April 14, 2024 • 27 mins
Ever found yourself reaching for a few squares of chocolate, only to feel a wave of guilt as the last square disappears? You're not alone.
In this episode, we unpack the science and psychology behind out-of-control chocolate eating habits. And most importantly, how we can navigate around the "I have to finish all of this now" thinking trap.
It's not just about saying no or yes to chocolate. It's about understanding WHY we crave it and HOW we can enjoy it mindfully. All while learning to appreciate the pure pleasure of eating the chocolate you actually like, without substituting it with less fulfilling options. Cause let's be real, those sugar-free or 95% dark chocolate varieties just ain't it.
You too can become one of those people who have a few squares of chocolate and feel satisfied enough not to eat the entire block. So, press play and find out how 🍫
Want to feel more in control around food? Check out my Stop Struggling With Food Guide, currently on sale for 40% off.
You’ll also find 50 of my favourite recipes to get you inspired!
Get my Free 5 Day Course to help you stop binge and emotional eating.
Looking for more support to feel in control around food? I'd love to support you in my Binge Free Academy.
Come follow me on the gram at @nude_nutritionist (no nude pics, sorry).
Want to share some feedback or have an idea for an episode, I'd LOVE to hear from you - hit me up at hello@lyndicohen.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
It's what happens when you're eating the chocolate
and you're saying only one moresquare, only one more bite,
just this row, and then I'll begood.
The desire for chocolate is sooverwhelming, is so constant
that I think we need to talkabout it.
And at some point you thinkeffort, I'm just going to finish
the pack, so it's not going tobe here in front of me, and
(00:26):
that's that last suppermentality.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Eventually you got to a point where I was like, okay,
I actually don't need thatextra row.
You know what?
I'm actually happy having justlike a couple of squares, Like
I'm satisfied, I can move on.
There was a time where I feltso out of control with chocolate
(00:55):
that I would just always avoidbuying it, like I would never,
ever keep it in the house.
But I also worked at asupermarket.
I worked at Coles.
So anytime I worked at Colesafter my shift I would get
chocolate.
It was usually like a wholeblock and every single time I
would get home and I would eatthe whole entire thing in one
(01:15):
sitting and I just thought thisis exactly why I can't keep
chocolate, because I ate thewhole thing.
I remember there was a timewhere I had like four shifts in
a row and after every singleshift I got a block of chocolate
and I ate the whole thing.
I remember there was a timewhere I had like four shifts in
a row and after every singleshift I got a block of chocolate
and I ate the whole thing.
Sometimes it was like a blockand a half.
It was insane.
And then eventually it clicked.
(01:37):
I knew what I was doing wrongand once I started doing this,
everything changed and now I canactually keep chocolate in the
house and not have the wholething.
It's amazing.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Hello everyone and welcome to this week's episode
of no Wellness Wankery.
I'm Lindy Kowin, your dietitiannutritionist and lover of
chocolate, and I'm joined by afellow nutritionist, Natalia
Jala.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Hi Lindy, Also a fellow lover of chocolate over
here.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Thank goodness, and as you could tell from Nat's
story, you've had quite arelationship change with
chocolate over the years.
And I got to say I've had thesame kind of thing One birthday
my brother I would have beenabout 12.
My brother knew how much Iliked chocolate so he bought me
one of those humongous Nutellajars, like it was like a novelty
.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Oh I remember those.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
They're so good that I ate that Nutella jar at such a
pace and I felt so sick, but Icouldn't stop myself.
I just had to eat it.
And I have had very creativeways of eating chocolate over
the years, One included I wouldget Coco Pops and then I'd get
Milo and I'd mix them togetherbut then eat it dry and it was
(02:55):
great, but it was also.
I would just have that and eatthat in secret and it was a
thing.
So I've always had a bit of acurly relationship with
chocolate and we're going totalk about why that is, why that
might be happening for you, ifyou're listening, and what to do
about it.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Yeah, no, I love this topic.
I remember I definitely used tofeel like I'm a hundred percent
addicted to chocolate.
So, like, why?
Like where does this all start?
Why do we actually feeladdicted to chocolate?
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Well, firstly, on this whole idea is can we be
addicted to chocolate?
I think this is a veryinteresting question.
It certainly feels like we'readdicted to chocolate, because
why can't we stop?
I always think about it likethis I think it's very fair to
say you can be addicted tosubstances that you don't need
for survival think cigarettesand alcohol.
We don't actually need thosethings.
You do need food for survival.
So telling yourself that you'readdicted to something that you
intrinsically need for survivalis not quite right, and the
(03:46):
research backs me up on this.
There are a few scholars whowould say that you can be
addicted to chocolate.
It doesn't really matter,though.
The point is, you feel addicted, and that is what we need to
focus on Now.
Unlike other addictions thinkdrugs or alcohol we can actually
just remove those things.
I say just like it's easy.
(04:06):
It's not easy, but we canremove those things and you can
live a healthy life without them.
But with chocolate, what weoften find is that, by
eliminating chocolate, yousimply increase the craving for
the chocolate, and we see thisrepeated again in study after
study after study, where weactually make this food feel
very highly palatable, andyou're going to say to me but I
am eating it.
I'm not restricting it.
(04:27):
I'm eating so much chocolate.
And I think this is where weneed to differentiate between
physical restriction andemotional restriction, because
these are different things.
So physical restriction is whenyou're going what Nat did, I'm
not buying it, I'm not going tohave any chocolate and
physically, not having it in thehouse, not giving yourself
permission to eat it, trying tobe good.
And then emotional restrictionis much more sneaky.
(04:49):
It's what happens when you'reeating the chocolate and you're
saying only one more square,only one more bite, just this
row, and then I'll be good, thenI'll be done.
Or you eat way more than youplanned and then you promise
yourself you're not going to eatchocolate and next time you eat
chocolate it's like the frenzyhas become amplified and that is
(05:11):
what has happened.
You are basically throwinggasoline on your craving for
chocolate by creating thisrestriction.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yeah, no, I think that makes total sense.
Like, the more we tellourselves we can't have
something, the more we want it.
You know this happens with notjust chocolate, with all foods.
Okay, so why chocolate Like?
What's so special aboutchocolate?
Why Like, why?
Speaker 1 (05:32):
It's delicious.
Actually, research shows thatwomen tend to crave chocolate
more than men, which I alwayskind of thought interesting.
I don't actually know why, andresearchers don't seem to know
why, but I will attest that, asa woman, I find it mightily
delicious.
Dark chocolate, just from ahealth perspective.
I know we're often here thatthis is a very healthy thing to
be having.
Now, dark chocolate is a richsource of polyphenols, and
(05:55):
that's just, my friends, a fancyway of saying plant nutrients,
good stuff that makes your bodythrive.
And I got to say, though, thisdoes seem to be related to
chocolate that has an 85% cacaopercentage.
That's pretty high.
I don't know about you, it'snot my go-to.
I'm not really reaching for an85%, it's quite bitter, very
(06:17):
bitter.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Definitely not a 85% gal.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Not for joy.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Not for joy.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
No no, and I got to say I don't think chocolate
should be there for nutrients.
If you're eating chocolate fornutrients, I think you're
scraping the bottom of thebarrel and I think rather think
about ways to add more nutrientsinto your diet and don't think
about things like that'stechnically confectionary as a
source of nutrition.
Sure, if you're already so highup the nutrition bandwagon,
(06:43):
you're like I'm doing everything, I'm nailing it.
I would like more.
Sure, make the swap.
Why not?
In terms of the hierarchy ofhabits though, it's right up
there at the apex, it's not oneof those essential things to be
doing.
So, just remembering that, whychocolate?
You want to be making itsomething that you actually find
satisfying, because that'swhat's also going to help you
feel like.
You feel like the craving goesaway once you've consumed it.
(07:05):
So if you really want the KitKat or the Snicker or the Milo
and Cocoa Pops, then I sayrather eat that and eat that
with full enjoyment than tryingto make the healthier swap.
That doesn't quite feel like ithits the spot.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Or the high protein chocolate Like no, please do not
try to get your protein fromchocolate.
Please, I beg you.
It is not worth the money.
It is not worth it Like, it'snot even worth the taste.
You can get your protein from alot of other actual food
sources than chocolate.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
What about those low sugar chocolates that give you
diarrhea?
Fun and games.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
And they have that really gross aftertaste, Like
it's just not satisfying.
It's not what you want.
You want to be having chocolatefor enjoyment.
It's to bring joy in your life.
You know it's something thatyou have because you like it,
not because you want to behealthy and healthier and not
have sugar.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Yeah, and also I remember that I used to have
these diet chocolate mousses.
I don't know if you everremember them.
It was my Weight Watchers daysand each one was a point and so
I'd go for them and that reallydid not satisfy.
It didn't hit the spot and theywere like the sugar-free kind
of thing and I was like I neededsix of them and I still was
left wanting.
So have a think about that,particularly if you are going
(08:16):
for these sugar-free chocolatesthat are diuretics and you're
binge eating on them and thenyou're getting diarrhea.
Oh, and you're binge eating onthem and then you're getting
diarrhea.
Oh, my goodness, my sister, myfriend, you do not need to go
down that rabbit hole.
Instead, we're going to giveyou a few strategies, but first
I want to talk a little bit moreabout where these cravings come
from, because the desire forchocolate is so overwhelming, is
so constant, that I think weneed to talk about it.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Okay, so is there more to it than blaming your
sweet tooth?
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Well, a sweet tooth definitely contributes to it.
I know some people havepreference towards savory and
some towards sweet.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
I will take chocolate over cheese any day, a hundred
percent.
I'm definitely like a sweetcraving kind of girl, yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
And so I think that's something to be said.
I think we all have an inbuiltnatural preference.
There's certainly a lot to besaid about what happens when
you're growing up and you'regetting rewarded with foods.
So think about culturally.
We celebrate with sweets veryoften, so birthday cake is a
very prime example, and almostat every single function.
I mean, I'm Jewish, and so foodis life.
(09:18):
Family and food that's what weare.
We have food at every occasionand that's just gets amplified.
If I did something good or bad,I would get rewarded.
As a kid, with food andchocolate was a very effective
lever.
As a parent now, I already knowhow easy it is to use a smartie
to lure my son into doing whatI want.
I really try avoid this.
(09:39):
I have other episodes where wetalk about how to not do this
and fall into this trap, but Ithink it is something to
recognize is how you were raised, the relationship your parents
had with food and how youinherited part of that, because
this can also contribute to yourpreferences.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
And also lack of sleep.
So we know that a lot ofcravings do come from not having
enough quality sleep.
That's when your body's kind oflike okay, where can I get a
source of energy from?
And usually that's from food,and sugar is the quickest kind
of source of energy.
So that's when your brain justgoes okay, I need something now.
What's convenient to me?
What's going to give me thatenergy quickly?
(10:17):
Chocolate done.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Spot on, and cortisol as well.
So having higher stress levels,I mean technically, aren't most
of us a little bit stressed?
I definitely go throughstressful periods but I
certainly find that my cravingsfor chocolate do increase when I
feel quite stressed and thedegree of emotional eating I
think I find chocolate soothesme.
(10:39):
It's definitely my go-to whenI'm emotional eating and it's
almost like that craving forchocolate.
Sometimes I stop and I wonderwhat are you really craving here
, lindy?
Because I know you're cravingchocolate, but what are you
missing?
Are you missing rest?
Are you missing relaxation?
Food is not joy, food is notcomfort.
It is none of these things.
So what do you actually needright now?
This is quite an elite level.
I've only learned to do thisskill quite recently, but if you
(11:01):
can ask yourself, what are youactually seeking?
Let's talk about the gutmicrobiome, because, wow, this
is an area of study that is justgoing gangbusters.
What we're discovering, andwhat research has suggested, is
that a lack of lactobacilli inthe gastrointestinal tract is
which is basically you think ofit like a live gut bug.
(11:24):
This can actually cause sugarcravings, and so you're going
okay.
Well, how does this actuallywork?
Well, it's because this gutlactobacilli produced the
neurotransmitter, somethingcalled GABA.
And what does GABA do?
Well, high levels of GABA makeyou feel full, and low levels of
GABA do the opposite andstimulate your appetite.
So if you don't have this livegut bug, it's not going to give
(11:45):
you the right level of GABA,which is making you either
really hungry or really havehuge cravings for something like
chocolate.
What's the solve then?
You go well, how do I fix that?
Lactobacilli can be found inyogurt, and only those that have
an added probiotic to them.
So what you can do is have alook for the yogurt and flick to
the back and see that it has,like you'll see, lactobacillus
(12:05):
has been added to it, and that'sjust a good thing to do anyway,
if you are dairy intolerant.
Of course, there are alsolactose-free options that have
lactobacillus added to it.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Okay, that's all great and I think that's very,
very helpful to know.
You know, like, the reason whywe do crave chocolate and what
we can actually be doing.
But I think another thing thatwe're missing here is a lot of
the time it's a habit, right.
We've learned to do these overthe years.
It's a coping strategy.
You reach for chocolate whenyou're bored, you reach for it
when you stress.
So can we actually unlearnthose habits and can we replace
(12:40):
them with new ones?
Speaker 1 (12:42):
oh, we certainly can.
I mean, we talk about this alot on the podcast, talking
about conditioning and how veryeasily we can condition
ourselves that every time weflick on our favorite tv show,
you might notice those cravingsstart to fester and next thing
you know you're skipping to thepantry to go and retrieve your
favorite snack.
And if you're going oh, thisdoes happen to me, and most
nights this happens to me thenwe know that we have conditioned
(13:04):
ourselves.
The other thing you mightnotice is you're finishing lunch
and you're going oh, I reallywant something sweet.
In fact, nat, we just had lunchtogether and I went here we are
here we are enjoying adelicious little.
Easter egg, which is deliciousand I love it, and so I think
occasionally this is going tohappen.
When you find that this is yourdefault, you are always turning
(13:26):
to these options.
That's when we kind of go thisis just a habit and these habits
can be broken.
Now it does require us to gothrough a period of discomfort.
So you might go oh listen,actually I'm going to try and
either swap to somethinghealthier as opposed to a
chocolate after lunch, or youmight just go listen, it's just
an Easter egg, it's not a bigdeal, and I will just move on
with my day.
(13:46):
If you find that you can't juststop at one Easter egg and the
next thing, you know, it's like20 Easter eggs later.
That's when we go okay, notonly is this conditioning, but
there's also the degree ofrestriction which is making you
really crave that chocolate evenmore.
You know I talked about thatemotional restriction.
So perhaps you're going ohlisten, I'm only going to have
this one Easter egg.
Oh, I can't have any more.
(14:06):
You reach for another.
I promise this is the last oneand at some point you think F it
, I'm just going to finish thepack, so it's not going to be
here in front of me and that'sthat last supper mentality in
action.
So this is what I think Ireally want to focus on for the
rest of this conversation.
So then, how do we break thishabit, this really strong desire
(14:29):
, this feeling of going?
I can't just stop after havinga little bit of chocolate.
I need to have a lot ofchocolate.
I think a really key one is wetalked about this eat the
chocolate you really want.
Then changing how you eat it.
Now, I think when you find thatyou are secretively eating your
chocolate, that is an alarmbell, a little sign to say there
(14:53):
is clearly emotionalrestriction going on, because I
feel ashamed of other peoplewitnessing me eating the
chocolate.
Thus I am judging myself eatingthe chocolate and thus I am
basically encouraging myself toeat more chocolate next time by
doing that.
So what can we do?
Very clearly, I talk about thisin Binge Free Academy, which is
my program.
If you struggle with bingeeating and you feel out of
control of food, please go andcheck out Binge Free Academy.
(15:14):
But what I do teach you how todo is to integrate something
like chocolate and to giveyourself permission to do it and
, ideally, eat it in front ofother people.
So often we reserve ourfavorite foods, like chocolate,
for something we think isnaughty or secretive.
Maybe if it's even just ourpartner who will eat in front of
.
We won't eat it in front ofother people.
And when we're out, we'remaking those healthy choices.
(15:34):
No, I don't want dessert.
Oh God, yes, when you really do.
And so then we got to flip thatdialogue so that when we are
out with friends and family,that's when we're sharing the
chocolate, as opposed to whenwe're secretively hiding our
Easter eggs and the wrappers.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
I really, really like that tip.
I think a really easy way to dothat is start with, if you go
out for breakfast, for example,order the chocolate croissant I
know you want it, I know youwant that hot chocolate Just
have it.
After dinner, grab an ice cream, chocolate ice cream If it's
just like going to thesupermarket and getting your
favorite chocolate and enjoyingthat with your friends or your
(16:12):
partner.
And getting your favoritechocolate and enjoying that with
your friends or your partner,whatever it is, just having it
in public around other peopleand just taking out that label
of it's bad.
I can only have it when I'malone.
That's really going to behelpful.
I know it sounds so simple, butit really, really does work.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
Spot on.
In addition, can you change howyou eat it?
We want to get out of thatnoisy brain, that little food
thoughts going oh no, weshouldn't be eating this.
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,blah.
She's very loud that voice.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
She's very irritating .
Speaker 1 (16:43):
I want you to become aware of those thoughts, that
little restrictive voice.
In fact, one of the things youcan do is you can start to
create a new note in your phonewhere you're going to go, add
all of these little foodthoughts that you have, and just
start to record them down,because I think it's near
impossible to be a mindful,intuitive eater when you have
your brain is doused with all ofthese food thoughts, and that's
what I want for you to become amindful, intuitive eater.
(17:04):
What I'm talking about here isnot just full permission to eat
chocolate whenever you wantbecause you feel like it,
because it's in front of you,because it's delicious, because,
if that is the case, it willlead you to feeling very
uncomfortable in your body, andI just don't want that for you.
What I am talking about, though, is a mindful enjoyment of what
you're eating.
So, as you said, with a pan auchocolat, delicious, my friends.
Please go enjoy, but make anoccasion out of it.
(17:27):
Go to the cafe and sit thereand enjoy it.
You're in public now.
People can see you and enjoy itslowly.
Don't think to yourself.
I'm only allowed this as onetime.
I'll have to be good for therest of the day.
I want you to eat it, to reallytaste it, to be there with it
and then move on with your life.
Eating, mindfully, is a reallybig pillar of intuitive eating
(17:48):
as well, so we can't do onewithout the other.
Inside Binge Free Academy,which is my program I just
mentioned, we have life groupcoaching calls, and one of the
women inside the life groupcoaching call asked me the
question about what happens whenyou create an occasion out of
eating something like chocolate,like, let's say, you're like I
can't wait to go and eat achocolate croissant, and then it
(18:11):
doesn't live up to yourexpectations and it's not as you
imagined it and you feel likeyou'd saved up all this.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
You romanticize it.
You're like, oh, it's going tobe perfect, what do?
Speaker 1 (18:22):
you do.
Well, I think there are a fewthings at play here.
I think if your food thoughtsare so out of control where
you're kind of like constantlythinking about okay, I can't
wait to have this croissant, andit's going to be so good, and
you're creating a movie in yourmind about what this croissant
is going to look like and howit's going to taste, that's too
much.
It's a lot.
We've got to pull back.
We pull back.
Food should not be the highlightof your life.
Food should not be thehighlight of your life.
(18:45):
You eat to survive and sure,there must be enjoyment and joy
and beauty in food, but itshould not be the highlight of
your day.
And I remember when I felt likeI was crazy around food, it was
the highlight of my day.
It was the one thing I lookedforward to.
I couldn't wait for my binge, Icouldn't wait to eat the
Nutella, I couldn't wait to getthe croissant.
Now I'm able to also just lookforward to having the croissant
(19:10):
and for it not to mean so much.
And once you break free fromthe thinking that, oh, I've only
got so many calories andtherefore I need to use them so
wisely, it takes the pressureoff this experience being so
important because you know.
You know what?
If I actually really felt thiswas a disappointing experience,
I can go tomorrow to anotherpastry place and I can go get
(19:30):
something that is reallydelicious.
You know you have that freedomand flexibility and you're not
saying, oh, this was a waste ofcalories.
In fact, I want you to everytime you hear that phrase oh,
this was a waste, I just don'tthink it's worth it.
I want you to go oh, that'srestrictive thinking and we're
not going to think like thatanymore.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
That's a very, very toxic phrase to use.
Yeah, please don't do that.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
Nat, you mentioned at the start that you've come
stupendously along the way withyour relationship with chocolate
.
Was there anything that youfeel made a big shift for you?
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Yes.
So I actually started thinkingof like, okay, what can I add to
not eat a whole block ofchocolate and still feel full
and satisfied?
So instead of, you know,restricting it and restricting
myself to saying no, I can onlyhave one square, one little bit,
I was like, okay, I'm going toput on a plate as much as I
(20:22):
think I want.
So it was usually like a row,maybe two rows, you know,
nothing like too small.
And I would also add likesomething like fruit, some
crackers, some popcorn I reallyreally liked popcorn, it was
just so easy.
Popcorn, I really really likedpopcorn, it was just so easy.
And then I would sit down andeat it no TV, no distractions,
and like we talked about thisbefore.
But it really did make such adifference because here I was
(20:43):
just sitting there slowly eatingthe food, enjoying it, thinking
about it, thinking about how itactually tastes, the textures,
the mouthfeel, and really atthat same time, tuning into my
body and thinking, okay, do Iwant more?
Do I want that extra row that Ihave on the plate, or am I
happy?
And eventually it got to apoint where I was like, okay, I
(21:05):
actually don't need that extrarow.
You know what I'm actuallyhappy.
Having just a couple of squares, I'm satisfied I can move on.
That also came from a placewhere I wasn't just looking
forward to the chocolate at theend of the day.
I had other things in my daythat already made the highlight.
So I think what you said is soimportant.
Like we don't live to eat Okay,we eat to live.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
And even in that example, even if you did put
half a block of chocolate onyour plate, you're still way
ahead.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
Exactly.
It's still a win, even if it'sjust like one row off.
Yeah, a whole book.
Small steps, small steps.
Don't put the pressure onyourself of going from 100 to
zero.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
I think the trap when you go I'll just finish it now
so I don't have to have this inthe house.
This is very important.
Let's address this.
I think the way to get rid ofthis thinking is to always have
a constant supply of chocolate.
If you believe by eating all ofthis I won't have it in the
house anymore, well, of courseyou're going to go.
I'm just going to eat it allnow.
(22:12):
So we talk about this idea ofhaving the three block principle
, and that is where you havethree blocks of chocolate or
whatever it is that you feel alittle bit out of control with.
And so you know and you trulybelieve anytime I want this food
, I can go have it.
So there is no need to eat theentire chocolate right now
because there's more waiting forme and I can have more now, I
can eat more later.
And it's once you fully, trulybelieve and know this that it
(22:35):
starts to feel like a choice andyou go do I really want the
chocolate right now?
And sure, I might like thetaste of chocolate right now,
but I can change it.
And on this idea, I just wantto talk about this idea of can
you change your taste buds.
And let me know if you guyswant a whole episode on this
thing can you change your tastebuds?
How do you change your tastebuds?
Just very quickly, I'll saythat with something like salt.
(22:57):
What they found is that toreduce our preference for how
much salt we have, going coldturkey can be the quickest and
most effective way, and there'scertainly research to back up
this idea that the less sugaryou have, the less cravings you
have.
What I find problematic with alot of this advice is people say
well, I didn't eat anyprocessed food or any chocolate
and my cravings went away.
You're not going to live likethat forever.
(23:18):
At some point you willreintroduce that food and
therefore the cravings will comeback.
So we need something far moresustainable than that.
What we can do is we can, withtime, with making small, subtle
changes, reduce our personalpreference for how sweet we like
things.
I remember when I was just cameout of dieting, I had to have a
decaf coffee at my mom's houseand I needed two sweeteners in
(23:43):
it.
I needed that sweet hit andthen I thought one day, well,
maybe I'll try to get used to alittle bit less sweetener.
So then I moved to onesweetener and then I thought,
well, actually I think I'dprefer to have sugar over
sweetener.
So then I swapped that to sugarand then I got to the point
where it was half, and you knowwhere this is going everyone.
(24:04):
She's now at a point where Iprefer coffee without the
sweetness and, as a result, onceyou start to slowly taper away
the amount of sweetness you havein all the things that you have
, you actually prefer it to be alittle bit less sweet.
However, telling yourself I'mnot allowed to have sugar in my
coffee actually does theopposite.
So it is such a psychologicalgame we're playing with
ourselves.
When you go, it has to feellike a choice.
(24:28):
You have to decide.
I would actually like to seewhat it would be like to have
coffee.
Can I get to this point?
And within a few weeks you willget to a point where your taste
buds start to shift and changeand now, genuinely, you have a
new preference.
But this will not happen if youstill got all those food
thoughts and all those judgmentsrunning a wreck and a riot in
your brain, making you feelemotionally restricted.
All right, everyone.
I hope you found today'sepisode helpful and thank you,
(24:50):
natalia, for joining me.
I'm delighted to have you andwe'll see you here next week.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Thanks, lindy, and if you have found this episode
helpful, we'd love to hear fromyou.
Please leave a review.
Let us know what did you think.
Are you addicted to chocolate?
Did you find these tips helpful?
If you are going to try them,let us know in the comments.
We'd love to hear from you.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
All right, everyone, we'll see you next week.
It's what happens when you're eating the chocolate
and you're saying only one moresquare, only one more bite,
just this row, and then I'll begood.
The desire for chocolate is sooverwhelming, is so constant
that I think we need to talkabout it.
And at some point you thinkeffort, I'm just going to finish
the pack, so it's not going tobe here in front of me, and
(00:26):
that's that last suppermentality.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Eventually you got to a point where I was like, okay,
I actually don't need thatextra row.
You know what?
I'm actually happy having justlike a couple of squares, Like
I'm satisfied, I can move on.
There was a time where I feltso out of control with chocolate
(00:55):
that I would just always avoidbuying it, like I would never,
ever keep it in the house.
But I also worked at asupermarket.
I worked at Coles.
So anytime I worked at Colesafter my shift I would get
chocolate.
It was usually like a wholeblock and every single time I
would get home and I would eatthe whole entire thing in one
(01:15):
sitting and I just thought thisis exactly why I can't keep
chocolate, because I ate thewhole thing.
I remember there was a timewhere I had like four shifts in
a row and after every singleshift I got a block of chocolate
and I ate the whole thing.
I remember there was a timewhere I had like four shifts in
a row and after every singleshift I got a block of chocolate
and I ate the whole thing.
Sometimes it was like a blockand a half.
It was insane.
And then eventually it clicked.
(01:37):
I knew what I was doing wrongand once I started doing this,
everything changed and now I canactually keep chocolate in the
house and not have the wholething.
It's amazing.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Hello everyone and welcome to this week's episode
of no Wellness Wankery.
I'm Lindy Kowin, your dietitiannutritionist and lover of
chocolate, and I'm joined by afellow nutritionist, Natalia
Jala.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Hi Lindy, Also a fellow lover of chocolate over
here.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Thank goodness, and as you could tell from Nat's
story, you've had quite arelationship change with
chocolate over the years.
And I got to say I've had thesame kind of thing One birthday
my brother I would have beenabout 12.
My brother knew how much Iliked chocolate so he bought me
one of those humongous Nutellajars, like it was like a novelty
.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Oh I remember those.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
They're so good that I ate that Nutella jar at such a
pace and I felt so sick, but Icouldn't stop myself.
I just had to eat it.
And I have had very creativeways of eating chocolate over
the years, One included I wouldget Coco Pops and then I'd get
Milo and I'd mix them togetherbut then eat it dry and it was
(02:55):
great, but it was also.
I would just have that and eatthat in secret and it was a
thing.
So I've always had a bit of acurly relationship with
chocolate and we're going totalk about why that is, why that
might be happening for you, ifyou're listening, and what to do
about it.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Yeah, no, I love this topic.
I remember I definitely used tofeel like I'm a hundred percent
addicted to chocolate.
So, like, why?
Like where does this all start?
Why do we actually feeladdicted to chocolate?
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Well, firstly, on this whole idea is can we be
addicted to chocolate?
I think this is a veryinteresting question.
It certainly feels like we'readdicted to chocolate, because
why can't we stop?
I always think about it likethis I think it's very fair to
say you can be addicted tosubstances that you don't need
for survival think cigarettesand alcohol.
We don't actually need thosethings.
You do need food for survival.
So telling yourself that you'readdicted to something that you
intrinsically need for survivalis not quite right, and the
(03:46):
research backs me up on this.
There are a few scholars whowould say that you can be
addicted to chocolate.
It doesn't really matter,though.
The point is, you feel addicted, and that is what we need to
focus on Now.
Unlike other addictions thinkdrugs or alcohol we can actually
just remove those things.
I say just like it's easy.
(04:06):
It's not easy, but we canremove those things and you can
live a healthy life without them.
But with chocolate, what weoften find is that, by
eliminating chocolate, yousimply increase the craving for
the chocolate, and we see thisrepeated again in study after
study after study, where weactually make this food feel
very highly palatable, andyou're going to say to me but I
am eating it.
I'm not restricting it.
(04:27):
I'm eating so much chocolate.
And I think this is where weneed to differentiate between
physical restriction andemotional restriction, because
these are different things.
So physical restriction is whenyou're going what Nat did, I'm
not buying it, I'm not going tohave any chocolate and
physically, not having it in thehouse, not giving yourself
permission to eat it, trying tobe good.
And then emotional restrictionis much more sneaky.
(04:49):
It's what happens when you'reeating the chocolate and you're
saying only one more square,only one more bite, just this
row, and then I'll be good, thenI'll be done.
Or you eat way more than youplanned and then you promise
yourself you're not going to eatchocolate and next time you eat
chocolate it's like the frenzyhas become amplified and that is
(05:11):
what has happened.
You are basically throwinggasoline on your craving for
chocolate by creating thisrestriction.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yeah, no, I think that makes total sense.
Like, the more we tellourselves we can't have
something, the more we want it.
You know this happens with notjust chocolate, with all foods.
Okay, so why chocolate Like?
What's so special aboutchocolate?
Why Like, why?
Speaker 1 (05:32):
It's delicious.
Actually, research shows thatwomen tend to crave chocolate
more than men, which I alwayskind of thought interesting.
I don't actually know why, andresearchers don't seem to know
why, but I will attest that, asa woman, I find it mightily
delicious.
Dark chocolate, just from ahealth perspective.
I know we're often here thatthis is a very healthy thing to
be having.
Now, dark chocolate is a richsource of polyphenols, and
(05:55):
that's just, my friends, a fancyway of saying plant nutrients,
good stuff that makes your bodythrive.
And I got to say, though, thisdoes seem to be related to
chocolate that has an 85% cacaopercentage.
That's pretty high.
I don't know about you, it'snot my go-to.
I'm not really reaching for an85%, it's quite bitter, very
(06:17):
bitter.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Definitely not a 85% gal.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Not for joy.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Not for joy.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
No no, and I got to say I don't think chocolate
should be there for nutrients.
If you're eating chocolate fornutrients, I think you're
scraping the bottom of thebarrel and I think rather think
about ways to add more nutrientsinto your diet and don't think
about things like that'stechnically confectionary as a
source of nutrition.
Sure, if you're already so highup the nutrition bandwagon,
(06:43):
you're like I'm doing everything, I'm nailing it.
I would like more.
Sure, make the swap.
Why not?
In terms of the hierarchy ofhabits though, it's right up
there at the apex, it's not oneof those essential things to be
doing.
So, just remembering that, whychocolate?
You want to be making itsomething that you actually find
satisfying, because that'swhat's also going to help you
feel like.
You feel like the craving goesaway once you've consumed it.
(07:05):
So if you really want the KitKat or the Snicker or the Milo
and Cocoa Pops, then I sayrather eat that and eat that
with full enjoyment than tryingto make the healthier swap.
That doesn't quite feel like ithits the spot.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Or the high protein chocolate Like no, please do not
try to get your protein fromchocolate.
Please, I beg you.
It is not worth the money.
It is not worth it Like, it'snot even worth the taste.
You can get your protein from alot of other actual food
sources than chocolate.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
What about those low sugar chocolates that give you
diarrhea?
Fun and games.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
And they have that really gross aftertaste, Like
it's just not satisfying.
It's not what you want.
You want to be having chocolatefor enjoyment.
It's to bring joy in your life.
You know it's something thatyou have because you like it,
not because you want to behealthy and healthier and not
have sugar.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Yeah, and also I remember that I used to have
these diet chocolate mousses.
I don't know if you everremember them.
It was my Weight Watchers daysand each one was a point and so
I'd go for them and that reallydid not satisfy.
It didn't hit the spot and theywere like the sugar-free kind
of thing and I was like I neededsix of them and I still was
left wanting.
So have a think about that,particularly if you are going
(08:16):
for these sugar-free chocolatesthat are diuretics and you're
binge eating on them and thenyou're getting diarrhea.
Oh, and you're binge eating onthem and then you're getting
diarrhea.
Oh, my goodness, my sister, myfriend, you do not need to go
down that rabbit hole.
Instead, we're going to giveyou a few strategies, but first
I want to talk a little bit moreabout where these cravings come
from, because the desire forchocolate is so overwhelming, is
so constant, that I think weneed to talk about it.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Okay, so is there more to it than blaming your
sweet tooth?
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Well, a sweet tooth definitely contributes to it.
I know some people havepreference towards savory and
some towards sweet.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
I will take chocolate over cheese any day, a hundred
percent.
I'm definitely like a sweetcraving kind of girl, yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
And so I think that's something to be said.
I think we all have an inbuiltnatural preference.
There's certainly a lot to besaid about what happens when
you're growing up and you'regetting rewarded with foods.
So think about culturally.
We celebrate with sweets veryoften, so birthday cake is a
very prime example, and almostat every single function.
I mean, I'm Jewish, and so foodis life.
(09:18):
Family and food that's what weare.
We have food at every occasionand that's just gets amplified.
If I did something good or bad,I would get rewarded.
As a kid, with food andchocolate was a very effective
lever.
As a parent now, I already knowhow easy it is to use a smartie
to lure my son into doing whatI want.
I really try avoid this.
(09:39):
I have other episodes where wetalk about how to not do this
and fall into this trap, but Ithink it is something to
recognize is how you were raised, the relationship your parents
had with food and how youinherited part of that, because
this can also contribute to yourpreferences.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
And also lack of sleep.
So we know that a lot ofcravings do come from not having
enough quality sleep.
That's when your body's kind oflike okay, where can I get a
source of energy from?
And usually that's from food,and sugar is the quickest kind
of source of energy.
So that's when your brain justgoes okay, I need something now.
What's convenient to me?
What's going to give me thatenergy quickly?
(10:17):
Chocolate done.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Spot on, and cortisol as well.
So having higher stress levels,I mean technically, aren't most
of us a little bit stressed?
I definitely go throughstressful periods but I
certainly find that my cravingsfor chocolate do increase when I
feel quite stressed and thedegree of emotional eating I
think I find chocolate soothesme.
(10:39):
It's definitely my go-to whenI'm emotional eating and it's
almost like that craving forchocolate.
Sometimes I stop and I wonderwhat are you really craving here
, lindy?
Because I know you're cravingchocolate, but what are you
missing?
Are you missing rest?
Are you missing relaxation?
Food is not joy, food is notcomfort.
It is none of these things.
So what do you actually needright now?
This is quite an elite level.
I've only learned to do thisskill quite recently, but if you
(11:01):
can ask yourself, what are youactually seeking?
Let's talk about the gutmicrobiome, because, wow, this
is an area of study that is justgoing gangbusters.
What we're discovering, andwhat research has suggested, is
that a lack of lactobacilli inthe gastrointestinal tract is
which is basically you think ofit like a live gut bug.
(11:24):
This can actually cause sugarcravings, and so you're going
okay.
Well, how does this actuallywork?
Well, it's because this gutlactobacilli produced the
neurotransmitter, somethingcalled GABA.
And what does GABA do?
Well, high levels of GABA makeyou feel full, and low levels of
GABA do the opposite andstimulate your appetite.
So if you don't have this livegut bug, it's not going to give
(11:45):
you the right level of GABA,which is making you either
really hungry or really havehuge cravings for something like
chocolate.
What's the solve then?
You go well, how do I fix that?
Lactobacilli can be found inyogurt, and only those that have
an added probiotic to them.
So what you can do is have alook for the yogurt and flick to
the back and see that it has,like you'll see, lactobacillus
(12:05):
has been added to it, and that'sjust a good thing to do anyway,
if you are dairy intolerant.
Of course, there are alsolactose-free options that have
lactobacillus added to it.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Okay, that's all great and I think that's very,
very helpful to know.
You know, like, the reason whywe do crave chocolate and what
we can actually be doing.
But I think another thing thatwe're missing here is a lot of
the time it's a habit, right.
We've learned to do these overthe years.
It's a coping strategy.
You reach for chocolate whenyou're bored, you reach for it
when you stress.
So can we actually unlearnthose habits and can we replace
(12:40):
them with new ones?
Speaker 1 (12:42):
oh, we certainly can.
I mean, we talk about this alot on the podcast, talking
about conditioning and how veryeasily we can condition
ourselves that every time weflick on our favorite tv show,
you might notice those cravingsstart to fester and next thing
you know you're skipping to thepantry to go and retrieve your
favorite snack.
And if you're going oh, thisdoes happen to me, and most
nights this happens to me thenwe know that we have conditioned
(13:04):
ourselves.
The other thing you mightnotice is you're finishing lunch
and you're going oh, I reallywant something sweet.
In fact, nat, we just had lunchtogether and I went here we are
here we are enjoying adelicious little.
Easter egg, which is deliciousand I love it, and so I think
occasionally this is going tohappen.
When you find that this is yourdefault, you are always turning
(13:26):
to these options.
That's when we kind of go thisis just a habit and these habits
can be broken.
Now it does require us to gothrough a period of discomfort.
So you might go oh listen,actually I'm going to try and
either swap to somethinghealthier as opposed to a
chocolate after lunch, or youmight just go listen, it's just
an Easter egg, it's not a bigdeal, and I will just move on
with my day.
(13:46):
If you find that you can't juststop at one Easter egg and the
next thing, you know, it's like20 Easter eggs later.
That's when we go okay, notonly is this conditioning, but
there's also the degree ofrestriction which is making you
really crave that chocolate evenmore.
You know I talked about thatemotional restriction.
So perhaps you're going ohlisten, I'm only going to have
this one Easter egg.
Oh, I can't have any more.
(14:06):
You reach for another.
I promise this is the last oneand at some point you think F it
, I'm just going to finish thepack, so it's not going to be
here in front of me and that'sthat last supper mentality in
action.
So this is what I think Ireally want to focus on for the
rest of this conversation.
So then, how do we break thishabit, this really strong desire
(14:29):
, this feeling of going?
I can't just stop after havinga little bit of chocolate.
I need to have a lot ofchocolate.
I think a really key one is wetalked about this eat the
chocolate you really want.
Then changing how you eat it.
Now, I think when you find thatyou are secretively eating your
chocolate, that is an alarmbell, a little sign to say there
(14:53):
is clearly emotionalrestriction going on, because I
feel ashamed of other peoplewitnessing me eating the
chocolate.
Thus I am judging myself eatingthe chocolate and thus I am
basically encouraging myself toeat more chocolate next time by
doing that.
So what can we do?
Very clearly, I talk about thisin Binge Free Academy, which is
my program.
If you struggle with bingeeating and you feel out of
control of food, please go andcheck out Binge Free Academy.
(15:14):
But what I do teach you how todo is to integrate something
like chocolate and to giveyourself permission to do it and
, ideally, eat it in front ofother people.
So often we reserve ourfavorite foods, like chocolate,
for something we think isnaughty or secretive.
Maybe if it's even just ourpartner who will eat in front of
.
We won't eat it in front ofother people.
And when we're out, we'remaking those healthy choices.
(15:34):
No, I don't want dessert.
Oh God, yes, when you really do.
And so then we got to flip thatdialogue so that when we are
out with friends and family,that's when we're sharing the
chocolate, as opposed to whenwe're secretively hiding our
Easter eggs and the wrappers.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
I really, really like that tip.
I think a really easy way to dothat is start with, if you go
out for breakfast, for example,order the chocolate croissant I
know you want it, I know youwant that hot chocolate Just
have it.
After dinner, grab an ice cream, chocolate ice cream If it's
just like going to thesupermarket and getting your
favorite chocolate and enjoyingthat with your friends or your
(16:12):
partner.
And getting your favoritechocolate and enjoying that with
your friends or your partner,whatever it is, just having it
in public around other peopleand just taking out that label
of it's bad.
I can only have it when I'malone.
That's really going to behelpful.
I know it sounds so simple, butit really, really does work.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
Spot on.
In addition, can you change howyou eat it?
We want to get out of thatnoisy brain, that little food
thoughts going oh no, weshouldn't be eating this.
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,blah.
She's very loud that voice.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
She's very irritating .
Speaker 1 (16:43):
I want you to become aware of those thoughts, that
little restrictive voice.
In fact, one of the things youcan do is you can start to
create a new note in your phonewhere you're going to go, add
all of these little foodthoughts that you have, and just
start to record them down,because I think it's near
impossible to be a mindful,intuitive eater when you have
your brain is doused with all ofthese food thoughts, and that's
what I want for you to become amindful, intuitive eater.
(17:04):
What I'm talking about here isnot just full permission to eat
chocolate whenever you wantbecause you feel like it,
because it's in front of you,because it's delicious, because,
if that is the case, it willlead you to feeling very
uncomfortable in your body, andI just don't want that for you.
What I am talking about, though, is a mindful enjoyment of what
you're eating.
So, as you said, with a pan auchocolat, delicious, my friends.
Please go enjoy, but make anoccasion out of it.
(17:27):
Go to the cafe and sit thereand enjoy it.
You're in public now.
People can see you and enjoy itslowly.
Don't think to yourself.
I'm only allowed this as onetime.
I'll have to be good for therest of the day.
I want you to eat it, to reallytaste it, to be there with it
and then move on with your life.
Eating, mindfully, is a reallybig pillar of intuitive eating
(17:48):
as well, so we can't do onewithout the other.
Inside Binge Free Academy,which is my program I just
mentioned, we have life groupcoaching calls, and one of the
women inside the life groupcoaching call asked me the
question about what happens whenyou create an occasion out of
eating something like chocolate,like, let's say, you're like I
can't wait to go and eat achocolate croissant, and then it
(18:11):
doesn't live up to yourexpectations and it's not as you
imagined it and you feel likeyou'd saved up all this.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
You romanticize it.
You're like, oh, it's going tobe perfect, what do?
Speaker 1 (18:22):
you do.
Well, I think there are a fewthings at play here.
I think if your food thoughtsare so out of control where
you're kind of like constantlythinking about okay, I can't
wait to have this croissant, andit's going to be so good, and
you're creating a movie in yourmind about what this croissant
is going to look like and howit's going to taste, that's too
much.
It's a lot.
We've got to pull back.
We pull back.
Food should not be the highlightof your life.
Food should not be thehighlight of your life.
(18:45):
You eat to survive and sure,there must be enjoyment and joy
and beauty in food, but itshould not be the highlight of
your day.
And I remember when I felt likeI was crazy around food, it was
the highlight of my day.
It was the one thing I lookedforward to.
I couldn't wait for my binge, Icouldn't wait to eat the
Nutella, I couldn't wait to getthe croissant.
Now I'm able to also just lookforward to having the croissant
(19:10):
and for it not to mean so much.
And once you break free fromthe thinking that, oh, I've only
got so many calories andtherefore I need to use them so
wisely, it takes the pressureoff this experience being so
important because you know.
You know what?
If I actually really felt thiswas a disappointing experience,
I can go tomorrow to anotherpastry place and I can go get
(19:30):
something that is reallydelicious.
You know you have that freedomand flexibility and you're not
saying, oh, this was a waste ofcalories.
In fact, I want you to everytime you hear that phrase oh,
this was a waste, I just don'tthink it's worth it.
I want you to go oh, that'srestrictive thinking and we're
not going to think like thatanymore.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
That's a very, very toxic phrase to use.
Yeah, please don't do that.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
Nat, you mentioned at the start that you've come
stupendously along the way withyour relationship with chocolate
.
Was there anything that youfeel made a big shift for you?
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Yes.
So I actually started thinkingof like, okay, what can I add to
not eat a whole block ofchocolate and still feel full
and satisfied?
So instead of, you know,restricting it and restricting
myself to saying no, I can onlyhave one square, one little bit,
I was like, okay, I'm going toput on a plate as much as I
(20:22):
think I want.
So it was usually like a row,maybe two rows, you know,
nothing like too small.
And I would also add likesomething like fruit, some
crackers, some popcorn I reallyreally liked popcorn, it was
just so easy.
Popcorn, I really really likedpopcorn, it was just so easy.
And then I would sit down andeat it no TV, no distractions,
and like we talked about thisbefore.
But it really did make such adifference because here I was
(20:43):
just sitting there slowly eatingthe food, enjoying it, thinking
about it, thinking about how itactually tastes, the textures,
the mouthfeel, and really atthat same time, tuning into my
body and thinking, okay, do Iwant more?
Do I want that extra row that Ihave on the plate, or am I
happy?
And eventually it got to apoint where I was like, okay, I
(21:05):
actually don't need that extrarow.
You know what I'm actuallyhappy.
Having just a couple of squares, I'm satisfied I can move on.
That also came from a placewhere I wasn't just looking
forward to the chocolate at theend of the day.
I had other things in my daythat already made the highlight.
So I think what you said is soimportant.
Like we don't live to eat Okay,we eat to live.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
And even in that example, even if you did put
half a block of chocolate onyour plate, you're still way
ahead.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
Exactly.
It's still a win, even if it'sjust like one row off.
Yeah, a whole book.
Small steps, small steps.
Don't put the pressure onyourself of going from 100 to
zero.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
I think the trap when you go I'll just finish it now
so I don't have to have this inthe house.
This is very important.
Let's address this.
I think the way to get rid ofthis thinking is to always have
a constant supply of chocolate.
If you believe by eating all ofthis I won't have it in the
house anymore, well, of courseyou're going to go.
I'm just going to eat it allnow.
(22:12):
So we talk about this idea ofhaving the three block principle
, and that is where you havethree blocks of chocolate or
whatever it is that you feel alittle bit out of control with.
And so you know and you trulybelieve anytime I want this food
, I can go have it.
So there is no need to eat theentire chocolate right now
because there's more waiting forme and I can have more now, I
can eat more later.
And it's once you fully, trulybelieve and know this that it
(22:35):
starts to feel like a choice andyou go do I really want the
chocolate right now?
And sure, I might like thetaste of chocolate right now,
but I can change it.
And on this idea, I just wantto talk about this idea of can
you change your taste buds.
And let me know if you guyswant a whole episode on this
thing can you change your tastebuds?
How do you change your tastebuds?
Just very quickly, I'll saythat with something like salt.
(22:57):
What they found is that toreduce our preference for how
much salt we have, going coldturkey can be the quickest and
most effective way, and there'scertainly research to back up
this idea that the less sugaryou have, the less cravings you
have.
What I find problematic with alot of this advice is people say
well, I didn't eat anyprocessed food or any chocolate
and my cravings went away.
You're not going to live likethat forever.
(23:18):
At some point you willreintroduce that food and
therefore the cravings will comeback.
So we need something far moresustainable than that.
What we can do is we can, withtime, with making small, subtle
changes, reduce our personalpreference for how sweet we like
things.
I remember when I was just cameout of dieting, I had to have a
decaf coffee at my mom's houseand I needed two sweeteners in
(23:43):
it.
I needed that sweet hit andthen I thought one day, well,
maybe I'll try to get used to alittle bit less sweetener.
So then I moved to onesweetener and then I thought,
well, actually I think I'dprefer to have sugar over
sweetener.
So then I swapped that to sugarand then I got to the point
where it was half, and you knowwhere this is going everyone.
(24:04):
She's now at a point where Iprefer coffee without the
sweetness and, as a result, onceyou start to slowly taper away
the amount of sweetness you havein all the things that you have
, you actually prefer it to be alittle bit less sweet.
However, telling yourself I'mnot allowed to have sugar in my
coffee actually does theopposite.
So it is such a psychologicalgame we're playing with
ourselves.
When you go, it has to feellike a choice.
(24:28):
You have to decide.
I would actually like to seewhat it would be like to have
coffee.
Can I get to this point?
And within a few weeks you willget to a point where your taste
buds start to shift and changeand now, genuinely, you have a
new preference.
But this will not happen if youstill got all those food
thoughts and all those judgmentsrunning a wreck and a riot in
your brain, making you feelemotionally restricted.
All right, everyone.
I hope you found today'sepisode helpful and thank you,
(24:50):
natalia, for joining me.
I'm delighted to have you andwe'll see you here next week.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Thanks, lindy, and if you have found this episode
helpful, we'd love to hear fromyou.
Please leave a review.
Let us know what did you think.
Are you addicted to chocolate?
Did you find these tips helpful?
If you are going to try them,let us know in the comments.
We'd love to hear from you.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
All right, everyone, we'll see you next week.
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