I did not eat chocolate for 11 years and 10 months. (Seriously.)
It all started in late September of 2008. I was 9 years old, in 4th grade, and obsessed with chocolate. Anything chocolate was my absolute favorite, whether it be cake, candy, ice cream… you name it. I was even known to stuff my Hersey Kiss wrappers in the cushions of my family’s couch to hide how many I had. (Sad, I know.) However, if there was one thing that truly outweighed my love for chocolate, it was my absolute hatred for getting sick at my stomach. This is where the chocolate ban began, and you will soon find out where it stands now.
I remember the day perfectly. I remember going to The Fresh Market with my mom, and since it was late September, they had just put out their big display of Halloween sweets. That night, I was sitting on the floor in my parents’ bedroom watching TV and munching on the new treat I picked out that day: a piece of chocolate in the shape of a pumpkin that was on a lollipop stick. To give you a better idea, it kind of looked like this.
Thirty minutes after I finished it, my stomach started to feel queasy. It was not your regular stomach ache; I knew what was about to happen. I ran to the bathroom and threw up. As I said before, my absolute dislike for throwing up is the one thing that outweighed my love for chocolate. This is something that lingers with me to this day, as well. If my stomach even starts to feel queasy, I immediately pop in a peppermint Tums and a piece of mint gum- my own personal remedy. (Yes, it works. Try it if you ever have an upset tummy due to food!)
I felt so horrible that night. The experience was awful. In fact, it wasn’t the first time chocolate had made me feel queasy, which made my decision that much easier: I decided I was done with chocolate for good. My little 4th grade self decided I was not going to eat chocolate for an entire year.
After a year passed, I decided I wanted to keep going as long as I could. One year turned into two… two turned into three… and so on. It honestly ended up being easier than I expected after a while. I still ate sweets, but none were chocolate. After about five years, I had honestly forgotten what chocolate tasted like. There were a couple of difficult moments, though. When I would see my mom eating a late-night chocolatey snack, I would be foolish enough to smell it, just to remind me of the taste- lol. It was a wee bit of torture. But then my willpower would kick in, and I would be determined not to ruin my streak. Also, Halloween was interesting. I loved trick-or-treating, but at the end of the night, I would keep all of the Starbursts and give my mom my chocolate goodies. I’m sure she loved it; she definitely has a sweet tooth.
Over the years, I have heard lots of different reactions when people found out I did not eat chocolate. When I was still in elementary and middle school, some people thought I was allergic to chocolate, and I had to explain that I loved chocolate but just didn’t want to eat it. This was very puzzling to kids, and understandably so. Also while in school, pretty much anyone in my grade who knew me fairly well also knew that I did not eat chocolate. When people brought in treats during class, sometimes people would bring me a separate, non-chocolate treat. It was honestly super nice, and it made me feel guilty sometimes because, as I said, it’s not like I was allergic to it.
On my 21st birthday, I said “screw it” and decided to do it: I ate chocolate for the first time in 11 years and 10 months. I decided that the special chocolate treat that was going to break my streak was going to be my birthday cake, which was a chocolate-on-chocolate masterpiece from The Fresh Market. Now that I think about it, it is quite ironic that the cake that broke my streak was from the same store that I got the chocolate that made me feel poorly all of those years ago. (I can’t believe that did not occur to me until just now.)
To be honest, the first words out of my mouth were “It doesn’t taste as good as I remembered.” Keep in mind, I had not had chocolate for over 11 years. The cake was delicious, but I was expecting fireworks to go off in my mouth when I took that first bite. But soon, my mind would definitely change once I began munching on my childhood favorites.
My 21st birthday was about eight months ago, and since then, I have been eating chocolate like a normal gal- I eat either some Hershey Kisses or mini M&Ms when I have a sweet tooth. (Yes, mini M&Ms are way better than the regular kind. Here is an overly mathematical analysis of the mini M&M and how it achieves its perfect ratio!) Anyway, I am definitely much, much calmer than my childhood obsession.
However, it is very interesting for me to reflect on my experience. Sometimes I ask myself:
“Was taking a decade away from chocolate worth it? Do I regret missing out on all of the yummy chocolate I could have enjoyed? Is that 11 years of chocolate-loving that I can’t get back? Was it a healthy choice? Or did it even matter since I was young anyway? Did I actually end up saving myself some years of life on the other end?”
No matter what, I do not regret it. I rarely even thought about chocolate during those years, anyway; there were only a few moments where I thought “Mmm, I want to eat that Hershey bar.” I honestly encourage everyone to try giving up something trivial that they love but might not be the best for them for a little while. It does not have to be for 11 years by any means, but it honestly was a great exercise in willpower. I know if I were presented with a situation where I was forced to give up something trivial that I loved, I can always reflect on my decade without chocolate and harness the inspiration to be strong!