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Chocoholics Everywhere: There is hope!

Chocolate - How I broke the habit!

I learned 4 or 5 years ago that I was on my way to diabetes. That was a bit scary, as I lost both of my dad's parents when I was young to diabetes. One of our Christian Radio stations has a lot of health shows and they had a weekly seriers on diabetes. Doctors explained how people get diabetes, ways to prevent it, and ways to reverse it. By the way, this is information you don't usually hear from the medical industry, but there are some organizations that are helping people with diabetes reverse this disease.

This blog isn't about diabetes though, but I wanted to set the stage for how this big time chocoholic broke a lifelong habit. It's not that chocolate is dangerous, like cigarettes, but that I had a really bad habit. You would not believe how much chocolate I ate. It was so bad that when I visited my family for holidays, they would only set out a little bit of chocolate and hide the rest of it so they could have some. It didn't matter what form the chocolate came in, it could be candy, cakes, brownies, it didn't matter, I just couldn't resist, and I would keep eating until it was all gone.

I knew I needed to quit, but really didn't want to, nor did I know how to. I was hooked, and I was enjoying it...yet, I still knew I should quit.
But I really loved chocolate.

Then it happened, I learned a very simple technique for quiting a bad habit like chocolate. While listening to the diabetes program I mentioned earlier, one of the doctors talked about people like me who have habits like chocolate they want to break, and he shared the simple secret to breaking this habit. It is a simple little mind trick, and I quit eating chocolate that day and haven't touched it in years.

Ok...I have tried a couple of "healthy" versions of chocolate, without all the junk in it, with really good ingredients, but I still get that massive desire to eat it all at once, so that really doesn't work. Scratch that idea.

So what is the secret? Here is what the doctor said...

First, he talked about how people decide to quit a bad habit (and he used chocolate as his example, but mentioned that it could be soft drinks, or any number of other things), but they just seem to always fail in the long run. Then he asked this one all important question...

He asked if we wanted to keep on quitting chocolate over and over and over, or did we want to quit just one time? He elaborated on this point by saying that a person decides to quit chocolate, then goes to visit someone, or winds up in line at a grocery store, or it's the holidays, and you are faced with the temptation, and about 50% of the time you wind up giving in to the temptation. The problem is that the decision to quit really wasn't made in the first place. There was no real commitment.

The trick is to make the decision to quit. Make that decision one time, not be faced with making the decision every time you see chocolate...then, when you are faced with the temptation, you simply tell youself that you have already made that decision, you don't have to make it again. Wow...it really is that simple. Every time I see chocolate...(for instance, I love chocolate pie), and when we go to Golden Coral, I really want some, but when I am faced with that temptation, I remind myself that I have already made that decision, and walk away. I don't have to make that decision ever again. My family has been so shocked that this worked. I was too!

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Posted by Gregory Lohr on 10/18/2008 05:28 PM

Comments (30)

Health Diet and Lifestyle in the ActiveRain Channel

health, chocolate, diabetes, better health

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30 Comments on Chocoholics Everywhere: There is hope!

OCT

2008

Greg, these are some very good tips. As with quitting anything we have to have a mind set. Following through as you did is the key along with maintenance. Congratulations! Thanks, Keith

Good for you, I live in dread of a doctor's words: "no chocolate or ice cream"

Yeah, yeah.

I haven't had a bite of chocolate or cheese since July 1.

I decided to take control and get my chololestrol down. I knew chocolate, my very favorite food on earth, had to go, as did cheese, my second favorite food.

Done.

On July 1, I was at 215. I visited my DR yesterday to get a new reading. I will have a new reading Monday. We'll see.

Vegetables and fruits are wonderful and fortunately, I love both, and brown rice and beans and oatmeal and all that stuff.

Actually, truth be told, I never met a food I didn't like.

Of course, I could also eat that chair over there.

If i give up chocolate, I'll have to take smoking back up....this is a not a win win situation.

Keith - You are right, it is a mindset. I'm still suprised how easy this mindset was...and trust me, no one knows how bad I was with chocolate.

Bill - I decided not to wait for the doctor, I quit both by myself. BTW...I used to eat half of a half gallon of ice cream at one time, every day. I could sit down and get one of those big boxes of chocolate chip cookies in the blue package, and eat half of that at a time...I would eat 3 candy bars at a time between meals. I think I ate more chocolate than food sometimes. It was scary. If chocolate and sweets were good for you, I would have been the healthiest person on this planet.

There is another little trick that also works. Behind these sorts of "addictions" is the idea that if you fall off the wagon you have "failed" or that you "can't do it" or that you are "guilty" of something. Sometimes if you actually and honestly give yourself "permission" to eat chocolate all of the "power" present in all of the "considerations" goes away and you actually loose the desire to even want it. (not a good idea to try this with truely addictive substances like cocaine and heroin however:)

That said----I love chocolate:)

Lenn - Great for you! Here's a little secret about cholesterol that doctors don't really tell you...you only get it from animal products. You do not find it in any other food that does not have animal products as an ingredient.

I heard that those drug lowering cholesterol pills...they actually drive the cholesterol into the walls of the veins. The guy who researched this said he wanted to know where it was going, so he started searching and found this out. They are trying to lower it so it doesn't clog the veins...yet they drive it into the vein walls anyway???????? As I have said in many of my health related blogs....where is the FDA? Oh yes, the answer is always the same....protecting those food and drug industry profits.

And...I'm thinking we must be related. I used to eat everything in site before becoming a health nut. BTW, what is your favorite flavor of chair? Cherry, oak, pine?

Oh, there is one food my mother could not make me eat as a child...liver. It would make me toss my cookies.

Nancy - Don't do that. I only gave up chocolate because I just couldn't put it down. I had to give it up. Better to eat chocolate than smoke!!! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Charles - While that works for some people, no way could I do that. Actually, the doctors in this program are totally against that method. Their logic...do you give an alcoholic alcohol. It just doesn't work. And it would not work on my chocolate problem either.

The docs clearly are also against rewarding yourself with bad food for staying off the bad food. The logic just doesn't work, yet many people on a diet do just that, and there are those out there who suggest rewarding yourself with the food you quit because you have stayed away from it for awhile. Of course we already know that diets don't work, yet people try them all the time. What does work...eating healthier, and exercise. TV is not the pill that helps either, neither is the couch. And I spend too much time on the computer too!

Greg, I have come around to basically the mind does whatever you can trick it into:) I used this method with both cigarettes and white sugar. I have not had a cigarette for 29 years and while I occassionally eat sugar---I don't "HAVE" to:)

Greg- It's all in your mind isn't it? I understand completely although I really have never liked Chocolate at all. I eat a tiny bit once in a while, but I do know about quitting. It was smoking for me. Just had to make up my mind to do it.

Give up chocolate? Does Betty Ford have a wing for that? I will sell husband for chocolate! I would trade anyone's husband for chocolate. I will throw in kids and husband if chocolate is REALLY good. Where huge quanities of chocolate are involved, I will throw in house and car too. Do I have to go cold turkey...or can I throw some cocoa between my cheek and gum? (Think of the calorie savings!)

Charles - Congrats on the cigs, I hear that is a tough one. 29 years is great! As for the mind tricks, I just hope my mind doesn't catch on...LoL!

Tammy - They say its all in the mind. I conquered my demon with a simple little mind trick. I just had to make a decision. I didn't think it would be that easy though...I had it bad. I know someone who quit smoking many times over...it never lasted. Then one day, she got mad about it, and made up her mind that she had had enough, and quit. Not one problem with withdrawal or anything from that moment on, and she smoked a lot. I've heard that kind of story many times. AND...you don't really like chocolate at all??? Thats abnormal...have you seen a doctor about that problem?

Hi Sherry! - There's something else we have in common...first dancing, now chocolate. LoL! My mindset was exactly like yours...until I learned I was heading towards diabetes. That changed my entire outlook toward my health, and when I realized I could do something about my chocoholic problem...I did.

What many people don't know about diabetes is that it isn't really a sugar problem, it is the combination of saturated fats and sugar. Sugar will cause a spike in blood sugar, but it will come back down. Mix it with saturated fat, it will spike, level off, then spike again. Lots of this and you wear out the pancreas. In reality, diabetes is a dietary issue. It is preventable, and reversable in many, many cases. The doctor won't tell anyone about this though. Gotta sell you some drugs.

My mother-n-law is going downhill because of her diabetes. Her doctor is God to her. I've tried to tell her about the things I have learned, but because her doctor didn't say it was so, it is not. I hate to see her suffer like she is, but I can't help anyone who is closed minded to health issues.

Oh, in case you haven't heard...cocoa...not good by itself. LoL! I tried it once, very bitter...uggghhhh. I guess that could cure a person of wanting it if that's all they wanted. (still laughing).

OCT

2008

Animal products???

HA! I stopped eating that stuff in about 1976. The exception is turkey for holidays. I do have a family and they must have that prefunctory bird from time to time.

What I did cut out was chocolate ice cream, chocolate bars and cheese.

I stopped eating meat because I figured I'd last longer. So far, it's working.

About once a week or two I meet a friend for Tuna Maki or other Sushie. That's mostly for vitimin B-12, which I could do easily with eating it 3-4 times a year. But, I love the Wasabi.

One thing for sure, I have more energy and stamina than anyone I know.

Eating healthfully is a way of life with me. But, for the past 3 months, it's been a study. We'll see. The lab only taks a couple of days.

We just had acorn squash for lunch. See?

If I really wanted to go all out, I would have pizza for breakfast, Mexican food for mid-morning snack, pizza for lunch, Mexican food for mid-afternoon snack, pizza for supper, Mexican food for evening snack, and pizza for late night snack. Alas, my wise old grandmother taught anything done excessively is bad. Therein lies my habits for all of my life, both personal and professional.

Active Rain is a good example. This place is addictive, so I do my 10 blogs, my 10 daily comments, and then I'm off to do other things in my life.

I eat whatever I want to eat, just not to excess. I rarely have an unsuccessful week, so my reward is Mexican food on Friday or Sunday with pizza on the day that I don't have Mexican food. At all other times, I have a well-balanced meal with various drinks (root beer, beer, wine, margarita, chocolate milk, plain milk, juice sparklers, various juices, etc).

I take little catnaps here and there, rarely being in bed for any more than four hours.

My friends make fun of me because they can't keep up with me. They're all pooped out, tired, and stressed out each day while I'm still going strong.

Each body is different, though. What works for me might not work for others. I used to worry about my catnaps and lack of sleep, but I've been that way for 47 years. I even spent thousands of dollars at the Boston Medical Center, Houston Medical Center, and UCLA Medical Center trying to find out what was wrong with me. Absolutely nothing! I'm just different. Now that I know that, I can get on with life's journey, which is really fun.

OCT

2008

Lenn - Thanks for that great testimony! You mentioned that you have more energy and stamina than anyone you know, and that is one very important point for everyone to think about. Our American diet is not very healthy at all, and provides very little energy, which is why so many have to have coffe, tea, or soft drinks to get them going and to keep them going.

When I switched over to a healthy diet, those highs and lows disappeared. I had no idea how bad that roller coaster ride was until I got off of it. I love going through the day at an even keel now. Even when I don't get enough sleep, if I have a healthy diet, especially with "live" food (which very few will know what I mean by that...so please ask, as I am not referring to a live animal), my energy level stays consistant throughout the day.

I do eat some fish, and I do eat a small portion of Turkey at Thanksgiving too! My uncle, knowing that I eat an organic diet, bought organic Turkey for Thanksgiving when we gathered at his house year before last. That was very thoughtful of him!

Now that this way of life is a study for you...please consider sharing with us the things you learn too. We have had a huge sort of family crisis lately and the time I thought I was going to have to throw at this venture has been greatly cut into, so I hope that those who can add information or website links to this Group will consider doing so.

Russel - Oh how I have loved all of the things you have mentioned. I may have changed my diet to a huge degree, and I will admit to missing a few things here and there, but I feel that the sacrifices I am making will lead me to a longer and more healthier life. Having worked in a hospital for 5 years, and also seeing many people spend the last 5-10 years (sometimes more) of their life in misery, I know that I don't want to go down that path. People have no idea how precious their health is until they lose it. I feel fortunate to have experienced some of things I have witnessed as it give me an appreciation for better health later in life.

Quite often I have had people tell me that they want enjoy life now, that they'll worry about those things later...and these are the very people who live with a lot of regret once they arrive at that part of their life. Oh how they wish to be able to go back.

One thing my time working at UVa hospital taught me...a stroke is the one thing no one wants,esepcially if it causes a person to lose half of their body function. To be able to use your left side and not your right means someone has to take total care of you. This is about as bad as becoming a quadraplegic, only there is usually some sort of brain function lost as a result as well. Some people have lost the ability to talk, while some can talk but can't be understood. I've worked with a lot of these people, and I can't think of a more miserable way to exist. For those who have all of their mental abilities in tact, but little to no physical abilities, they are in a prison all alone. The sadness in their eyes tells it all.

My grandmother ate very healthy compared to most people, and we were a bit shocked last year when she had a heart attack. I saw her x-rays (learned to read those somewhat working in the hospital) and showed my family where the blockage occured. Granted, she was over 80 upon her death, but she could have lived much longer, as those blockages are very preventable. Blockages in the arteries can cause heart attacks or strokes. Neither is very good. It's all about the diet. What goes in the mouth...determines everything.

One comment I often hear...you gotta die of something. True. But there are a lot of ways you don't want to die...such as living for any amount of time after a severe stroke before finally checking out, which could be several years. Sudden death may be better, but doesn't leave time for goodbye. Suffering until death may leave time to say goodbye, but is a miserable way to finish one's life. Good health is a choice we can make. It's too bad that so many people just don't realize this fact.

OCT

2008

Hi Greg - I am really enjoying this group and reading the posts here.

However I would like to say about chocolate, that it is the sugar and addititives that make it bad, when it is prepared as candy.

Itself, chocolate is very high in antioxidants, healthy fat and other valuable nutrients. The caffeine might be considered bad for those who cannot tolerate it. Otherwise, leading health experts, including Drs. Oz and Roizen, recognize the value of chocolate.

I love a piece of very dark chocolate, not a 'candy' type - 60% to 80% cocoa - with a slice of fresh ginger - delicious and energizing!

OCT

2008

Gregory: I quit cigarettes that way, a long time ago. Chocolate.... that's a different story! Although I do not indulge in anything bad for me, the occasional consumption of it is wonderful! I was depressed last night and I underwent "Chocolate Therapy". I felt much better afterward, I swear! The alcohol helped too, which is the other item I don't want to give up entirely.

As a matter of fact I LOVE both chocolate and alcohol so much, that I will never become a chocoholic or an alcoholic, for fear that I would have to cut them off altogether at some point. A little of it though... it's a lifesaver!

...Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

*Disclaimer: This message is Mirela's personal view on chocolate and alcohol. She does not endorse this for public use. You have to have an iron will to be able to practice what she preaches... When used sparingly and with the utmost of care, both alcohol and chocolate work beautifully to assuage feelings of sorrow.

Gregory: BTW, good blog! You're at the top of the Optimist Board now! Congratulations!

Deborah - You are so right...its the extra stuff they put in that is the problem. Unfortunately, most of what we see on the shelves in the stores is that junk chocolate...and boy did I just love it! I really had no choice but to walk away. It just consumed me.

Mirela - Wow, it's always great to read success stories, such as quitting the cigs! Congrats on that accomplishment!!! I also have to admire those with self-control, especially where chocolate or alcohol are concerned. I had absolutely no self-control when it came to chocolate. If I saw it, I had to eat it. Oh how weak I was. If I were in the military and at war and became a POW, they wouldn't have to torture me in the traditional way....just waving chocolate under my nose would have been torture enough.

And thanks for the Group feature! It's not easy to get health messages out there these days.

OCT

2008

How great for you Greg!! That is just awesome. I've known people with candy adiction and never even recognize it.

Mirella !! Just have to agree wholeheartedly! (on the disclaimer - me too!) Great on leaving the smoking behind tho.

Hi Deborah! - Oh, I knew I had an addiction. And boy was it bad. If chocolate would have been a health food, I would have just trashed the rest of my diet...lol. I didn't want to give it up, but knew I really had no choice. Every once in awhile I might find some healthy chocoloate snack type food (Earthfare has one I really love) but I just fall right back into the old pattern very, very quickly, so it has to go. Even though it really is a healthy snack, I can no longer take that addictive behavior.

OCT

2008

My family still buys me LARGE AMOUNTS of chocolate for Christmas and such. Thank God they didn't start hiding it from me!!! I (don't think) I am that bad, ha.

Hi Gregory, This does sound way too simple.. I guess I just don't have the commitment yet.. I actually need to do this with all simple carbs!! I have done it before but once I slip up, it's all over. God bless,

Steve - I was that bad! And that's not good. They didn't tell me about hiding it from me until after I quit (of course). Then they had fun with me. They didn't think I had the willpower, so when I went home for the holidays, chocolate deserts were everywhere and they watched me like a hawk. Same thing next time I went home...then I mentioned that they never had this much stuff out before I quit chocolate, and that's when they let me know that they had a special hiding place for all the goodies so that they could have some, but now they didn't need to hide the goodies anymore. Ahhhh...the truth hurts.

Hi Cheryl - It is very simple, but...and this is important...

You have to want to make a change. I knew that my obsession with chocolate was very bad. I knew that it needed to go. This simple little trick allowed me to make the break. But like an alcoholic, unless you admit to having a problem, and realize you need to make a change, change will not happen.

If you aren't commited to making such a change, you won't follow through on it. I had one thing on my side though, I had started studying health principles. I lost my grandparents when I was young to diabetes, and as I mentioned above, through a health program on the radio, I learned that I was on my way there too. Sugar is not the main problem though as many think, it is the combination of sugar and saturated fats, which by the way, is what most deserts are made of. Follow up a double cheeseburger or a pizza with some candy, and you are doing some serious damage to your body in regards to the future.

Carbs...there are good carbs, and bad carbs. You want the good carbs, but many diets tell you to stay away from all carbs. Idiots. Good carbs give you the energy you need to get through the day. Bad carbs do the damage. Fad diets are mostly for those promoting the diets to make money off of you. Shame on them.

NOV

2008

I had a boss who would go to lunch each day and eat a salad and drink a diet Coke. On the way back to the office he would stop at his favorite candy store and buy one pound of chocolate of whatever struck his fancy that day. When he got back to the office he would take a piece and have me lock the rest of it in the cabinet. He had a key to the cabinet, too, and every time I left the office (restroom, delivery, copies, whatever), he'd go unlock the cabinet and eat some candy. By the end of the afternoon, all of it was gone. He eventually developed diabetes.

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