How Do I Stop Craving Chocolate?

Hi,  I am a 35-year old female in pretty good health. I work out once or twice a week and eat pretty well. I would just like to lose 10 or 12 pounds but my problem is craving chocolate. I don't eat huge portions but I need some every day. Do you have any advice on how I can kick this habit? I know if I could give up the chocolate, the weight would come off in time.  Thanks, LeeAnne

Dear LeeAnne,

There is no physical way, to my knowledge, to stop craving chocolate. I do know the more you eat it, the more you'll want it. And, believe it or not, once you give it up the cravings will lessen over time.

Mentally, the way to kick the craving is to find something else that is more important to you. What works is finding a reason that you really want to lose 10 pounds.  If you'd just "sorta like to" then that won't be anywhere near strong enough to overpower the little chocolate voice calling "come have some of me--I taste sooo good"!

I would suggest sitting down for a while and giving some serious thought to your priorities. Try coming up with a list of 10 ways your life will be better if you lose 10 pounds. And they have to be specific reasons--sharp enough to envision when the chocolate starts calling you over. For instance "I'll look better" probably won't cut it at least half the time--but having a vision of yourself wearing a certain dress at a certain gathering may go a lot farther in being able to say "no" to that little chocolate devil on your shoulder.

Some other options include limiting the number of days a week you indulge, or calculating the number of calories of chocolate you're eating and resolve to burn those off in exercise sometime that day!

If you could use the help of a diet coach to get you through the next 3 months while you get the weight off, take a visit over to my website, MyCoachLaurie.com, and give me a call!