Eating desserts along with substantial meals works better for me than skimping on food to make room for more sugar. Otherwise you end up with all the brain fireworks that tempt you to keep eating AND you're still physically hungry. Not the best setup. Flip that around and you can enjoy the dessert yet feel satisfied and done after eating it.
Before learning to bake and becoming indifferent to yum-yums, I used that strategy where you eat part of something amazing and special then throw the rest away so you don't get fat. There is the initial thrill where you feel empowered and clever, but that lasts approximately four seconds. Then it just feels sad and restrictive and makes you want more/worse later. I didn't realize how many options there are for handling special desserts. You can buy/make as much as you choose and enjoy it all unapologetically right now. You can save it for later, share it with someone, freeze it, or give it away. I don't put delicious food in the trash anymore, only moldy, burned, or stale food, or something I genuinely don't like and won't eat. That feels better to me. I remember the first time I made Peanut Butter Slutty Brownies, possibly the best dessert my husband and I had ever tasted. I only kept a few of them and put the rest of the pan in the garbage when I was home alone so I wouldn't be tempted. I felt so stupid afterward. I'd put a lot of time and love into making them and fear drove me to destroy them. Well, fear and not understanding that baked goods freeze beautifully and keep for months. It was that weird dieter impulse to "get rid" of something tempting so I could "start over" tomorrow. WTF even is that? It sure is a clingy tendency if it goes unquestioned.
It is such a strange impulse - eat it all now so you can start over and "be good" going forward.
Dieting says all or none. Emotions run high. Eating is extremely exciting or extremely bad. Moderation says, meh, I can have those whenever. It's funny how I tend to eat better and less when I'm indifferent!
I am guilty of both throwing away food so that I can't eat it, and eating it all at once so that I can't eat it. Looking back at the behaviour it's so messed up.
Yeah it's the same kinda mindset as finishing something all at once to 'get rid of it' so that you can't eat it. LOL
I used to do that one so much! I still do lapse into that thinking sometimes. It makes no sense. How does eating it all at once save you from eating it! You still ate it! In a way that was probably not so aligned with your values (using the collective you here - or mostly, just talking to myself haha).