Hot tip for dieting chocoholics!

I have a confession to make.

I am… a chocoholic!

Marks & Spencer’s mini rolls, Galaxy, Lindt, and my new favourite, Green & Blacks (because it’s so organic, it’s practically good for me) – the list of my favourite chocolate things is endless.

But this little addition frequently collides with my desire to have a healthy, balanced diet. There’s nothing quite like that feeling of guilt that comes after devouring an entire block/ bag / packet of my favourite treat. So when I came across this tip the other day, I knew it would revolutionise my diet.

Write up a list of 3-4 of your favourite treats (but don’t refer to them as “forbidden”).  My list looks like this:
- Aero chocolate
- Lindt chocolate balls (1-2)
- Green & Blacks dark chocolate and orange
- Galaxy Minstrels

Then, you very simply make an effort to eat all of these things, in a small portion size, each week. (Small portion size really does mean just buying the fun size bag!)

The psychology behind it goes something like this.  If you ban particular foods from your diet, you’ll just end up craving them even more. So don’t forbid yourself anything, but be sensible about it. For me, this means not buying a large packet of anything, because I simply cannot stop after just a few small pieces. I don’t keep any chocolate at home, and I try very hard to only buy my portions when I’ve just had a big meal so that I’m less likely to splurge (and then binge).

You can change your list every week, or month, or never. And while it’s going to mean a bit of extra planning and a big dose of self-discipline for me, I’m really looking forward to guilt free chocolate. I hope it works for you too!