So Cadbury Easter season is quickly approaching. This terrifies me. Cadbury eggs are my own little personal crack cocaine. It was last season's CE season, which lasted into June for me thanks to my trusty freezer and the post-season sales, that propelled me into this phase of weight loss. This being a rather successful weight loss journey, and it being my last (by personal edict), I have signed a contract with dh. If I go through May 30th (to be safe) with NO chocolate/zero/zilch/not a morsel or drop (because that one-pump mocha or Dove single is merely a gateway drug to the big CE), I receive $150.00 with which to purchase clothing for our early June vacation to the San Juan Islands to visit my sister.

This, I believe, is the only way I will get through CE season. I did request that my sister rescue 1 solitary CE for me, store it in her freezer, and place it on my pillow upon arrival. I think that single CE will not be a problem once all the rest of them are gone for a year (because, frankly, once I've had a CE, I am not interested in any of the lesser chocolates).

Do any of you do this? Is this just beyond neurotic? For those who have lost a lot of weight already, have you tried tricks like these? Have you tried other tricks to get you through trigger times? I would love to hear them.

Paula, for whom Christmas was no problem because they do not make a creamy-filled-milk-chocolaty-"oh just send me to heaven right now"-Santa

It sounds insane - but I am just as insane. I do the same kind of things!!! So far so good! Clothing is a big reward for me and so worth it!

Oh Paula, do not take a trip to England during the Easter season! At McD's they do a Cadbury creme egg McFlurry (I think that they still do those, at least ).

OMG. THAT would be the death of me. I would fly out, ecstatic that I can buckle the airplane seatbelt and return in tears that it no longer buckles and I have to ask for an extension.

Who knew they could make the CE even MORE dastardly??!!

I thought I was safe from those Cadbury Eggs until around Easter time, but darned if they haven't already showed up at Walgreens.

They are way too sweet. Too much sugar in them, really kind of gross when you think about it.

Chocolate is my weakness, and I often have to push thoughts of chocolate out of my mind, so I know about weakness. I believe in "tricks", but I think a more helpful trick would be to recognize the associations you have. I noticed the other day that when I looked at certain of my favorite chocolate in the store it was like I was already eating it mentally. There was this very pleasant association in my mind that anticipated the pleasure of tasting it.

I quickly looked away from the chocolate and looked down at my fat ugly stomach and said to myself "do you see THIS? THIS is the true association you should be making with that chocolate. This is what chocolate REALLY is, this fat you are carrying around." And I know for me it is true. If it had not been for my love affair with chocolate for so many years I would be the thin lovely girl I once was. Chocolate's legacy to me was about 150 pounds of extra fat I didn't need.

Suddenly I didn't want that chocolate any more. Try that with your eggs. Picture them with worms crawling around in the centers, or with botulism or pus filling up the middles instead of sugar. Picture every one as a fat pill that will add more globs of white fluffy fat to your stomach. Maybe that will make it easier to resist.

I feel the same way about the Cadbury Carmel eggs. Whoever came up with those deserves to be shot for making my mouth water so much. Carmel and chocolate together is my weakness. I can resist the 2 seperately, but together I don't have a chance. Every time I drive buy an ice cream shop, all I can think is "Turtle Sundae" and the drool is a little scary.

I know how you feel about the temptation. But know that you are stronger than a Cream Egg. YOU can do this. Try to stop building them up in your mind so much. That is only going to lead to a stronger reaction. Once you get that Cream Egg at your sister's ask yourself, "I have made it this far, do I really NEED this, or do I just want it?" If you just want it, you know you have at least taken a small step in the right direction.

Sara

A suggestion that seems to be working for me:

Put a little post-it note on your bathroom mirror that says "$150" or "May 30th" or whatever. I have a challenge coming up on May 2nd, and I've counted down the days until then and then put the numbers on little sticky notes. Now every time I look in my bathroom mirror I see the little number staring back at me. And since I've put one number on each sticky, I have to think about it and change it once a day (today is 83). So there's no ignoring it--talk about focusing your efforts!

It sounds silly, but hey, maybe I'm insane too.

Good job, Paula! You've developed a wonderful way of avoiding temptation. I absolutely love contracts. When I was having a hard time staying on program or facing a temptation, I would whip up a contract and sign it. Worked every time because once I give my word, I have to keep it. When I next go on vacation, I'm going to have to make a contract with myself.

Paula I think that sounds like a great idea. I too love the CE's although probably not to your extent. I like to get the little one dozen package (the small ones) and I'm good for a year. I too think they are too sweet and rich. My downfall Easter candy would probably have to be the reese's eggs. They just taste so much better than the cups. Not sure why.

Is this neurotic?

Well..if it is...were all neurotic. I think you have made an excellent plan for yourself.

I am going to join your bandwagon. I vow as a member of the 100 lb Club NOT to eat any Easter candy this year. It's just not worth making my journey that much tougher or further away. It's not worth sabotaging myself.

Today, a coworker bought in a tray of double fudge brownies with icing. DO YOU KNOW how good it feels to go home knowing I did not eat one, not even a crumb. I am in my office now, alone...I have all the time & chance to eat one...and no one would know. I can even smell them from my desk. Nope. Not for me. They can squeeze into their jeans tomorrow...I am not.

Dangit... I had forgotten about Cadbury Creme Eggs... mmmmmm, ok, got to block it out.

My weakness is girlscout cookies. Luckily they have to come to my house (well, they don't, but that's what I tell myself) before I can make a purchase. Whoohoo, the doorbell don't work.

I'll be fasting around Easter time, so I won't be able to eat a CE. Mmmmm.... I love those things!

2 words: hydrogenated oil. Regular Reese's doesn't have it, but all the special Reese's foods do.

The funny thing about CE's is that I am not a person who likes food too sweet. No sugar in my coffee, can't take the sweetness of juice. But that darn CE -- it muct have jsut the right combo of sweetness for my particular taste buds.

Thanks for all your support.