Every now and then it occurs to me that I can't get through a day without sweets the way smokers need their cigarettes or an alcoholic needs a drink. Every day I have something: sometimes it's just a chocolate bar or two for an afternoon pick-me-up; other, really bad days I basically live on sweets. It might be candy, cookies, baked goods or packaged stuff, but it's something every day.

I know this is bad for me physically, and the lack of self-control wears on me spiritually. But, in looking up how to fix it, how to be able to take or leave sweets, have them occasionally, all I find is instructions for how to cut all sugar (including fruit and carbs) out of one's life forever; demands to treat sugar addiction like any other addiction: quit cold turkey and never touch the stuff again.

There must be another way. Just thinking about that level of deprivation tears me up - I'll practically torture myself with rage over how weak and disgusting I am that I can't give up enjoyable food in the name of health, maybe I deserve to starve altogether....you get the picture. The lighter version is simply becoming mildly afraid of food because basically everything except plain vegetables are bad in some way.

I want dietary variety, but I'm also tired of eating junk on a daily basis. Yet I have no desire to join the ranks of women who consider any sweet "bad", "cheating", "a deviation", etc. There has to be a midpoint. There has to be a way to reduce my sweets consumption without swearing it off forever.

EDIT: It just occurred to me that this might belong better in the Habit forum, I don't know. I just know it's something I want to fix.