Another thing that helps me is to think ahead of time of situations like that, and decide on options that fit better into my lifestyle.
I KNOW I'll go for ice cream. It's part of our family's "treat" menu, and I have no interest in trying to change that. But at every ice cream place, there are options.
Get a small or a kiddie cone rather than double dip.
Get a sundae and share it.
Get a lower-calorie option (some places have frozen yogurt, which is amazingly good at satisfying the sweet tooth)
I try to think to myself, "I can have anything I want to eat. But if I could only have ONE ice cream in the whole world, would this be the one I'd choose?" If it's Moose Tracks or Peanut Butter Chocolate, the answer might be yes, and I'll get a small cone. If it's soft-serve dairy surprise... well, a diet soda might serve instead, or a few licks from my daughter's cone.
For instance, the ohter day, the ice cream truck came by when we were walking. DH and DD each got an ice cream treat. Some cotton-candy-fruit bar for her and an ice cream bar with sprinkles instead of chocolate for him. I looked at the options, and other than the ice cream sandwich, nothing looked like something I HAD to have. So I just got a bottle of water. I had one bite of each of theirs, and my sweet tooth was satisfied.
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