Walk Off that Chocolate Craving.
November 18, 2008 by Liz Lewis
Filed under Addiction, Diets and Dieting, Exercise, Fitness, Food and Drink
Chocolate cravings are hard to resist, especially during the holiday season when chocolate seems to be everywhere, just tempting you to take a bit.
Not to worry. A new study has the answer. Just walk away and keep on walking – fast. They took a group of ‘known’ chocoholics (who usually ate at least two 50 gram bars of chocolate a day) and deprived them of chocolate for three days in an effort to induce the chocolate cravings. The participants were also not allowed to drink coffee or exercise in the two hours prior to the test period.
On test day, one group sat quietly for 15 minutes while the other group spent 15 minutes walking briskly on treadmills.
After this, all participants were given a computerized test (the stressor) and had to unwrapped and handled a chocolate bar that they were not allowed to eat it.
Those who had been walking had significantly less craving for the chocolate as compared to their baseline response before the three day chocolate fast.
They didn’t mention how the other group did, but I’d imagine sitting there with an unwrapped chocolate bar in their hands was pretty torturous.
So remember, whenever that chocolate craving hits these holidays, take a hike.
Just make sure you leave the chocolate bar behind…..
(source)
I like chocolate but you’d have to have a serious addiction to eat two 50 gram bars of chocolate a day.
I do find that walking helps with other addictions like smoking or caffeine as well.
Letting chocoholics handle a chocolate bar? Are you kidding?
Actually it does make sense. Other studies have shown that that exercise is the best way to keep holiday weight off.
Paunchiness, I agree – 50gm x 2/day seems like an awful lot of chocolate…
James, letting chocoholics handle chocolate bars is like letting a child lose in a toy store — not always a good idea. But an interesting way of conducting a study.
Exercise, ie walking, rules the day yet again.