Consider making a policy that you will eat dessert only when it’s special.
This label includes not just the food itself, but also the setting and the people you’re with.
Personally, I love carrot cake, especially a really good-tasting one. But these next two stories are both from my own life. They show how I’ve learned to separate the special ones from the ordinary.
I recall a time when my sister invited me to a birthday party where she served homemade carrot cake. This occasion was special because I love my family and enjoy being with them.
Plus, my sister makes the best carrot cake in the world. So in this case, I labeled the carrot cake as special because it included the right setting, great people, and excellent food.
I also remember a time when I attended an all-day seminar at a large hotel. For dessert, they offered a huge piece of carrot cake. It looked wonderful, but I hesitated.
First, this carrot cake was probably not unique or the best one I’d ever eat. Also, I was in a very ordinary setting, sharing lunch with people I would probably never see again.
This time, I decided to skip the cake because it doesn’t fit the category of special. I simply excused myself, left the room, and spent the next 15 minutes taking a great walk around the hotel.
By the time I returned to the ballroom, the plates were cleared and the cake was no longer a temptation.
Today’s assignment (my answers are in blue)
1. Think about your favorite desserts, and then decide which ones are truly special and which ones are ordinary. Make a list of desserts that you want to include on your special list.
Carrot cake! (as well as several other desserts)
2. Think carefully about the taste and texture each one should have. For each of your dream desserts, write a few words to describe your ideal ones.
Carrot cake should be fluffy in texture, with smooth cream cheese frosting. It might have nuts and raisins in it, but it should not be overly dense or heavy textured.
3. Add a list of situations that are special enough to justify eating dessert.
Unusual restaurant dinners such as on a vacation or celebrating a special event. But even when I decide that carrot cake is special, I can still savor it, eat only a small piece or use other tools to manage it.
Excerpted from Day 27 in the book, 100 Days of Weight Loss