Hi Laura,
This isn’t a diet but a change in both your relationship to food and a new way of life. Low fat anything invariably means stuffed full of sugar, so avoid anything with a label. Rather than reach for chocolate have a piece of fruit or raw vegetables if you prefer-I like raw carrots which are very sweet.

It does get easier and as you eat less processed food you will find just how rubbish you feel when you do, which in turn makes them less attractive when the sugar slump hits and you struggle to stay awake, to say nothing of the high calories. Have a look at your TDEE in ‘resources’ and then write down everything that you eat and drink for a week AND then find out what calories you are consuming in each item(on the internet). If you want to lose weight then you have to keep to your TDEE every day. Information is power. Remember that you can have what you like, but not how much you like.

When I am craving dessert, I go for low fat frozen yoghurt with a berry sauce. To make the berry sauce, I simply tip frozen mixed berries into a saucepan and heat them until the juices start coming out, the berries soften and it forms a kind of chunky sauce. Tip the warm berries over the frozen yoghurt and you’re done!

I agree you have to be careful to check sugar content, but for me a carrot is not going to cut it when I have a sweet craving. So rather some low fat yoghurt with a bit of sugar in it than falling off the bandwagon entirely and pigging out on chocolate!

For me, the great thing about this regime is that it allows me to have a treat without feeling like I’ve failed. Each to their own, but if I interpreted this regime to require me to deprive myself 24/7 I would inevitably crack and abandon the whole thing!

What helped get my chocolate consumption under control was to start making my own with various combinations of: cocoa, vanilla, coconut butter, coconut oil, cashew butter, honey, and chopped nuts, cacao nibs, and maybe just a little chopped dried cherries or apricots. Warm the mixture enough to be able to stir, then cool enough to be able to scoop onto waxed paper, chill. Only sweeten as much as you need to. Make small batches. Keep in the fridge, so it doesn’t melt, plus then it’s not sitting on the counter calling to you, and it’s harder to wolf down too fast.

I just wing it, but for a real recipe, look for paleo recipes for chocolate candy.

Bonus: I don’t make it sweet enough and I put in too many nuts for my child with the sugar tooth, so I don’t even have to hide it!