Thank you all so much!:) You have been a "shot in the arm" for me.
There are so many good ideas & suggestions here.
I think I will try a once a week - plan ahead treat kind of thing.

FM

I'm not a sweets person, either. Much more like synger, as in bread, salty snacks, etc.

But I do not keep any sweets in the house either. Easter is the best time, though b/c of the single-serving packages they have of Cadbury Mini-Eggs, etc. What I do have in the house is Diet A&W Root Beer. That stuff rocks.

Of course when TOM is here, all that goes out the window. I need chocolate. ;)

Try to find a happy medium. If you know you'll be having a treat on Sunday, does that mean you'll binge? Not necessarily. Just remind yourself you can have it again the next week.

Good luck!!

I know what you mean about TOM. I am there, and it's crazy! I have absolutely no self-control. For me, it's more of a hunger thing than craving anything specific. But it's tough.

I went to a local chef supply store and bought some tiny (4 inch diameter) pie pans and cake pans (4 inch x 2 inch x 1 1/2 inch). I then went back and reworked my favorite dessert recipies to yield 1 or 2 tiny pan's worth of baked goods. (And I do not bake again until those are gone.) Then, I split one of the pans for two people for each sitting.

I still get the fun of baking (which I enjoy as much as the eating), I still get to eat my favorite treats, but I have taken away any chance for over-indulgence.

Cookies are even easier, since you don't need a special pan. I do make my cookies smaller than I used to, since I have discovered that I tend to eat any cookie (2 in diamter or 5 in) in 2 or 3 bites

If you go this route, consider buying a very accurate scale that works in grams as well as ounces. I've had great success with converting the recipe to weight (instead of volume measures), then dividing the recipie down to "x" portions. I usually find the temperature doesn't need to be changed much, but times will need to be reduced: depend on the "inserted toothpick" method.

An unexpected plus with this method is that I've actually found myself experimenting with all kinds of recipies that would have scared me before. Since I am making so little at a time, I don't feel like I'm risking much if I don't like the outcome. (Though now that I'm eating a more balanced diet, I find that I am liking almost everything.)