cant give up chocolate & caffeine

My son is just about to turn one and I am 7 lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight. I have always had good metabolism and never really cared much to count calories, I just ate whatever I felt like eating. But, now I want to lose these extra pounds and get back into my jeans! I am finally starting to feel a little lighter, but I am getting frustrated because I am not there yet! I just got on here about a month ago and started counting calories. I can't believe the calories in the foods I have been eating! Now, I am definitely more conscious about what I eat. I have been getting A's or A-'s. That's pretty good. One thing that I can't quite do is get my calories under 1700. I am simply too hungry. I am actually still hungry and I am far past 1700. One issue is that I love chocolate and caffeine. Today I had such a bad headache... one that Tylenol and water couldn't help. I knew it was because I had't had any caffeine recently. So, I went and got a Dr. Pepper and some m&m's (I know bad decision!). Well, after eating them I felt better. I am pretty sure some of this, if not all, was psycho-somatic. Well, that snack/indulgence blew my calories for the day. Instead of being somewhere around 1700, I am at 1900. I want to get back into my jeans by new years which I don't think that is an unrealistic goal. But, I don't see that happening if I continue to eat these snacks. Does anyone have any suggestions for me?

well, you can wean yourself slowly off caffeine... or drink diet soda or coffee instead (just don't load your coffee up with tons of crap like i do).

it sounds like you're either psychologically hungry (in which case try drinking hot tea or doing something else for a while to see if hte hunger lessens) or you're eating some calorically dense foods and they don't ahve enough volume to fill you up (have some popcorn or big leafy veggies).

Congrats on your almost-one-year-old!!

I am not about to give up caffeine and chocolate, so I hear you!!

Perhaps you can look over your food logs for the past few days and see where you might improve upon the foods you had chosen. Lower fat milk? More filling but less calorie-dense foods? Switch the Dr. Pepper for a diet Dr. Pepper?

Perhaps you could try eating 1800 calories for a week, then reduce the number of calories by 50 calories for 1750 calories daily for a week, and then the third week, go down to 1700.

Any chance that you can build some exercise into your day? With exercise, you can eat more and still lose weight.

I second the switch to diet and suggest that maybe some smaller portioned chocolate treats might be in order?  Hershey's has some Chocolate sticks that run about 60 calories.  For more chocolately treats check Hungry-girl.com list.

You also might try a pain reliever with a little caffeine in it to help with headaches.

I am impressed how fast I've gotten responses! Thanks! Well, I guess what I eat is probably just not filling enough & too calorically dense. BTW, is there any way to show someone what my food log looks like? Rather than describing it? Anywho, I have decreased my intake of juices and fruits that are high in sugar. I think that will help my daily caloric intake. I don't think I could ever completely give up the chocolate or caffeine. Perhaps I need to start taking advantage of these super hot summer days and brew some iced tea. I love simply iced tea with lemon/ & NO sweetner. Replace that for Dr. Pepper. The problem child will be the chocolate. I love chocolate chip cookies and non fat milk for a snack. Maybe 1 or 2 cookies rather than 3-4... Also, another weakness I have is ice cream. I love the full fat Bryers. I think there is absolutely no point in eating it if it's not full of sugar and fat. The low carb stuff tastes like paste to me. I guess I just get cravings and can't make them go away without actually eating what I am craving. Things that I have improved on: my snacking has decreased and the foods I snack on are healthier. I am aware of what I eat now. I am trying to become healthier. As for things I can still improve on: I still need to become more active. I work 6-8 hours a day in front of a computer and then come home and sit more in front of a computer (ah hem). I take care of my son, which does take a lot of work! And do some household stuff and gardening. But, I am bad about actually exercising. I have proven to myself that I am lousy at keeping a gym routine. This kind of weather with the heat index at 100 degrees is not the best either for really getting outside to walk either. hmm. I wonder if it is possible that there is some part of my that subconsciously is preventing me / is afraid to lose weight. I know that may sound crazy, but I just have this wierd notion that I am preventing myself from reaching my goal. I guess this is true because nobody else is. My husband is very supportive and encourages me to get active. I don't know! Now, I've started to ramble, so I will wrap this up! Thanks for reading.

You do not need to give up chocolate and caffeine. You should moderate your chocolate intake, though.

I've slowly been working my way through a delightful hot pepper dark chocolate bar. I allow myself one little square when I have a craving, and it's enough. One little square is maybe 7-10 grams, and contributes hardly at all to your calorie total, as long as you stop at one. I find that sufficient to satisfy my craving so that I don't binge.

Exercise will indeed help. I'm a rather extreme example, as I am currently training like a competitive bicyclist (I was out for two hours yesterday, at a pace that, according to this site, burned off 2500 calories). The upshot is that my total burn for the day was over 4,600 calories, and I ate 3,500 calories, which still allows me to lose fat?I've not actually been losing much weight, as my right leg was somewhat atrophied after surgery, and it's coming back like gangbusters. I've lost a notch on my belt, though, and I've almost lost another.

caffeine addiction is bad, indeed, giving you terrible headaches... you could try to drink decaf coffee mixed with normal coffee, to slowly decrease the daily needed amount of caffeine

as for the chocolate, eating 1 square once in a while, won't kill you, but try the one with at least 70% cocoa - and let it slowly melt in your mouth, so you'll find this amount to be enough

Thank you guys, I really appreciate the input!

I bought a big bar of Cadbury Royal Dark, would have four squares (88 calories) of it and found that that was usually enough. Ten squares is 220 calories, and even that much, I could work into my day if I wanted to.

I like chocolate chip cookies, too! I have some in my lunch box. :-D

Yes, you can cut and paste your food log into a post.

The switch to iced tea is a great idea, and that will knock some calories off your intake right there! I love iced tea, too, just plain ol' iced tea with nothing but a lemon slice in it. Mmmmmm!

Don't know whether this will help, but here's my food log for today. This comes in at 1,504 calories and has a grade of A-. I don't have to cook or share meals with anyone today, so can eat the tuna straight out of the can if I'd like! :-D I am working late today, hence all the snacks and relatively light dinner. If I'm ravenous after all this, I can still have a PowerBar (220 calories), or a couple of slices of whole wheat bread (70 calories each) with dinner, or some such, and still be in the 1700 range.

Fat - 24.9% (43 grams)
Protein - 22.9% (90 grams)
Carbohydrates - 52.2% (205 grams)
Daily Sodium Intake - 1960 mg
Daily Cholesterol Intake - 105 mg
Daily Fiber Intake - 21 grams

Breakfast 
Golean cereal 35 94 (.67 cup)
Cheerios 10 37 (.33 cup)
Blueberries 41 23 (30 berries)
Milk, Reduced Fat, Fluid, 2% Milkfat - With Added Vitamin A 122 61   (4 oz.)

Lunch 
Lean Cuisine Lemon Chicken 252 290 
Carrots, Baby - Raw 150 53 (15 medium baby)
Keebler Chips Deluxe Original 19 100   (100 calorie pack)

Dinner 
Tuna, Light, Canned In Water, Drained Solids 165 191 (one can)
Salad Dressing, Kraft Mayo Fat Free Mayonnaise Dressing 16 11  (one tbl)
Almonds 28 162 (24 almonds)
Puddings, Chocolate, Ready-to-eat 85 118    (one snack pack)

Snacks
Plums 66 30 (1 plum)
Cherries, Sweet 136 86 (20 cherries)
DANNON Natural Flavors Coffee 170 150 (one 6 oz container)
Coffee (Filter) 355 14 (12 oz.)
Sugars, Granulated 12 46 (2 packets)
Milk, Fluid, 3.25% Milkfat (2 oz)

Ok, well being a chocolate junky myself I may have a few tips. I suffered from the "M&M" syndrome myself. Also the chocolate covered raisins, chocolate covered almonds, chocolate covered cherries. See a chain? What I found was I dont do well with tons of portions in one container, i'll eat them all! A trick I have developed is buying something with 1 or 2 portions. Like A peanut butter cup, just one and giving the other one away. ALSO freezing your sweets. It takes me SOO much longer to eat through cold chocolate than warm melty chocolate and it actually tastes really good. Have you tried dark chocolate? That is really intense and usually will satsify a craving in one serving. If you love chocolate, maybe the Nuts over Chocolate Luna bar? They are 180 calories and will give you a lot of protein!

I dont really believe in depriving yourself of things that you love. It's all about moderation. So just tell yourself, Ok I am going to have three, drink a glass of water and see what happens then. I have found I stay right at my calories on the days I allow myself to eat a treat or two and I totally blow my cals on the days I go "no no, can't have that"

I guess my tip is moderation? haha sorry If Im not being very helpful

As for the caffeine -- I used to be a diet coke addict (seriously, like 8 cans a day), and I slllloooowwwwlllyyyy widdled it down until I didn't drink any and I no longer crave it (actually, for the most part now I find it relatively disgusting).  My trick was to replace one can of soda per day each week with some sort of flavored seltzer (you can get them in cans at somewhere like wal-mart so they're just as easy to throw in a lunch or something as a diet coke).  So, one week I was drinking 7 cans of diet coke a day and one can of seltzer, the next week 6-2, then 5-3, and so on.  Ultimately I replaced the seltzer with water.  It was a long process, but I didn't get a single caffeine headache and don't miss it at all!

That said, I do have coffee every now and then.  Good luck!!

Don't give up chocolate!  A big comfort treat for me is M&Ms and a diet Coke (I've always drunk [drank?] diet since my mom did.  I think it tastes better).  So if I really want it,  I have it.  But I do a small portion.  If I could get the dark chocolate M&Ms here, I would like it even better.  Measure your sweets out, then put the rest away.  It helps, I swear.

As for ice cream, I'm such a sucker for it!  Just plan for it, and be sure and measure.  I find it helps if I serve it in a small containter and use a small spoon.  Then the "mere" half cup seems like a lot.

This is a lifestyle change and giving up things you love is a serious no-no!  Just have them in moderation.  I've found that I crave sweets less now, but I still want them sometimes. 

Oh, something just occured to me (I am NOT familar with anything regarding children so I could be WAAAAAY off base here), I know if you're nursing, you need about an extra 500 calories or so.  Dunno if that has any bearing on your situation.

Re: ice cream, I've stopped buying it. It doesn't last long enough :D

Chocolate, however... I keep a bar of the dark stuff stashed for when I need 1-3 squares of it, and a container of cocoa powder for sprinkling on deserts, fruit, etc. One of my favorites: a very ripe banana mushed into cereal, oats or museli, microwaved for 1 minute, then sprinkled w/ cocoa powder. don't put the cocoa in the microwave or it will burn :)

I am a diet coke junkie myself. I allow my self one in the am (I hate coffee) and then if I drink all of my water for the day I have another one. Also, I love ice cream. I have been buying the dreyer's slow churned, its a third less fat and sugar and it tastes GREAT! I love it. Instead of eating it out of the container like I used to I measure it and only have that much. The vanilla bean with fresh strawberries, ooooh yummy! Also, dreyer's popsicles-only 80 cals.

    Expresso are my weakness... Chocolate, I haven't had in awhile. I get chocolate cravings during that time of the month... I have semi sweet chocolate to help me with that. Or low sugar chocolate mix, Make some hot cocoa. yummy.

If i by a bar, the whole thing will disappear in a few seconds... I really love chocolate! Better not to have it around. Valentines Day, If i should get some chocolates.. why not. Its all about love. :oD

This is me yesterday... I screwed up with the Dr. Pepper & the M&M's!

Breakfast

A   Quaker, Oatmeal, Instant, Low Sodium - Prepared With Water, Prepared With Water 93 A   Oats, Instant, Fortified - With Cinnamon And Spice, Prepared With Water 161 172  

Lunch A   Strawberries 144 46 B-  Twist-Ums String Cheese - Mozzarella & Cheddar - String Cheese 21 60 A-  Original Fruit Flavors - Yoplait Original 170 170 B+  Spaghetti, Protein-fortified - Cooked, Enriched (N X 6.25) 140 230 A-  Three Cheese Pasta Sauce - Traditional pasta sauce 90 C   Cheddar Cheese 28 113  

Dinner A-  Cranberry 100 100% Juice - Langers 100 Enhanced 237 140 A   More Carrots American - Blends 227 40 A   Tomatoes, Red, Ripe - Raw, Year Round Average 91 16 A   Cucumber, Peeled - Raw 30 4 C   Cheddar Cheese 28 113 C+  Garlic Mashed Potatoes 213 255 D+  Salad Dressing, Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing 47 165  

Snacks     Dr Pepper 360 150 D+  Candies, M&M MARS, "M&M's" Plain Chocolate Candies 21 103     Variety Pack (Lime, Strawberry & Wildberry) - Fruit Bar Whole Fruit 60  

Total Calories Consumed 2,020

Ditch the fruit juice.  The general consensus from various nutrition sites is that it's not as good as the whole fruit since it doesn't have all the nice fiber.  Try sprinkling dried cranberries on your oatmeal or in a salad instead.

Have you tried the Dreyers Rich and Creamy Slow Churned Light Ice cream?  I think it's great for light, and usually about 120cal for 1/2 cup.  Also, for chocolate, I usually just have some.  Dark usually, cause it is much more intense.  Healthy Choice also has some great fudge bars that are 80 cal and 1g of fat I think.  

Yeah, if you replace the fruit juice and Dr. Pepper with water and/or Diet Dr. Pepper, that would save you just about the 300 calories you wanted. And

And you get to keep the M&Ms! :-D

stop drinking all those fatty drinks drink something like water or tea with spelnda in it