A New Way to Eat Chocolate

So, because I have found life has little meaning if chocolate is not involved, yet have accepted that consuming vast quantities is not the best way to reach my goals, I decided to try something.

To be fair, this suggestion was first mentioned about two years ago, and occasionally repeated since, but I finally decided to actually do it.

It involves paying attention.  That is not my strong suit, especially at work when some days feel like drinking from a fire hose.

My normal way to consume chocolate (we're friends, I can admit this, right?) is based more on QUANTITY than on QUALITY and capability of rapid consumption.  It can astonish people (okay, really only my trainer) how much I can eat given the correct motivation -usually involving a stressful day.

General guidelines are to pick something REALLY worthwhile and is individually packaged. And of course, to eat it after eating something with protein.  So, dark chocolate caramel Ghirardelli Squares made their way in to work.

When the time came, I was seriously stressed out, having discovered a mistake I made that would require me to not only stay late, but miss a happy hour with some colleagues I really like.  I kinda wanted all the candy in all the world.

 Still this was a scientific experiment.  Don't mess with science!  I took one square, put the rest back in the drawer and moved away from my desk to look out the window.  I was pretty sure I'd be diving back in for more, but I repeat, this was for science. 

I was going to do nothing but eat the piece of candy.  No checking email, playing on Facebook, drafting/reading/editing documents, nothing.  Sit there, look at the trees, and eat candy.  I have a stunning view out my office window, and I rarely actually look at it.

I sat in the chair, slowly unwrapped the candy, and took the first bite.  Yup, was trying to make one square last five bites.  I set the candy down, chewed slowly and watched the trees waving in the wind.

It took at most 4 or 5 minutes to eat the little square.  When it was gone, I went back to work and my frame of mind was completely different.

Later in the day, I repeated the experiment.  Once again, moved away from my desk, watched the mountains and the trees and just sat there, eating one piece of candy very slowly.  I went back to work breathing more easily, much calmer and ready to take on the rest of the evening.

I learned something.

First of all, high quality chocolate is even MORE delicious when you take time to, you know, actually NOTICE it and EXPERIENCE it.  It is really, really enjoyable.

But most of all, I realized in a very concrete way that when I am stressed out, I do not actually want chocolate.  What I really want is a sense of calm.  Taking those few minutes to focus on the pretty weather and the experience of something pleasant made a HUGE difference in how I was handling the stress.  Quantity just made me numb, which is not nearly as awesome as calm.

During a day I fully expected to finish off the entire bag of candy and go hunting for more, I had two pieces and felt like it was the exact right amount. 140 calories total. Ten minutes of awesome.

And a new outlook to boot.