Recently, I've become acquainted with this concept of extra-dark chocolate and I'm curious and a bit confused.
We bought a bar of Lindt 85% Dark Chocolate, it is very dark, very strong, bitter, a kick in the buds, one might say; it is made of five ingredients, three of them are cocoa, the fourth one is sugar, the fifth is vanilla beans, I mean, this stuff is powerful, you can't finish even a whole square in one sitting and it's not dessert-like at all...
My common sense tells me it's not an S food, but it is chocolate and I enjoy the flavor (after I pucker up for a while, of course) and I have enjoyed it after dinner, like a dessert.
So... S food or not?.
And have any of you tried super dark chocolate?, do you enjoy it?.
85% Cocoa Extra Dark Chocolate
Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating
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ThomsonsPier
- Posts: 321
- Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2006 2:18 pm
- Location: Reading, UK
It's a sweet.
It's definitely a sweet (even though it isn't very). It contains practically nothing except calories in the form of sugar and fat, which is pretty much my definition of a sweet.
I suppose the advantage is that it's practically impossible to eat much of it. Oh, and Green & Blacks is better.
I suppose the advantage is that it's practically impossible to eat much of it. Oh, and Green & Blacks is better.
ThomsonsPier
It's a trick. Get an axe.
It's a trick. Get an axe.
I personally would call this a sweet, but it's up to you to make that call for yourself. There definitely is *a* case that could be made (though there's always some kind of case).
Teaser content from the book, pages 76-77 (I'm going to have the whole book posted here at this rate
):
Reinhard
Teaser content from the book, pages 76-77 (I'm going to have the whole book posted here at this rate
):But Chocolate Is Good for You!
If you want to enjoy the newly discovered nutritional
benefi ts of chocolate, be my guest— just make sure to
consume it like the Aztecs did, without sugar (all of
a sudden your interest in its supposed health bene-
fi ts fades . . .), or reserve it for the weekends. Being fat
because you eat too much chocolate is emphatically not
good for you. And it’s not just the chocolate in itself—
by eating an unambiguous sweet, you are smudging a
clear no sweets boundary, which will probably lead to
further, nonchocolaty violations. It’s amazing how up
on the latest research people are when it comes to stuff
they like to eat but know they really shouldn’t.
For those of you just coming out of media seclusion,
here’s the deal about chocolate: A 2005 study reported
in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indi-
cated that eating 100 grams a day of dark chocolate for
15 days lowered blood pressure and improved the abil-
ity of the body to metabolize sugar.10 But as Professor
Graham MacGregor, chairman of the Blood Pressure
Association, noted: “The benefits of eating chocolate
are likely to be outweighed by the disadvantages as
chocolate is high in sugar and fat.â€11
Another study, published in 2006 in the Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences, attributed the
low blood pressure and good cardiovascular health of
the Kuna Indians, who live on the San Blas islands off
the coast of Panama, to the large amounts of flavanol-
rich cocoa they consume (three to four cups a day).12
The problem? The Kuna’s recipe requires fresh, hand-
picked, high-flavanol cocoa beans. Flavanols make choc-
olate and cocoa taste bitter and so have been removed
from most of the stuff you’re likely to fi nd in the super-
market. There is a world of difference between the fresh
fruit they consume and the processed powder that makes
it to us. It also requires massive quantities to see health
benefits. A mere cup a day doesn’t seem to do anything.
Do you really want to drink that much hot cocoa every
day? And don’t put any milk in there; the proteins in
milk seem to bind with the antioxidants in chocolate and
block their effect.
I’m not completely joking about the Aztec hot
chocolate. I’ve sworn not to fluff this book with reci-
pes of any kind, but do a Google search for “Aztec hot
chocolate†and you’ll fi nd plenty. The active ingredi-
ent (besides chocolate) is hot pepper. If you’re really so
concerned about the health benefits of chocolate, this
is your drink— and it’s No S approved. I haven’t been
able to find the Kuna recipe, but my suspicion is it’s not
very sweet either, or it would have been posted all over
the place, with all the buzz it’s gotten.
Reinhard
For what it's worth, Lindt also makes a 99% cocoa bar that, for those who love that powerful dark chocolate flavour (like myself), is awesome. There's pretty much no sugar in it; it basically tastes like eating a block of solid unsweetened espresso. It even comes with tasting notes to warn you that it doesn't taste like "chocolate" as you're used to it. There's still the whole fat content thing, even without the sugar, so I find it makes an excellent luxurious "S" day treat. Betcha can't eat more than two or three squares at a sitting--keep the rest in the fridge for next weekend!
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OrganicGal
- Posts: 481
- Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2008 8:08 pm
- Location: Peterborough
IMHO, chocolate, no matter how high in cocoa it is, is still a sweet. I am a chocoholic and make no excuses about it. But I have learned to eat it in moderation, to eat the best dark Organic chocolate I can find. (Green & Black's and Coco Camino brands being the best in my opinion).
I have also found that store bought chocolate bars taste awful now...way to sweet and fake. Also there is wax in those bars in order to keep the 'chocolate' from blooming...which is when the fat in the cocoa separates from the rest of the chocolate and creates a lighter colour on top.
Dark chocolate...especially Organic...does have health benefits...but not if you are eating great amounts of it everyday.
just my 2 cents worth.
I have also found that store bought chocolate bars taste awful now...way to sweet and fake. Also there is wax in those bars in order to keep the 'chocolate' from blooming...which is when the fat in the cocoa separates from the rest of the chocolate and creates a lighter colour on top.
Dark chocolate...especially Organic...does have health benefits...but not if you are eating great amounts of it everyday.
just my 2 cents worth.
Creating and sustaining the No S habits are the only thing that will take me in the direction I want to go!
Come on, REALLY DARK chocolate is borderline, just like putting sugar in your coffee.
The fat contents of a single square could be compared to having a few peanuts as part of a meal. Peanuts may not be forbidden by NoS rules but of course gorging oneself on them would prevent weight loss. However having a few occasionnally is fine.
And if it's DARK chocolate the sugar contents of a single square is probably less than what most people put into their coffee.
IMHO ONE square of dark chocolate a day wouldn't hurt UNLESS it triggers NoS failure.
And yes for a lot of people chocolate is a trigger food but not for everyone. Try and decide for yourself.
I am perfectly happy with my single cup of hot chocolate per day, it doesn't trigger anything, I don't feel the need to have every day either (and I have gone weeks without having it).
Would it be the same with a single square of dark chocolate instead? perhaps. For logistical reasons I won't try it. Also I am weary of the concentration of chocolate in that stuff - someone in the thread compared 99% chocolate to an expresso. I don't need this kind of stimulant stuff.
(My grandfather ate a single square of ordinary dark chocolate - about 70% I think - after every meal. He was thin.)
The fat contents of a single square could be compared to having a few peanuts as part of a meal. Peanuts may not be forbidden by NoS rules but of course gorging oneself on them would prevent weight loss. However having a few occasionnally is fine.
And if it's DARK chocolate the sugar contents of a single square is probably less than what most people put into their coffee.
IMHO ONE square of dark chocolate a day wouldn't hurt UNLESS it triggers NoS failure.
And yes for a lot of people chocolate is a trigger food but not for everyone. Try and decide for yourself.
I am perfectly happy with my single cup of hot chocolate per day, it doesn't trigger anything, I don't feel the need to have every day either (and I have gone weeks without having it).
Would it be the same with a single square of dark chocolate instead? perhaps. For logistical reasons I won't try it. Also I am weary of the concentration of chocolate in that stuff - someone in the thread compared 99% chocolate to an expresso. I don't need this kind of stimulant stuff.
(My grandfather ate a single square of ordinary dark chocolate - about 70% I think - after every meal. He was thin.)
Started NoS Jan 07 at 74.5kg (164 lbs, BMI 26.7)
Stable since Jan 08 at 64kg (141 lbs, BMI 23)
My progress chart
Stable since Jan 08 at 64kg (141 lbs, BMI 23)
My progress chart
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blueskighs
- Posts: 1787
- Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2008 4:11 am
- Location: California
I like dark chocolate and always have, turned my husband onto it before the all the "studies" came out,
FOR ME, chocolate is S day Stuff,
Blueskighs
FOR ME, chocolate is S day Stuff,
Blueskighs
www.nosdiet.blogspot.com Where I blog daily about my No S journey
Well, I must say that I'm surprised on some of the points in your opinions!
The sugar content in a really dark bar such as 85% is (almost) akin to what the aztecs used to consume; I mean, each square is about 2.5'x2.5', the bar has three portions, each portion is three squares, and those three squares have 5 grams of sugar, a teaspoon of sugar has 4 grams, which means, as Rose says, your daily coffee mug, if you use one to three teaspons of sugar in it, has anywhere from 4 to 22 grams of sugar.
As to the fat, well, I didn't think that high fat content was a confirmed no S, if that's the case, then, there go the nuts, the butter, the oil, the seeds...
But I do agree with you Reinahrd and with you, Rose that it is boderline when it comes to habits and examples about what to eat and not to eat and it can be a trigger food.
It's not sweet, it's not decadent, honestly, it's been on our cupboard for about two months, it's not an enjoyable exercise to eat this stuff!, but it is a bar of chocolate, lest I melt it and mix it with water and hot pepper, which I won't , but it will make me think "weeeell, that was bitter and chocolate, I blew it off, so what the hell, how about some cherries to sweeten the palate a bit?, let's add some almonds!, ugh, now I need to wash it off with some milk..." you know how that ends.
That said, Reinhard, thank you for quoting that passage, I had completely forgotten about it! you did cover all the bases, hahaha! and it reminds me that there is, indeed, a couple of chocolate bars out there with hot pepper in them, the one I have tried is the Lindt one, which comes with cherries and chilis and I think it's 70% cocoa, very tasty, not so bitter, not too hot, but beware of acid reflux after eating some, it'll burn a hole in your stomach, the other brand, which name I don't remember it is said to be much hotter and not sweet at all.
Seth, I wouldn't dare to try the 99% one!, I can't eat a whole square of the 85% in one day, let alone one sitting, I can't imagine how long it would take me to eat a bar of 99%!.
OrganicGal, I didn't know about the wax!, the bars in my country always bloom and I used to think that it was because they were old, never too sure what that pale substance was...
And Green & Black, ThompsonsPier?, if I get the hang out of dark chocolate, I will have to give it a try, thank you for the tip!.
Oh, and Rose, the day I had some of this 85% chocolate, I did get some palpitations, a sure proof for that the caffeine is off the roof in this stuff.
So, anyway, I will make it an S food, just in case, I make all my boderline food S food, I will for some more time at least, I still have to remember myself then and again that it's No Snacks, No Sweets, Not Seconds during the week, when that time in which I do this without thinking and as second nature again, I might allow some boderlines back, but not for now.
Thank you everyone!.
The sugar content in a really dark bar such as 85% is (almost) akin to what the aztecs used to consume; I mean, each square is about 2.5'x2.5', the bar has three portions, each portion is three squares, and those three squares have 5 grams of sugar, a teaspoon of sugar has 4 grams, which means, as Rose says, your daily coffee mug, if you use one to three teaspons of sugar in it, has anywhere from 4 to 22 grams of sugar.
As to the fat, well, I didn't think that high fat content was a confirmed no S, if that's the case, then, there go the nuts, the butter, the oil, the seeds...
But I do agree with you Reinahrd and with you, Rose that it is boderline when it comes to habits and examples about what to eat and not to eat and it can be a trigger food.
It's not sweet, it's not decadent, honestly, it's been on our cupboard for about two months, it's not an enjoyable exercise to eat this stuff!, but it is a bar of chocolate, lest I melt it and mix it with water and hot pepper, which I won't , but it will make me think "weeeell, that was bitter and chocolate, I blew it off, so what the hell, how about some cherries to sweeten the palate a bit?, let's add some almonds!, ugh, now I need to wash it off with some milk..." you know how that ends.
That said, Reinhard, thank you for quoting that passage, I had completely forgotten about it! you did cover all the bases, hahaha! and it reminds me that there is, indeed, a couple of chocolate bars out there with hot pepper in them, the one I have tried is the Lindt one, which comes with cherries and chilis and I think it's 70% cocoa, very tasty, not so bitter, not too hot, but beware of acid reflux after eating some, it'll burn a hole in your stomach, the other brand, which name I don't remember it is said to be much hotter and not sweet at all.
Seth, I wouldn't dare to try the 99% one!, I can't eat a whole square of the 85% in one day, let alone one sitting, I can't imagine how long it would take me to eat a bar of 99%!.
OrganicGal, I didn't know about the wax!, the bars in my country always bloom and I used to think that it was because they were old, never too sure what that pale substance was...
And Green & Black, ThompsonsPier?, if I get the hang out of dark chocolate, I will have to give it a try, thank you for the tip!.
Oh, and Rose, the day I had some of this 85% chocolate, I did get some palpitations, a sure proof for that the caffeine is off the roof in this stuff.
So, anyway, I will make it an S food, just in case, I make all my boderline food S food, I will for some more time at least, I still have to remember myself then and again that it's No Snacks, No Sweets, Not Seconds during the week, when that time in which I do this without thinking and as second nature again, I might allow some boderlines back, but not for now.
Thank you everyone!.
Try cacao nibs!
http://www.rawcacao.com/
I eat them everyday. They taste nutty with a hint of chocolate - quite bitter. NO WAY is this an S-day food!
http://www.rawcacao.com/
I eat them everyday. They taste nutty with a hint of chocolate - quite bitter. NO WAY is this an S-day food!
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ThomsonsPier
- Posts: 321
- Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2006 2:18 pm
- Location: Reading, UK
In support of eating the stuff (and in direct contradiction of my last post) I add chocolate to my chilli and bolognese for richness. It goes remarkably well with beef and can sweeten a bitter sauce slightly.
When I first read your post, I envisioned the bar as a food in itself, and considered it an S. As an ingredient I can't see anything wrong with it, which brings it back to a trigger food (something I rarely consider because I don't really have any). The sugar-in-hot-drinks argument doesn't hold for me because I drink everything unsweetened.
Does anyone have any more good savoury chocolate recipes?
When I first read your post, I envisioned the bar as a food in itself, and considered it an S. As an ingredient I can't see anything wrong with it, which brings it back to a trigger food (something I rarely consider because I don't really have any). The sugar-in-hot-drinks argument doesn't hold for me because I drink everything unsweetened.
Does anyone have any more good savoury chocolate recipes?
ThomsonsPier
It's a trick. Get an axe.
It's a trick. Get an axe.
I've added it to my chili for years, but haven't tried it in bolognese -- I'll have to try that soon.ThomsonsPier wrote:In support of eating the stuff (and in direct contradiction of my last post) I add chocolate to my chilli and bolognese for richness. It goes remarkably well with beef and can sweeten a bitter sauce slightly.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
A late addition to the chocolate debate
For a totally unambiguous N day chocolate fix, you can get raw cocao nibs from health food shops, which are pure 100% cocoa and nothing else. I buy these occasionally (they can be expensive, so not really an everyday thing unless your budget allows) and add a sprinkle to muesli or oatmeal. If you google raw cocao, you’ll find lots of info on it!
p.s. I have been known to eat an entire 85% Lindt bar in one day (though not in one sitting), not something I'd recommend, I felt like I'd drank several espressos!
p.s. I have been known to eat an entire 85% Lindt bar in one day (though not in one sitting), not something I'd recommend, I felt like I'd drank several espressos!
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oliviamanda
- Posts: 299
- Joined: Tue Jun 06, 2006 11:11 pm
- Location: South Jersey, NJ
I discovered the Lindt 85% chocolate while on No S. I was amazed at the low sugar as it rivaled regular food items that had more grams of sugar. I like chocolate and I find it very difficult to eat a lot of the Lindt, whereas I could gobble down a bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk or a Hershey bar.
I found that I could eat a bit of the chocolate and it did not bring on other cravings for more chocolate or other desserts. It did not affect my weight loss. In No S it's important I think to kill the sweet tooth. I really felt that in this form I was safe and I could only eat maybe one or two squares which was like 2 g of sugar... again nothing compared to even eating a yogurt.
It's like Rheinhard says about peanut butter and jelly... if it's a problem for you then you have to cut it out. That grape jelly has more sugar than this chocolate. What are you getting out of the chocolate, euphoria or a boost of energy from the caffeine? Or do you feel like you are cheating the system? Get to the bottom of it. We all deserve to feel good and No S is great at getting us there.
Actually now I recall, taking a nibble of the chocolate and it being so bitter and unsweet made me appreciate that I didn't want desserts and it helped keep my sweet tooth to a minimum, even on S days. Luckily I'm not one of those who love that dark nearly unedible chocolate! I'm much more an addict for something milky mixed with lots of milk and sugar!
Olivia
I found that I could eat a bit of the chocolate and it did not bring on other cravings for more chocolate or other desserts. It did not affect my weight loss. In No S it's important I think to kill the sweet tooth. I really felt that in this form I was safe and I could only eat maybe one or two squares which was like 2 g of sugar... again nothing compared to even eating a yogurt.
It's like Rheinhard says about peanut butter and jelly... if it's a problem for you then you have to cut it out. That grape jelly has more sugar than this chocolate. What are you getting out of the chocolate, euphoria or a boost of energy from the caffeine? Or do you feel like you are cheating the system? Get to the bottom of it. We all deserve to feel good and No S is great at getting us there.
Actually now I recall, taking a nibble of the chocolate and it being so bitter and unsweet made me appreciate that I didn't want desserts and it helped keep my sweet tooth to a minimum, even on S days. Luckily I'm not one of those who love that dark nearly unedible chocolate! I'm much more an addict for something milky mixed with lots of milk and sugar!
Olivia
BonnieUK: Wow, an entire bar?, I did wonder what all that caffeine would do to ya!.
Oliviamanda, yeah, the calories and sugar are really nothing; one square which is all I can manage a day has something like 50 calories or so...
I actually had a square this last saturday...from the same bar I bought when I started this thread and I still have two squares left!.
The longest lasting chocolate bar in history!.
Oliviamanda, yeah, the calories and sugar are really nothing; one square which is all I can manage a day has something like 50 calories or so...
I actually had a square this last saturday...from the same bar I bought when I started this thread and I still have two squares left!.
The longest lasting chocolate bar in history!.
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ThomsonsPier
- Posts: 321
- Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2006 2:18 pm
- Location: Reading, UK
I add pure cocoa in powder form, the best quality I can find. If the sauce turns out too bitter, I counteract it with sweet basil or roast garlic. A good slug of vinegar or lemon juice when browning the meat also sweetens the whole thing (make sure you reduce it down a lot). None of this is an issue if you use fresh tomatoes, of course, which I generally have in the fridge.funfuture wrote:Do you add the dark, bitter kind to bolognese and chilli? I add a little bit of sugar to anything that I have added tinned tomato (e.g.bolognese when tomatoes are out of season). It just cuts that slightly sour/tinny taste of the tomatoes...
ThomsonsPier
It's a trick. Get an axe.
It's a trick. Get an axe.
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BrightAngel
- Posts: 2093
- Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 4:22 pm
- Location: Central California
- Contact:
Yes, I occasionally eat Cocoa Via.TingTing wrote:Has anyone seen or heard of Cocoa Via? I haven't had any yet, I hear it's suppose to be healthier, or something like that.
If anyone ever had this snack, could you tell me if it's any good?
Thanks.
It is a "healthy" candy bar, but still a sweet, and not low-calorie.
Most of them are dark chocolate,
and they have individual packages of almonds covered in dark chocolate that taste good.
The candy bar is small and about 100 calories.
The pkg of choc covered almonds is about 150 calories.
They are sold at various locations.
In my town, one of the local Wal-Marts carrys them,
and some of the Longs drug store also carry them.
BrightAngel - (Dr. Collins)
See: DietHobby. com
See: DietHobby. com
dark chocolate
Yes, when I was doing Atkins (I only started No s one and a half weeks ago) I always used to eat Lindt 85% cocoa choclate but I could easily eat four pieces at once. I like the taste but no one else in the family does. It has only about 8 grams of carbs in four pieces.
i realize this is a slightly older thread, but I'll post anyways.
most companies that make the 85% or higher dark chocolates usually suggest a person start out with 65% then move up to 72% then up to the 85% +. They also suggest taking small small bites and letting that piece rest on your tongue as you suck on it.
another option though, if you don't want to eat even a small square of the stuff is to shave it onto another food. For example, last night we had strawberries and yogurt for our 8pm mini-meal. On top of that I used a peeler to shave off some chocolate from a 72% chocolate bar and let the shavings spread over the strawberries and yogurt. It's enough to give us the taste of chocolate and mellow out the sweetness of the yogurt.
also, when looking into these bitter chocolates, check the ingredients. The better ones that won't trigger the cravings nearly as much usually contain real ingredients. If the ingredients have a bunch of nonfood items then its best to avoid that.
since i started sucking on chocolate pieces (a little over a year ago), i've lost all desire for milk chocolate. Can't stand the stuff. I never liked white chocolate so I'm safe there. The richer chocolates are more expensive than the milk chocolates also, so the financial restraints can help reduce how much of the stuff gets purchased and eaten.
most companies that make the 85% or higher dark chocolates usually suggest a person start out with 65% then move up to 72% then up to the 85% +. They also suggest taking small small bites and letting that piece rest on your tongue as you suck on it.
another option though, if you don't want to eat even a small square of the stuff is to shave it onto another food. For example, last night we had strawberries and yogurt for our 8pm mini-meal. On top of that I used a peeler to shave off some chocolate from a 72% chocolate bar and let the shavings spread over the strawberries and yogurt. It's enough to give us the taste of chocolate and mellow out the sweetness of the yogurt.
also, when looking into these bitter chocolates, check the ingredients. The better ones that won't trigger the cravings nearly as much usually contain real ingredients. If the ingredients have a bunch of nonfood items then its best to avoid that.
since i started sucking on chocolate pieces (a little over a year ago), i've lost all desire for milk chocolate. Can't stand the stuff. I never liked white chocolate so I'm safe there. The richer chocolates are more expensive than the milk chocolates also, so the financial restraints can help reduce how much of the stuff gets purchased and eaten.
Ah, thank you, Anndelise!, I finally finished my first bar (the very one that inspired this thread) and I realized that not only had I gotten used to it, but that I wanted another one.
Now, it's like I'm tasting really intensely flavored chocolate, I crave it.
And I'm able to chomp down an entire square!, whereas, when I started, I could only manage melting a little corner in my mouth.
But, I like your suggestion of shaving it into other stuff, and I found out that, it is wonderful for cooking with, indeed.
Mmmm, thank God tomorrow is saturday!.
Now, it's like I'm tasting really intensely flavored chocolate, I crave it.
And I'm able to chomp down an entire square!, whereas, when I started, I could only manage melting a little corner in my mouth.
But, I like your suggestion of shaving it into other stuff, and I found out that, it is wonderful for cooking with, indeed.
Mmmm, thank God tomorrow is saturday!.
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Jammin' Jan
- Posts: 2002
- Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 2:55 pm
- Location: The Village
I discovered Lindt dark chocolate when we were living in Washington DC. It sure is good, but the darker it is, the higher it is in caffeine, or so it seems to my nervous system, which is mostly decaf these days. Definitely an S treat for me.
"Self-denial's a great sweetener of pleasure."
(Patrick McGoohan's "The Prisoner")
(Patrick McGoohan's "The Prisoner")
Not sure what the etiquette is on bringing back old threads, so I hope this is ok!
I'm rereading a book I bought a few years ago but never really followed, called the Fat Fallacy - it's similar in many ways to NoS, but based heavily around the idea of mimicking the French diet/eating habits.
One of the suggestions he makes is to have a small piece of good dark chocolate (or cheese, but I hate raw cheese so I ignored that
) at the end of a meal to finish it off. Most of the time I don't feel the need to do that, but I've found that if I finish a meal feeling satisfied but still vaguely peckish (hungry in a bored sort of way...) it does the trick, and kills ideas of 'oh, maybe I'll have a yoghurt/piece of fruit/go and buy some CAKE' as it's so strong tasting that, honestly, I wouldn't really fancy anything else! I definitely suck on the piece of chocolate like a boiled sweet/hard candy, rather than chomping it like I would ordinary milk chocolate.
Supposedly the fact that it is quite high in fat is meant to satisfy the appetite, I'm not sure about that but it could be true. I know that I need a reasonable serving of protein and some fat to feel satisfied, and relatively low amounts of high-starch foods such as bread/pasta.
I'm currently working my way (at a rate of about four pieces a week, if that) through a bar of Montezuma chocolate with orange and geranium, it's luscious!
I'm rereading a book I bought a few years ago but never really followed, called the Fat Fallacy - it's similar in many ways to NoS, but based heavily around the idea of mimicking the French diet/eating habits.
One of the suggestions he makes is to have a small piece of good dark chocolate (or cheese, but I hate raw cheese so I ignored that
) at the end of a meal to finish it off. Most of the time I don't feel the need to do that, but I've found that if I finish a meal feeling satisfied but still vaguely peckish (hungry in a bored sort of way...) it does the trick, and kills ideas of 'oh, maybe I'll have a yoghurt/piece of fruit/go and buy some CAKE' as it's so strong tasting that, honestly, I wouldn't really fancy anything else! I definitely suck on the piece of chocolate like a boiled sweet/hard candy, rather than chomping it like I would ordinary milk chocolate.Supposedly the fact that it is quite high in fat is meant to satisfy the appetite, I'm not sure about that but it could be true. I know that I need a reasonable serving of protein and some fat to feel satisfied, and relatively low amounts of high-starch foods such as bread/pasta.
I'm currently working my way (at a rate of about four pieces a week, if that) through a bar of Montezuma chocolate with orange and geranium, it's luscious!
I really enjoy dark chocolate--the darker, the better. For a while, even though it technically breaks vanilla NoS rules, I was eating a small square of dark chocolate most nights after dinner. I'd buy a big bar of chocolate that was divided into about 18 smaller squares and break off one each night... so the bar would last quite a while. I did the math it each square was something like 20 or 30 calories so I really didn't sweat it. Having one square was sort of a ritual for me, and being able to break one piece off and only having that one piece kept things disciplined. Maybe something like this might work for you?
Lindt chocolate
Regarding Anwen's question about bringing up old topics--it's a perfectly acceptable thing to do-as a matter of fact that's how I have been able to go back and read lots of old posts which answer questions that come up that were posted way before I discovered No S. It seems to be a common situation that new posters will ask questions that have probably been asked before, maybe more than once, but since the threads have been dormant they just haven't seen them.
In any event, this board is so helpful to jump in and provide answers and support that however the questions are posed--it works!
About Lindt chocolate. . . if anyone is having trouble finding it. . . I actually have found a nice variety of Lindt Dark Chocolate bars at - WAL-MART! Not too pricey either.
I found that once I bought some and knew I had it waiting for me in case I "needed" it to enjoy on an S day, I have eaten less than half a bar-and that was months ago! It's like I didn't really "need" it if it wasn't forbidden!
In any event, this board is so helpful to jump in and provide answers and support that however the questions are posed--it works!
About Lindt chocolate. . . if anyone is having trouble finding it. . . I actually have found a nice variety of Lindt Dark Chocolate bars at - WAL-MART! Not too pricey either.
I found that once I bought some and knew I had it waiting for me in case I "needed" it to enjoy on an S day, I have eaten less than half a bar-and that was months ago! It's like I didn't really "need" it if it wasn't forbidden!
LA Loser. . . well on my way to becoming an LA Winner. 