cannot make it through 4 hours of work without a supply of M&M’s not to mention the rest of the day and evening.

Today’s Diet

With all chocolate cleared from the house and new goals set I started today off eating better.  Started off my day with my can of Dr. Pepper and my cereal, but took some carrot sticks to work to munch on.  I actually made myself lunch and dinner which was a salad with lettuce and cooked chicken, more carrot sticks and after dinner made some popcorn. (As I’ve struggled with eating over the years I used to joke – but it was the truth that a hot meal for me was a bag of microwave popcorn.)

Have Given Up Chocolate Before

I’ve given up or cut chocolate out of my life before.  Usually my start day is January 1st (so I can binge all through December).  It seems that once I make up my mind to give up or not eat chocolate  it’s easier to keep the streak going.  This is where the addict part rings true for me.  I can’t just say, I’ll eat this one little piece of chocolate cake (or whatever it may be) because once I start eating chocolate I can’t stop and I find myself spiraling down into depression and poor health again.

So here is to the 1st day of no chocolate and to being accountable to you and me for my health and happiness.

Blessings for all of us,

Sabrina