Or portioning that special meal, and making it last. Don't punish yourself with "boring"...let your flair for cooking flourish....just get the scale out...weigh out portions...freeze the rest and keep one for tonight! You deserve your own. cooking....and you know it!

@Robecology That is how I roll. I have odds and ends of all kinds of goodies in the freezer. I know there is bread pudding, pear bread, pumpkin coffee cake, some cookies and a couple pieces of pie. I discovered, years ago that for me to diet successfully, I cannot eliminate things or whole groups of thing , from my menu. If I do, I end up feeling "deprived" and after a while I give up.

I have gotten quite good at portioning though. The rice pudding will be measured out in half cup servings. I actually bought maybe a dozen cheap, 1/2 cup, plastic storage containers. I put stuff like ice cream and trail mix in them so I only pull out a serving at a time instead of the carton. Most of us here likely know how hard it is to eat only a half cup of ice cream once that carton is in hand.

@Robecology Good or bad, eating has been an important and enjoyable part of my life for 60+ years. My grandma swore I was malnourished when she got custody of me and she set out to restore me. She was a good cook, btw. By the time I went to school I was a "good eater". Unfortunately, I also became an emotional eater and a comfort eater. That is my biggest ongoing challenge. When I get upset or sad, I want to tuck into a nice sweet. That is harder to control than portions.
So, yes I agree with you. Of course, everyone is different. I have a friend who just can't master portion control. If she has M&Ms in the house, she will eat them all. For her, just not having some things is necessary. I just don't operate well like that.

@DotLewis I read a study that proved that most of our eating habits were formed before we could walk and talk. It's no wonder dieting is so hard...we've been life-long addicts.

Do what's best for you. I've lost weigh (finally, after decades of being overweight/obese borderline) through portion control.

@Robecology Technically, my best method is calorie counting although that definitely results in portion comtrol. I do a lot of measuring and weighing of servings, failing to do so is a sure way to end up eating too much.

I agree we get our start, one way or another, at a very young age. I have been an unrestrained eater and overweight person since before I was old enough to be aware of it. Only about 3 times in my life did I lose weight without concerted effort. A couple times when I was just happy and relatively stress free for a time and once when stress, fear and sadness were so high I just didn't feel like eating. In normal times I will always revert to a level of comfort eating that is not healthy.

@DotLewis Absolutely - could be me.