What is this love affair we women have with chocolate? I don’t wish to generalize here, but I have very few female friends that don’t go weak kneed at the mere mention of Godiva. Chocolate has this mythical power over me. It’s pretty much the love of my life. Chocolate and my story will, no doubt, be made into a Lifetime television movie. It would not be one of those two hour trash-tastic Lifetime movies, but one of those sweeping four hour epics with Susan Lucci or one of those TV icons playing me. Chocolate will be that smoldering bad boy that I fall madly in love with, who will only bring me misery in the end. Like some many misguided lovers I will keep going back.
That is Chocolate and my story. I wish to change the ending of our romance and break the power it holds over me. Can I do it? How will I do it? Like so many I have my downfalls, that one food so hard to give up. When I first started this journey I was all about the giving up; chocolate, red meat, fried foods, soda…etc. I felt I had to give up everything for this journey. Two months into my journey I rekindled my romance with chocolate in a brief afternoon delight; a piece of my birthday cake. I vowed that if I lost twenty pounds by November 5th, my 28th birthday, I would indulge in a piece of chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting (yummers!). I lost 21 pounds by my birthday; clinching one more tryst with my old love.
There, in the work conference room in the midst of coworkers celebrating another year of Melissa, my passion for chocolate was re-awakened. For days after I longed for the sweet satisfaction of just one more night with chocolate. It was a battle I continued to fight. As the weeks passed I thought, “Why am I torturing myself?” I thought of my previous attempts to “lose weight” and how it was always about giving something up. I was giving up the joys of life. Was a long healthy life worth not tasting chocolate again?
There was the problem. That rationale of extremes to reach my goal of living healthy. I didn’t have to give up chocolate. This journey shouldn’t be about giving something up, but gaining something. To live my life healthy, I needed to incorporate the good and the “not-so-good” into my life. Moderation, not exclusion, would now be a part of my vocabulary. Chocolate is okay, in moderation. Moderation would be the key to my success on this journey. I would be able to have a piece of chocolate every now and then. Of course, I would watch serving sizes and how often I was engaging in treats each week; moderation. By learning how to control my diet, not simply deny myself, I would live a more balanced and healthy life.
While moderation was key, I also learned how to enjoy the sweets that were once my downfall in a different way. I embraced low fat frozen yogurt, sugar free ice cream, sugar free chocolate, and reduced fat treats. I learned how to bake in a healthier way. For example, I am making a homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter (double yummers) pie for work on Tuesday. However, I am tweaking the recipe by using splenda, reduce fat/natural peanut butter, lite whip cream, and reduced fat cream cheese. Of course, learning how to bake foods healthier doesn’t mean I’ll be eating a piece of pie each day this week. I still practice moderation, but feel better about the choices I am making.
(A piece of Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie)
As well, there are also substitutes for our cravings. I enjoy treats like a bowl of Chocolate Cheerios (if you LOVE chocolate these are, perhaps, the BEST weapon in squashing those midnight sweet cravings) in the evening. There is always Chocolate Soy Milk in my fridge to down a quick glass, when craving a little chocolate satisfaction. Sometimes I melt some sugar free dark chocolate and dip strawberries or raspberries. Healthier treats that quiet my inner Fat Guys lust for chocolate.
I have learned to work with my cravings. While Chocolate still remains the love of my life (my poor boyfriend probably fears finds me curled up with a Hersey Bar in bed), I recognize that a diet steady in it will lead me to some not-so-pleasant consequences like diabetes and lots of expensive dental work. So, I chose moderation. Everything has its place. It’s okay to have a small piece of that birthday cake at work. Serving sizes, moderation, and foods that play the role of substitutes can help you with a rich life without having to give up anything on this journey.
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