Anonymous wrote:Op here. I’m not so disciplined as most of the posters here. My job is super stressful and very long hours. I eat the (junk) chocolate mindlessly through the day as my stress surges with incessant short fuse demands. And then I unwind with wine at night. I know it’s bad. But I take the point of replacing the wind down wine with a different habit. I don’t see myself taking up running. But maybe I can try a yoga tape or something. Recognize it’s not much but need to be realistic.

That’s why I said cut out the chocolate. Because those sugary treats are small but they pack a big punch and without realizing it you’re eating a couple handfuls of M&Ms and that will add up. But don’t deny yourself all chocolate otherwise you may end up failing. Ask me, I know!

Anonymous wrote:I have started putting ice cubes in my glass of white wine. I still have a glass daily but it is now half water.. not ideal but the best I could do for now on my path to less wine ..

Or try wine with seltzer so it’s more of a wine spritzer.

Just a splash of wine is enough for the flavor and “calming” effect that it has on me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It depends on which one you you consume the most. One glass of one vs a pound of chocolate? So, figure out which is causing most calories. Also think about what will replace the habit and its effect.

This. I'm not sure how else anyone can answer this. Someone who cuts out their 3 glasses of wine a week is not going to see a real difference. Three glasses a day, yes. Same with chocolate. How much are you consuming of each?

I suppose that’s true but alcohol, aside from containing calories, also makes people to gain more weight than just the calories consumed, generally speaking. Consuming 300 calories in chocolate is not going to have the same impact as 300 calories of wine.

https://www.health.com/weight-loss/does-alcohol-make-you-gain-weight

Anonymous wrote:It depends on which one you you consume the most. One glass of one vs a pound of chocolate? So, figure out which is causing most calories. Also think about what will replace the habit and its effect.

This. I'm not sure how else anyone can answer this. Someone who cuts out their 3 glasses of wine a week is not going to see a real difference. Three glasses a day, yes. Same with chocolate. How much are you consuming of each?

I don't know about calories or anything but I find drinking a glass of kombucha satisfies the wine craving for me (I generally only drink white or rose) - I think because its a little bit sour and slightly fizzy, so it seems "fancy" or "special."

Replace the mindless snacking on chocolate with fruit and baby carrots. You might be eating a ton of extra fruit but better than chocolate.

The cravings will subside over time. For wine, try to cut it down to weekends only and then phase it out. Or, just stop buying it. The first few days are hard (just like with any food or drink habit), but the cravings will subside.

Anonymous wrote:Agree with replacements. They’re magic. I even drank a bit of juice as a replacement and I know people are horrified about the extra calories but just a teeny glass of sparkling juice got rid of my craving for wine.

Dark chocolate is acquired taste but it’s worth it. One small piece is very satisfying so you don’t feel the compulsion to have more. You probably had to acquire a taste for wine. If you can do that, you can do it with dark chocolate.

And in your shoes I wouldn’t try to be “disciplined” about it. There is nothing satisfying or joyful about consuming dark chocolate or juice when it’s about discipline. Those, just like wine and regular chocolate, are indulgences and something to be enjoyed!

Agree with replacements. They’re magic. I even drank a bit of juice as a replacement and I know people are horrified about the extra calories but just a teeny glass of sparkling juice got rid of my craving for wine.

Dark chocolate is acquired taste but it’s worth it. One small piece is very satisfying so you don’t feel the compulsion to have more. You probably had to acquire a taste for wine. If you can do that, you can do it with dark chocolate.

I have started putting ice cubes in my glass of white wine. I still have a glass daily but it is now half water.. not ideal but the best I could do for now on my path to less wine ..

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I’m not so disciplined as most of the posters here. My job is super stressful and very long hours. I eat the (junk) chocolate mindlessly through the day as my stress surges with incessant short fuse demands. And then I unwind with wine at night. I know it’s bad. But I take the point of replacing the wind down wine with a different habit. I don’t see myself taking up running. But maybe I can try a yoga tape or something. Recognize it’s not much but need to be realistic.

Some things to help mitigate --

-reduce portions of wine and use smaller glasses to trick your mind

-replace wine glass #2, 3, etc. with fancy tea, sparkling water, etc.

-eat snacks that are indulgent but not super unhealthy, like strawberries, fancy cheese. alternatively, don't let yourself eat if you're in front of a screen. mindless eating is more of the problem here, IMO, not what you're eating.

-you don't have to run (I hated running for years although I love it now) but try to find an outlet that is physical exercise. when I was stressed at work as an overworked youngster I loved kickboxing classes. Now I love riding my bike.

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I’m not so disciplined as most of the posters here. My job is super stressful and very long hours. I eat the (junk) chocolate mindlessly through the day as my stress surges with incessant short fuse demands. And then I unwind with wine at night. I know it’s bad. But I take the point of replacing the wind down wine with a different habit. I don’t see myself taking up running. But maybe I can try a yoga tape or something. Recognize it’s not much but need to be realistic.

You need to find replacements then. I love coffee flavored hard candies. They take a long time to eat, but are only about 20 calories. Have a bag of those and suck on one instead of eating chocolate.

Then replace your wine--do you like kombucha? Italian soda? Then slowly go to calorie free sodas like la croix.

The wine for sure should go first, you'll feel much better once you stop.

Op here. I’m not so disciplined as most of the posters here. My job is super stressful and very long hours. I eat the (junk) chocolate mindlessly through the day as my stress surges with incessant short fuse demands. And then I unwind with wine at night. I know it’s bad. But I take the point of replacing the wind down wine with a different habit. I don’t see myself taking up running. But maybe I can try a yoga tape or something. Recognize it’s not much but need to be realistic.

For me, wine. Dark chocolate is great for you.

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely wine. And only dark chocolate. No milk chocolate or white chocolate or snickers or any of that junk.

Wine! Dark chocolate is actually great for you. I have dark chocolate daily. One serving only had 6 grams of sugar. Also contains 4g fiber and a whopping 35% of daily iron requirement. I don’t eat meat, so this is great for me.

I’ve never heard of anybody dropping a ton of weight from cutting out chocolate.