I’m currently 20 days in…quitting chocolate for Lent. Today I’m sharing why I’m doing it, what my “rules” are and how it’s going.
Why am I quitting chocolate?
Chocolate and I have a complicated relationship in which I am far too needy and clingy. I have a sweet tooth and always have. I adore chocolate but chocolate often leads me to cravings and eating far too much of it. This really doesn’t help with my Slimming World efforts.
I’ve been thinking for a while that something needs to change. I love the phrase/mantra “If you change nothing, nothing will change”.
I decided to be brave and do something that seemed scary to me…quitting chocolate.
With Lent coming up it seemed like a good time. I’m not a church go-er and wouldn’t describe myself as Christian but attending a Church of England school as a child taught me the idea of Lent and giving something up.
My “Rules”
I set myself a couple of parameters for quitting chocolate:
- I am allowed milkybar mousse desserts (these are great on Slimming World at 4 ½ syns each and if you freeze them for an hour it’s like ice-cream! And great served with berries and meringue.)
- But I’m not allowed milkybar or other white chocolate
- I am allowed low calorie hot chocolate at home but not cafe hot chocolates
- All other chocolate is off!
I did give up chocolate for Lent years ago…but found myself drinking hot chocolates and iced chocolates so I wanted to set some clear rules this time!
What am I eating instead?
My sweet tooth is still making herself known and I’m finding myself still eating sweet things. I have wondered if I should look at going sugar-free at some point as a proper reset and I might consider this in the future.
Here are some of the foods I am enjoying to appease my sweet tooth:
- Pink and Whites (wafers with marshmallow filling…only 2 ½ syns each)
- Ice-cream
- Plenty of yummy fresh fruit (apples, pears, berries especially)
- Peanut cookies from Tesco (quite small for 4 ½ syns but really yummy)
- Meringue nests
- Popcorn – I’m currently enjoying Proper Corn Sweet and Salty for 3 syns a bag
I am also trying to snack on savoury things.
How’s it going so far?
- I’ve struggled with cravings for chocolate but I have been determined so far.
- I had a mini “fail” one day in when we went to IKEA. They didn’t have any plain water, decaf coffee or herbal tea. So I went for a 50p hot chocolate instead. I didn’t even think about it at the time and it wasn’t until I’d almost finished it that I realised what I’d done. Rather than declare it a failure and give up I decided to accept it and just move on. I wasn’t prepared to let a slip up right at the start set me up for failure.
- Without chocolate as a treat I’m trying to be more inventive with desserts and treats.
- I’m really looking forward to an Easter Egg on Easter! I’m going to be sad if they sell out!
- I’ve realised that chocolate is my “go to” treat – by not having it I am realising how much I enjoy other sweet flavours like caramel and lemon.
- I’ve not made a decision beyond Lent yet – I think I will eat chocolate at Easter but then I may give it up again. We shall see.
- I’ve created a tracker in my Bullet Journal to see my progress. I drew it up based on Lent being 40 days long. But I realised afterwards that the 40 days excludes the Sunday’s. I am planning on not eating any chocolate between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday (including the Sundays) so I think it ends up being 46 days in total.
- I really hope by doing this it gives me a bit of a reset with Slimming World and some motivation for new recipes and food ideas.
Have you given anything up for Lent? If so, how’s it going?