Tuesday, 23 September 2008

http://www.mahalo.com/How_to_Give_Up_Chocolate

I really liked this website for including ways to give up my addiction.

Write Down Your Goals: It's helpful to see things in black and white.
Make Your Goals Well-Defined and Incremental: Changing anything about your diet can be difficult. It's important to set a few small, measurable goals along the way to the overarching one.
Tell Your Friends and Family: Their encouragement (and friendly policing) will make cutting back easier.
Use Visualization: Associating chocolate with something revolting can be a powerful deterrent for some. Some dieters picture something gross coming out of or covering the chocolate.
Cut Back Gradually: It is sometimes easier to wean yourself from a dietary crutch than it is to cut it out completely. Create a plan that replaces your normal chocolate indulgence with smaller amounts over time.
Cut Back on Other Sweets: Cindy Moore, the spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, recommends cutting back on sweets entirely because eating them can spur more cravings.[5] "It sets up a cycle in a lot of people who have a problem with insulin regulation. If you can cut back on sweets, you can reduce cravings."
Know Your Vulnerable Times of Day: Obesity research Dr. Gerard Musante warns that, "All our organs have internal clocks. You may have taught your system to need chocolate at 3 o'clock. Recognize that it might take a week or two to break the habit, and some of it will require white-knuckling."
Drink Water and Sleep: American Dietetic Spokesperson Moore says that, "Your body can confuse the need for fluid or the need for sleep with the need for food." It's important to stay hydrate and get plenty of rest when you're trying to reduce cravings.
Exercise: Physical activity can keep cravings at bay. The feel-good endorphins that get released when eating chocolate can easily be replaced by the feel-good endorphins that get released after 20-30 minutes of moderate exercise.[6]
Keep Wrappers and Containers Out in the Open: Face the consequences of your bad habits by keeping any wrappers or containers out in the open. That way you'll see just how much you've been indulging.
Replace Your Habit: Substitute your chocolate-binging habit with a healthier one. If you eat chocolate when you're stressed, try mediating or going for a walk instead. Or, get a delicious strawberry smoothie instead of a chocolate shake.
Reward Yourself: Reward yourself as you reach your incremental goals with a non-chocolate treat.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Aah Jen,

You truly found some wise words there.