Double Whammie!

Carrie35 · Thu, September 9th, 2004, 09:41 PM

AARRGGHH!

Not only am I PMS-ing, but I am Re-quitting smoking today so I am craving chocolate like a mad woman!! I made the mistake of having 2 bites of "Miles of Chocolate" ( www.milesofchocolate.com It's this incredible brownie-truffle concoction that has been my fav this time of the month!) the two bites haven't made the craving go away...just made me want more!

Any good (and easy) chocolate recipes that won't totally destroy my progress? As it is I will probably gain weight from not smoking...so I don't want to double it with a face full of brownies!

Human Clay · Thu, September 9th, 2004, 09:48 PM

I subdue the PMS with a combination of chocolate milk (skim, with half a 'serving' of Nesquik powder so it's only 50 cals more per cup of milk that way. I think their actualy definition of a serving would make it too dark), and GeniSoy Cookies and Cream protein bars, which satisfy my chocolate/cookie cravings. While a bar still has about the same calories as a chocolate bar or a couple of cookies, it fills you up more and has protein and a whole bunch of vitamins and minerals (which undoubtedly you're low on some of them or will be soon!

)

ShadowPenguin · Fri, September 10th, 2004, 11:44 AM

I subdue the PMS by steadily slipping her barbituates in her coffee

Carrie35 · Fri, September 10th, 2004, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShadowPenguin

I subdue the PMS by steadily slipping her barbituates in her coffee

If only I had some here! It would probably help with the Nic fit as well!

Carrie35 · Fri, September 10th, 2004, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Human Clay

I subdue the PMS with a combination of chocolate milk (skim, with half a 'serving' of Nesquik powder so it's only 50 cals more per cup of milk that way. I think their actualy definition of a serving would make it too dark), and GeniSoy Cookies and Cream protein bars, which satisfy my chocolate/cookie cravings. While a bar still has about the same calories as a chocolate bar or a couple of cookies, it fills you up more and has protein and a whole bunch of vitamins and minerals (which undoubtedly you're low on some of them or will be soon!

)

Ooh! Chocolate milk sounds good! If only I wasn't so nervous about having a whole can of the stuff in the house!

Human Clay · Fri, September 10th, 2004, 04:27 PM

I find that in a situation where I need to control how much I take out of a supply of junk food, I entrust all dry goods to a neutral party (in my case, I hand things over to my dad, who's strict about making sure I stick to my goals, so he's not about to say 'what the hell, go binge!')

FerretNose · Sat, September 11th, 2004, 11:14 PM

Oh, here here. I had a really rotten week a while back, in which I had to have my favorite ferret euthanized, was trying to quit smoking (had gone 5 days without, actually) and had cramps from hell. Then, me and my hubby got in a big argument in WAL-MART, over some friggen' cheeze, of all things.

It went something like this:

Chris: That's not the cheeze you usually buy.
Me: No, but this is the cheeze I'm buying today.
Chris: Why, what's wrong with the cheeze you usually get?
Me: Nothing, it's just that, with this cheeze, you get more for the same amount.
Chris: But the slices of that cheeze aren't individually wrapped.
Me: Then I'll put the whole thing in a ziplock.
Chris: Why, when you can get the kind that's individually wrapped?
Me: Dammit! Why do you give a crap what (BEEP) cheeze I buy? When I put it on your sandwich, you don't know the difference, I've bought this kind before, so what are you on about?

Chris: Don't talk to me like that in public!
Me: Then leave me the hell alone about the damn old cheeze! Now, this is why I don't like you going shopping with me! You've got me all pissed now over cheeze, when you know I'm going through a hard time now, etc... *break down in tears* and GAWD I need a cigarette!

So I took my happy *** on up to the bar and got FUBAR'd and smoked an entire pack that night. When I got over my hangover, I felt much better. Then I picked up right where I left off and been better ever since. I smoke now only when I go out, and that is super rare, now that I don't really drink anymore. Now I just have some water and do some exercising.

Now, why does it seem like pms comes along right when every other annoying thing is happening? Ack!
F.

Carrie35 · Sat, September 11th, 2004, 11:32 PM

LOL on the cheese fight!

I wish wish wish I could only smoke when I go out. I have tried too many times to be a casual smoker and I just can't do it....I guess I am an all or nothing type of gal

This week sucks...no smoking, eat right and cramps! I spent the evening wandering around the house trying not to stuff my face and trying harder not to go next door and bum a cigarette off the neighbor.

I have a wonderful friend who Loves her red wine and who has given it up as long as I don't smoke (truthfully, I was getting as worried about her love of red wine as she was of my smoking) I just can't disappoint her...so no smokes until Thanksgiving, and hopefully by then I just won't want them anymore.....we'll see I guess.

Justitia · Sun, September 12th, 2004, 01:50 AM

Well I am past the menstruation stage as I have gone through menopause. But I have some history to share.

I quit somoking abruptly at age 28 after smoking for 14 years. At the time I quit, I was smoking 1 1/4 packs a day. I quit because the man I lived with who eventually became my husband was an ex-smoker and it took him years to quit. I had read an article that the probablity that an ex-smoker would go back to smoking if they lived with a smoker was 90%. I couldn't do that to the man I loved so on Valentine's day that year I quit as present and never touched another cigarette! That was Feb 14, 1977.

I was worried about weight gain--since everyone I knew who tried to quit gained weight. Having had close to a perfect figure all my life, until then, I was terrified of losing it. My significant other taught me a trick he used and I used it. I walked around with a couple of pounds of sunflower seeds in the shell and ate them unlimitedly. (I also walked around with a paper bag to put the shells in as well, as it made a disgusting mess otherwise.) My (now ex-) husband liked the salted kind. I couldn't take the salt, given the quantity, so I bought the unsalted ones. I did this until I didn't feel like it any more, which tapered off after about 6 mos and I stopped (spontaneously) carrying around the bag of sunflower seeds in the shell after about 9 months. Though I got teased about the bag, I didn't care. Smoking was much more widespread then than now and a serious danger and there was nothing available like they have today to assist in quitting.

I didn't gain weight in the process (or maybe about 3-5 pounds). All the time it took to get the seeds out of the shell prevented me from really eating too much. It just kept me busy, my hands busy, my mouth busy--which is a lot of what smoking does anyway. And I did not ever restrain myself form eating the seeds. I ate as much as I wanted.

I also had unbelievable cramps when I got my period back then. They would turn me white as a sheet and into a sweat and close to passing out. There also was no medication for this back then (no ibuprofin). All they had was darvon and if I took enough of that to get me nearly stoned, I would be able to tolerate the extreme pain I felt. The trick I found that was better than drugging myself was to go into the bathtub, lie down on my back and turn the shower on as hot as I could stand it and let it shower on my stomach. I would just stay there for a couple of hours, taking something to read. It would make it tolerable enough so I wasn't moaning and writhing in extreme pain and after a couple of hours, it would lesson to a tolerable pain.

I don't know if I suffered from PMS. I was basically a hair-trigger rager all the time, period or no. Still am, but working on it.

The cramps pretty much diminished when I hit 30 (as I read they would) and also ibuprofin came out and took care of the rest.

Later,as I started to suffer weight gain through my 30's, I discovered I had sweet cravings during my period. I had never heard of this before--duh! A woman friend told me it was normal. Even though I don't get periods any more I still have sweet and particularly chocolate cravings. I have actually found that All the Whey chocolate and water pretty much satisfies the cravings. It is all protein, which I have to stack up on, on my food plan, and I put 1 1/2 scoops in 8 oz of water (50% more Whey then they recommend.) It seems to work because even though my weight has not gone down a lot, my dress size keeps going down. I am now squarely in a size 10 and starting to consider 8's. Five years ago, I was ecstatic that I finally got down to a size 16 and could wear normal clothes again. I have not been a 10 in 25 years (though I know it is a larger ten than it was 25 years ago.) I was a 14 less than a year ago, a 12 by the beginning of this summer and now I am a 10. I have a closet full of clothes I can't wear anymore, and my clothing bill is a mile high--but I don't mind. I attribute the drop from 12 to 10 in a couple of months to using All the Whey a lot (and empty stomach cardio.) And I have had tons of cheat days, which is really why my weight has not gone down much--but I still have trimmed.

Hope some of this info helps. :d_wink:

alton · Sun, September 12th, 2004, 09:04 AM

Something that I do when I'm dying, DYING, for some chocolate...

You can make a really nice caffe mocha at home. I'm not a big fan of caffeine, so I use decaf coffee. You can brew it - I use instant. I put a heaping spoon of instant coffee and a spoon of cocoa in a big mug. Add fake sugar - splenda or whatever - to give it a bit of a sugary taste. Fill the mug half way with boiling water. Fill the other half with skim milk. If you put a lot of instant and a good amount of cocoa in, you get a really strong, delicious chocolate/coffee taste and all that milk makes it taste really creamy.

It's not going to give you a lot of nutrition, but it really does take the edge off the craving without a whole lot of calories.

kingink · Sun, September 12th, 2004, 02:31 PM

I have a chocalate protein shake. One scoop of protein powder and 8oz or milk/soymilk/water. I just quit smoking again. The nic fits are getting to me as my patience is nearly nonexistent.

FerretNose · Sun, September 12th, 2004, 03:47 PM

I'd like to add what helped me quit, MENTHOL cigs at that.
First off, the brand that I normally smoked was Doral Menthol Lights. I used a method that's both tapering off AND cold turkey.

The way I did this was, I began to buy the cheapest, ickiest menthol cigs ever, a no-name brand they have at the quick stop up the road. So I got my menthol, but they tasted ungodly- stale and full of loose tobacco so that little shreds of burning crap would drop off the end. After 2 packs of these, I really hated them, but I kept smoking them for the nicotine, so I moved on to...

Bought the cheapest, nastiest NON-MENTHOL cigs I could buy. Gross! Disgusting! Not only did they taste like refried dog turds, but no menthol.

But I didn't let myself break down and buy something better. After 2 packs of these, those other menthols sounded good. But I kept on smoking them, trying to get my nicotine... the difference was, I noticed how NOT looking forward to each one I was. I dreaded em'. So then...

Cheap, nasty ULTRA-LIGHT, NON-MENTHOL cigs! The hard part came right there- making myself not try and smoke more cigs or puff harder to get my dose. That only took about a day. Then I made a promise to myself that, when that pack was gone, that would be it. During this pack, I put the pack in a difficult place to get to- a high cabinet that I have to get on a chair to reach, so that made it inconvenient. When the craving struck, first I would drink a whole glass of water, and often that would let me put off the craving for a while.

Eventually, the pack was gone, and I just didn't buy anymore. I'm not saying that was at all easy, or that one day I won't fall of the wagon, but I think the grossing myself out with cheap nasty cigs was a good negative reinforcement! It's been about 2 months, I guess. I feel like I am in total control of it.

Now, about going out: I've only been out twice since I quit smoking. Once, I just drank diet coke, and did not feel the need for a cig at all. But the second time... well, any smoker will tell ya that you MUST have a smoke if you're drinking a beer. SO.... I bought the most frou-frou, skinny-minnie, light cigs ever. I think they were Capris. And I limited myself to only 2 cigs per beer. I normally drink 6 beer, so 12 cigs, that's all, and as I left, I gave the pack away. I know one gal who buys clove cigs just for going out.

F.

featherz · Sun, September 12th, 2004, 08:51 PM

I don't smoke, so I can't help there - but for PMS and gotta have it chocolate cravings, I agree with the protein shake idea. If it's not chocolaty enough (some of the thick MRP shakes like Met-RX are GREAT imho) you can add unsweetened cocoa. Also, protein bars may be evil, but if I have to have chocolate, it's better than running to Mrs. Fields.
If you like dark chocolate, Lindt 85% and other low sugar chocolates can be do-able as well.

Leigh O. · Mon, September 13th, 2004, 11:05 AM

takes care of craving for chocolate for me. Detour uses splenda and tastes wonderful. It's too many calories for me if I eat a whole one though and also that much splenda seems to increase my cravings. Half of one seems to be perfect for satiety.

Justitia, I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT BELIEVE that you are 56 from your picture! Wow. You look great..!

girlcop1 · Tue, September 14th, 2004, 10:45 AM

Sounds crazy, but I hear that Tuna works to get rid of the cravings from PMS. I think it must be the salt. It seems to do an ok job for me, plus it is healthy. You might just want to give it a try.

newmdrunner · Sun, October 3rd, 2004, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carrie35

AARRGGHH!

Not only am I PMS-ing, but I am Re-quitting smoking today so I am craving chocolate like a mad woman!! I made the mistake of having 2 bites of "Miles of Chocolate" ( www.milesofchocolate.com It's this incredible brownie-truffle concoction that has been my fav this time of the month!) the two bites haven't made the craving go away...just made me want more!

Any good (and easy) chocolate recipes that won't totally destroy my progress? As it is I will probably gain weight from not smoking...so I don't want to double it with a face full of brownies!

***********When i crave chocolate, i make a hot cup of sugar free hot chocolate. You can get it at any grocery store and it really helps the crave.

Justitia · Mon, October 4th, 2004, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leigh O.

Justitia, I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT BELIEVE that you are 56 from your picture! Wow. You look great..!

Thanks--those pictures are really a year old (55).

Though I gave up smoking for my Significant Other, I had planned to quit anyway b/c I saw pictures of what women who smoked looked like when they got older. They also showed pictures of women who tanned in their youth and they looked pretty terrible by the time they were in their early 40's. And the two combined--yuucchh!. I never had good discipline to sit out in the sun to get tan (no tanning machines back then -- but those are just as bad), so I never did it too much before, and after those pictures, I quit completely. I wear sunscreen all the time.

I also use a dermotolgist brand of glycolic acid lotion (Glyco derm) and it really works.

It realy shows when I use it consistently and when I don't. Plus I drink a ton of water. I do have good genes though.

Now if I could just get the rest of that weight off I gained between 30 and 45 and my muscle tone back from a winter of no working out, I will be very happy. :d_redface

guava · Mon, October 4th, 2004, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carrie35

Any good (and easy) chocolate recipes that won't totally destroy my progress? As it is I will probably gain weight from not smoking...so I don't want to double it with a face full of brownies!

If you'd mentioned you wanted chocolate recipes in the title, I would have been here sooner.

When I needed chocolate I always used to make either chocolate pudding cake or Fat Free Brownies: try these or these . Now, I just grab a couple of squares of dark chocolate, or mix up a batch of Jello Fat Free (sugar free) pudding. I also enjoy a good glass of hot chocolate in circumstances like this, but sometimes it's not enough.

pixie · Mon, October 4th, 2004, 11:09 AM

Ferret: you cheese story slayed me!

As for taking care of chocolate cravings w/o dietary disaster or eating total crap, try the following.
It sounds gross but I got the idea from another forum and it actually is really good.

1/2 cup lowfat (1%) cottage cheese
1 tbsp. natural pb
1-2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
splenda to taste

Mix by hand, or blend. Freeze to desired consistency.

Very good, filling, and good for ya.

Carrie35 · Mon, October 4th, 2004, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guava

If you'd mentioned you wanted chocolate recipes in the title, I would have been here sooner.

When I needed chocolate I always used to make either chocolate pudding cake or Fat Free Brownies: try these or these . Now, I just grab a couple of squares of dark chocolate, or mix up a batch of Jello Fat Free (sugar free) pudding. I also enjoy a good glass of hot chocolate in circumstances like this, but sometimes it's not enough.

Ah! You are so kind! Just in time for my next round of PMS!