No More Chocolate... Take 2. Review!

A month ago I wrote that I was making a second attempt to give up chocolate, something I'd cited as ruining my ability to sleep and get definition to my abs. The first time I attempted this I failed, as chocolate was practically forced upon me.

With my birthday out of the way and a diet plan forming, I started cut down until I wasn't buying chocolate any more. Eventually I remembered to write the blog post. A month later, I can say I made it through. Chocolate was an addiction for many years. It started when I went to uni in 2002, and I'd been battling it ever since, and as I'd got older and my metabolism slowed it started to have an affect on my body. It also didn't help my mentality- too much sugar can bring you down.

Now, though, I can say I'm not feeling the cravings. I'm not missing indulging in Tesco's peanut butter chocolate or devouring a 10-pack of Crazy Caramels. Instead, I'm eating healthier (cereal bars are good for snacking on and aren't addictive; fajitas and stir-fry meals are helping me to pump in more veg) and I'm eating more frequently throughout the day.

I'm starting to tone up a little, but I've certainly bulked up. The chest and traps have a lot more definition. No sign of the 6-pack I had in my 20s though. So how did I do at the gym throughout this?

19/9-19/10

Cable crunch with metal handle: 15 more reps

Leg press: 1 notch up. This would have been more had the machine not broken and left unattended to. (Still waiting for this to be sorted.)

I did countless chin-ups in small bursts, but I couldn't get above my record. Is this age? Who knows.

Anyway- I've also done lots of gym classes and boxing. Away from the gym I've stayed active, stayed social and certainly enjoyed myself. As I've mentioned a few times, if you enjoy something that's bad for you, switch it for a few other things that you enjoy that are good for you. That way you don't think about your cravings so much, and you don't focus on one other thing, which would result in swapping one addiction for another. Unless, of course, you're this guy...

As for me, though, it looks as if I'm free from that addiction. Unbelievable. Now to sort out the rest of my life...