Confessions of a Chocoholic

The Eat Clean Lifestyle Challenge: Day 7

Hi. My name is Erin. And I'm a chocoholic. As long as I can remember, I've loved chocolate. Bars. Frostings. Kisses. M & Ms...plain AND with peanuts. Snickers, Crunch, Turtles, chocolate covered cherries. Can you tell that I can go on for hours?

Eat Clean...Eat Chocolate...Eat Clean...Eat Chocolate: What a war! Now, we all know that eating clean has nothing--absolutely NOTHING--to do with chocolate. So bear with me as I play the violin for myself as Valentine's Day approaches.

With Valentine's Day approaching (and chocolate in every store and on every corner), what can I do instead of lust after chocolate? (And yes, I do get that Pavlovian mouth-watering thing happening when I walk by the displays in the grocery store or sniff the sweet smells of a chocolate shop.)

Okay, after eating two Turtles and feeling not only mentally bad but also physically bad, here's my list of my top 7 ways to fight--and WIN--the chocolate war. And if chocolate is as big a temptation to you as it is to me, then maybe this is your list, too:

1. "Lust" after a new workout outfit. Go to the store; find the best one possible; buy it; put it up on a hanger smack-dab in front of the mirror. Wear it on the Valentine's Day workout as a reward.

2. Get a chocolate-avoidance accountability partner. My sister Kerrie is great for that. She's a personal trainer PhD who used to be a cheerleader. Gotta put THAT on MY side of the court.

3. Get it out of the house. Because my willpower isn't THAT great. I don't care if my 21-year-0ld daughter brought me a heart full of Turtles, delivered with a big hug and a smile. I need to tell her that I love her dearly--and then give the chocolates away!

4. Remind myself of the sugar headache that inevitably follows. Yes, I'm that sensitive to sugar now (since living and eating "clean"). The hour-or-so-long headache isn't worth the seconds of choco-devouring ecstasy.

5. Keep a food diary for the next two weeks. Show the diary to a trainer...and maybe even post the diary (!). And, of course, give myself a BIG reward when I eat clean...and SEE and FEEL better all around (and LOOK great at the end, too!).

6. Let the chocolate friends know your resolve--and ask for their support. You know who I'm talking about: they're the ones who have the chocolate on their desks at work, on their counters at home, and even stashed in their cars, in the compartment in the middle...and yes, my HUSBAND is one of those! Well, I guess I can't avoid him (and wouldn't want to). But I CAN ask for his support and WILL avoid driving in his car (or at the very least, clean out the compartment before I drive).

7. Find a new sweet treat. Replace the chocolate with something else that's special and tasty. For me, that will be some incredible exotic figs from the local organic store. I also like fancy oranges. Maybe some fresh pineapple will do. Oh, what the heck, I'll get all three!

Let's make new Valentine's Day traditions.

All my best, 'till next time,
Erin