I'm giving up chocolate again in 2018 - ideally for good

2015 was the year I went chocolate free. I decided to do it to see if I noticed a difference in my energy levels, tiredness, that kind of thing. I noticed no such difference. So as Big Ben rang in 2016, I ate chocolate straight away. I remember that moment. To be honest, I didn't really miss chocolate. So after eating chocolate again for almost 2 years, I've realised it's become too big a part of my every day diet. I spend way too much money on chocolate, specifically from Hotel Chocolat.

I know people say don't ban yourself completely from eating foods but I know me - if I eat even one chocolate thing, that'll be it and I'll eat chocolate whenever the offer arises. So I have to completely ban it in order to really succeed.

I have an unhealthy amount of fat around my stomach. I don't know for sure it's an unhealthy amount. But I know having a lot of fat in that area can be dangerous to your health. I'm too scared to use the body fat machine at the gym to tell me for certain. I can just feel it. I want to lose the fat around my stomach and become a little slimmer. I know I've put on weight recently. I used to be 54kg only about 2-3 years ago and now I'm 60kg, which is pushing it a bit for me. I'm 5'4".

So my new year's resolution for 2018 is to give up chocolate completely. I'm not starting it now simply because I know I'll break it now (I'm surrounded by chocolate as I type this), but my aim is to get rid of this stubborn belly fat.

Speaking of belly fat, what are some really good exercises to do at the gym that will help me shift it? At the moment I've stuck to the treadmill, simply because I know how to use it and won't look like a wally trying to figure out how to use it.

I know. I'm slightly ashamed. but you have to make sacrifices in life sometimes. Sadly this is one of them.

I'm doing that too. Now that I'm at uni I have more freedom to actually cook. At home, especially at my dad's it was just food from the freezer. I've been making all of my main meals from scratch which is definitely going to be a lot healthier.

My biggest problem is my snacking. A few years ago I had a problem where if I didn't eat for 3-4 hours I would faint, so I'm scared to not eat in case I faint. This means I constantly have a snack that'll stop me feeling hungry - normally Quavers, Squashies or some kind of cereal bar. I haven't fainted from not eating in about 2 years, but I'm still scared of it. I need to get over this fear, so hopefully not eating chocolate will eliminate a lot of snacks I eat, and therefore my diet will automatically become a lot healthier.

If I ever leave the house and realise I haven't got a snack, I'm constantly worrying that I'll faint, even if I only just ate breakfast or a meal 20 minutes before. In the past the feeling like I'm going to faint came on really suddenly, so the gap between feeling faint and fainting was only a matter of 2-3 minutes, which isn't ideal if I'm on the bus or walking around town.

Me too, I just need to find ones I like. I love cashews but they're pretty expensive

Giving up chocolate won't make you thinner. You need to look at your whole diet.

Also, your BMI is about 22.5 which is pretty healthy. Just saying.

I know. I've said in previous replies that I am changing my whole diet. Chocolate makes up a big part of my diet, it's too big of a part.

BMI isn't a great indicator of health. I know for my height I'm healthy, but in terms of where my body fat is distributed, I don't think it's that healthy.

It isn't a good indicator, but you don't really need to lose any weight. And you can't control where your fat is distributed.

Why not give up chocolate today instead? 2018 is still two months away.

I also have a strong chocolate addiction and I wish I could eat in moderation, but if I have one then I need to have more, since one bar won’t satiate my cravings.

It wouldn’t be so bad if chocolate wasn’t so high in calories (most of them useless), but it is, and the sugar rush you get after eating a few bars puts me in a slightly depressive state after having my fill. There was a time last year where I gave up chocolate for good. My mind felt clearer, I felt stronger (from eating better food) and I was a lean machine.

So yeah. I’m also giving up chocolate. Hopefully forever. Starting from yesterday. And maybe I might just be sober one day.

I know I don't need to and I can't control it, but I'd like to try and change it a little bit. It'll make my mental health better.

If you'd rather give up chocolate, go ahead. Just don't be one of those silly fad people who give up sugar completely and end up bingeing a few weeks later.