Everything in Moderation, Including Chocolate

Hi, my name is Stephanie and I'm a chocoholic. Whoops, got a song about that going through my head. Bit obscure, but some of you may have heard of it. I'd hum a few bars, but you can't hear me.

For me it's dark chocolate. Wonderful, indulgent, dark chocolate. But despite that, I know to take chocolate in moderation. After all, even the varieties with high levels of cocoa powder have an awful lot of calories.

If you have access to chocolate, it's generally difficult to not eat it. Depending on what gets you started and how easy it is for you to stop, however, can determine the best way for you to keep chocolate in the house.

My own problem is that I can eat chocolate any time it is available. I'm like a lot of people in that way. There are some times when it's harder to avoid chocolate than others, but if it's available, I'll snack on it.

My own way of coping is a combination of self control and making it easier for me to eat smaller quantities when I do eat chocolate. Rather than buy bars, I'll buy chocolate chips and only allow myself a small amount at a time.

Of course, that won't work if your own inclination is to eat the entire bag.

I like to get the higher quality chocolates. I've found that if I get the low grades it just isn't as satisfying. But if I buy the better kinds I can savor it more and really delight in the experience.

Another tactic is to set goals for when you can have chocolate. One of my sisters eats what she calls diet chocolate. It's not low calorie or anything, but she knows about how many calories are in the pieces (she loves truffles), and if she sticks to her diet that day and has enough calories left over, she can eat one. This helps her to keep from overindulging.

For other people, there may be emotional triggers to chocolate overindulgence, or perhaps a tendency to overeat chocolate at certain times of the month. If you can find an alternative to chocolate, or at least something that will help you eat less of it, these times will have less of an impact on you.

Another alternative is to add something healthy to your chocolates. I love to melt chocolate in the microwave and mix in some berries. Quite delicious, and if I stick with my limits on the amount of chocolate, these can be quite satisfying for the cravings.

You have to decide for yourself what is healthy. If you're gaining weight, you're probably eating too much, and chocolate may not be the only problem. Think about your diet and exercise routine and try to work towards a more healthy balance.

Indulging yourself in chocolate a little isn't wrong. It's when you overdo it that you start to have problems.

Author Resource:  Stephanie Foster runs http://www.gimmechocolate.com/ where you can find a variety of wonderful chocolates to buy. For those looking to really enjoy their moderate intakes of chocolate, she recommends choosing some wonderful gourmet chocolates.