Beat Chocolate Cravings
Back in September, I wrote a post about why women crave chocolate and it seems to have struck a chord with the majority of visitors to Total Chunk. I put forward an answer to this age-old question by suggesting that women crave chocolate around the time of menstruation because their body is lacking in magnesium. This is a mineral that is required for bone growth (it works with calcium) but researchers have also indicated that magnesium helps to relax your muscles which is vital when a woman is menstruating for easing pain.
Can you resist chocolate when you're on a diet?
I answered why women crave chocolate and suggested that ladies drink hot chocolate if their craving becomes critical. This has been met with a mixed response, most people think this is a great idea but my mum disagrees. I am always open to (constructive) criticism and suggestions. My mum (Janey to you) said that hot chocolate doesn’t satisfy her, for her it is about the texture and feel of chocolate when she consumes it. Her desire for chocolate is not often satiated by a drink.
So back off to the drawing board I went! We are all answerable to our mothers and the purpose of Total Chunk is to offer a big range of diet tips because not all tips work for all people. What is the point in suggesting you eat only bananas for breakfast if you can’t bear the smell of them?
My first tip was to drink hot chocolate so here are a few more so you can enjoy a little of what you fancy without ruining your diet:
- Buy a small amount of expensive chocolate, you will eat less but enjoy it more because you know it is special chocolate
- Drink coffee (preferably black) with a couple of squares of chocolate as it makes the texture very satisfying and you will savour it more as it lingers for as long as it takes to drink a cup of coffee.
- Switch to dark chocolate. Magnesium is in cocoa and dark chocolate has a high cocoa content so it’s in theory, better for you anyway.
- Share your chocolate bar with a friend
Certain coffees also have a slight chocolate flavor to them naturally. That might be another option. While I am not a woman, I appreciate a good piece of chocolate. One thing I have done is the expensive chocolate, which I then only eat one small square at a time.
Hi Steve, sorry I do tend to forget men in the whole chocolatey scheme of things! I know you guys can be bigger chocolate fiends than us girlies sometimes. I knew a man who could get through a 400g bar of galaxy chocolate in one night and I just feel sick thinking about it! I’m not a great fan of chocolate as I prefer fruity jelly sweets (lime flavour any day!) but it is usually my girlfriends who would sell a kidney for chocolate!
I will definitely look out for the chocolatey though, sounds divine!
You are right though, it does seem that more women crave it than men, but that could just be perception.
I really do think it is down to a hormonal thing during those ‘delightful few days a month’. My mum assures me that she finds she loves the texture of it really comforting, almost like it’s giving her a hug! I also think that when you crave a certain food, to a point it is your body telling you that you’re lacking something in that food which women are more likely to for the above reason!
I’d love to write a post about men and chocolate as I’d hate to leave you guys out but have no idea where to start yet! I’d love to have a proper chat with you about your weight loss plan, your achievements etc at some point so if you’re interested, email me through the contact form on this site and we can chat.
Heck yeah, thanks for the great tips because I eat too much chocolate and to stop.