I have terrible self-control as well. During this past year, I've had some health problems that made me have to give up caffeine. And let me tell you, that was HARD. Since I mainly had a problem with soda, during the weaning-off process, I would keep them in the bed of my truck, in the middle where I couldn't reach. Then, if I wanted one, I would have to go outside in the 100 degree heat, climb into the bed of my truck and back out again (no small feat at my height and weight) to get a soda. Then it would be too hot even to put on ice so I would have time to change my mind while it cooled down.

Ok, after typing all that, i realize that this probably wouldn't help with a food issue at all. And the main point is that it helped for that particular moment, but it did nothing to change my behavior -which is why I can not even keep the stuff in or around my house. Period. Sooo... if you do find something that helps with the behavior, please let us know!

I don't know. I went from eatings tons of everything to only eating what's allowed by my calorie range and for whatever reason, I've found it fairly easy to say no when something doesn't fit into my daily plan. If it were that easy for everyone, just saying no when it doesn't fit, weight loss would be easy. The only thing is, I am worried someday this might change...I have mo idea why my mind suddenly made the switch and if might not switch back one day.

good topic. I think it's different for everyone too, though I could relate to pieces of what most people here wrote. for me there definitely was an all or nothing aspect to eating "one" or "one portion" of what I considered "non-diet" food (ice cream, bread, chocolate, cake, potato chips, etc.)

separating eating food from non-hunger feelings (tiredness, sadness, comfort) has helped me (not perfect at that still); getting away from the all or nothing thinking -- I have to stay perfectly on plan, or I've just completely blown it so I'll eat what I want. Which isn't true. A cookie or piece of bread won't destroy my program, but it's a tricky line to walk. I can't do it too often or I won't lose weight. When I reach for whatever, I tell myself that there's an endless supply of it in the world, and that if I just have one now, at some later time I can have more, I'm limiting my intake for another goal.

and yes, for me, it's better if I don't have those loaves of Italian bread around. I'm going to finish the loaf, maybe not all in one sitting, but I will end up having more of it than I really want to have -- with my weight loss goals in mind.

I also think for me that (almost) lifelong dieting set up an obsessiveness with food and eating that was tough to break, I had to make peace too.

Alas, I do not have an answer either.

If I bring it home with me at some point I will eat it. That may be an unhealthy fact but something that I decided to accept as such and rather try to work my way around the problem.

I go shopping with a list these days and try to stick to it. The ugly truth is that most of the time I buy too much food and end up throwing some away.

Since trying to eat healthy means a lot more home prepared food I am forced to plan ahead. As long as I have a plan for tomorrow and so on, chances are much smaller that I will slip than without a plan.

And it is much much easier to resist a bag of chips or cookies or candy when I am shopping with a full stomach compared to being at home, getting hungry and then making a smart food choice while knowing that I also have unhealthy but oh so yummy calorie bombs available at my own discretion in the kitchen cupboard.

So for now, I am swearing by abstinence of chips, chocolate, candy and rolls. Those tend to trigger binges otherwise.

I agree with other people that say know yourself and plan for success. For example I was shopping this weekend for a possible ice storm and I managed to buy no chocolate or cookies or jelly beans (my favorite treat) or ice cream. I know if I am stuck in the house for a day or two I will eat to much of any sweet treats. I also planned to have healthy snacks- fruit and veggies, hot tea if the power stays on and pre-portioned nuts.

I also have found success in only buying one portion of a treat so there is no option to go back for more. Or enjoying the treat with family so that everyone gets a little but there is none to take home with me to finish off as a midnight snack.

I do large batch cooking on the weekend and have struggled with eating more then one portion. I now try to create portion size servings as soon as possible and I freeze them. I must admit this does not always work and I still over eat from time to time.

Best of luck on finding what works for you.

I can eat just one apple, so they get to come in the house.

I cannot eat just one cookie/baby candy bar at home. So they don't get invited in.

I can eat just one chicken thigh. Welcome chicken!

I cannot drink one glass of La Crema Chardonnay. Sorry, wine, I'll see you at the holidays. (When I'm driving & have to have just one.)

I can drink just one beer. So buying 12 at a time is fine, they last a long time.

I cannot eat just one slice of bread. I tried last week. I can't even eat just 3 slices. Sorry, bread, I'll see you at a restaurant or some other portion controlled place.

If you can't eat just one biscotti, stop making biscotti.

sugar is addictive. and food companies know what things are addictive and they make the most of it.

thinner is right, sugar sure is adictive but I don't think sugar is the culprit here. My biscotti are not particularly sweet but they have very dark chocolate and chewy bits of apricot in them which is what I think makes them "taste like more" (love that term, DixC Chix!)

Interesting idea trying to bake one at a tie - it takes about an hour just to bake biscotti so that would certainly provide a very natural limit. Bagging them up individually might also work. I may give both ideas a try at some point.

I also think kaplods is totally right - sometimes what seems like it "should" be possible just isn't. I totally accept that. I already figure that just one chocolate chip cookie will never be in my future. The combination of butter, sugar, and chocolate is just too powerful and that way lies only madness...

Saturday afternoon I made sugar cookies for the coffee hour after church service. I wanted to eat all the dough (because of course I tried a bite) but I didn't becuase I needed to have the cookies to take to church so I couldn't eat the dough. I got home from work Sunday morning with just enough time to take care of the dogs and grab the cookies. I was really really hungry (very bad planning on my part but I hadn't expected to get called in to work) and ate one cookie but I did not eat more (even though I wanted to eat them all between the hunger and the sugar rush) because I needed to take them to church. So I have the willpower when there is an externally enforced limit.

When I got up from a nap I made a turkey sandwich on a parmesian bread I don't buy often but love love love. That bread always "tstes like more" to me. Just smelling that bread "tstes like more" - opening my fridge when it is in there "tastes like more". When I finished my very yummy sandwih I really wanted another but I used the thoughts from this thread and am proud to say I did not make a second sandwich (I could have fit it in calorie wise for the day but i should have had veggies and not more sodium and whole wheat carbs).

But my desire for more bread gave me this to consider: if I had this bread every day (instead of a higher fiber 100% whole grain bread which I also really like) I think it would lose it's "tastes like more" power over me. I would still love it but I would become a bit desensitized to it's charms. We'd become like an old married couple - appreciative but no longer as passionate.

I don't think I can ever lose my passion for my homemade chocolate chip cookies. We will always have an unhealthy love affair. I'm not sure about the biscotti yet. Maybe when I get to the maintainence stage I'll find out but for right now I think I just have to accept that it tastes too much like more.