I hope you don't mind if I make a suggestion to you, as I have had difficulties with getting hungry after dinner. Firstly, try to eat a higher fiber, higher protein dinner. Keep it low carb. Higher carb meals will cause an increase in blood glucose and then a drop, often into hypoglycemia,. This is even more dramatic if the fiber and protein intake are low in the meal.

Just before bedtime, eat some protein. Ice cream, no matter how small a serving might set you up for blood glucose increase, again followed by hypoglycemia, which not only feels horrible, but also drives us back to the kitchen in the middle of the night.

You might get by with a sugar-free ice cream item, since you've mentioned ice cream. Your blood gluconse would remain stablized longer if you ate protein at bedtime.

You could get creative about what types of protein you could eat before bed.
Again, protein will help you get through the night much better than a sugar-free ice cream; however, do what works for you.

I love various types of cheese. I blood lipids look okay upon lab results, so I can safely eat a reasonable amount of cheese. It helps that I love all kinds of cheese. My PC doc and a nututionist both told me it was better for me to use cheese without crackers if possible. They added, I can combine it with crackers if I need the carbs, and it would still be better than some form of a dessert. I eat just cheese. Again, the protein is critical.

There is such a variety of cheeses. Even cottage cheese is an option.
I vary the cheeses I eat just before bedtime. If I am craving something "dessert-like," I might eat something like " Havarti" cheese or a port-wine cheese (if it tastes a bit sweet). In general, I eat sharp cheeses. Consider your favorite types of cheeses.

A piece of protein left over from dinner is also an option.. Glucerna or Ensure drinks are yet another option. Glucerna is formulated especially to control blood sugar for diabetics; it helps us all in that regard.

I used to say: I do not lose weight, no matter what I eat.
I'd said that to a doctor I'd really liked/respected. She'd responded with concern, saying; "A calorie is a calorie!" It does not matter how we are taking in the calories and/or the type of food, too many calories is too many calories.

I can easily eat a very healthy diet and might still take in too many calories. I might eat too much fruit, too much squash, even too much protein, etc.

At that time, I went to see a nutritionist. She had me eating so much fruit, all day long. That was not good for me, as it was too many carbs and the carbs were not balanced with the amout of protein. Over time, as l so frustrated, as I had adhered to her dietary guidelines, I could not lose a pound!

Before I did more research, I'd thought: "What is wrong with me? I do not even eat all of the food she allows me each day and I am still not losing. I cannot lose weight no matter what I eat!"

Ooops! Not a logical conclusion. The more logical conclusion was: Those dietary guidelines do not work for me. I did more research and found out more about controlling blood glucose and I'd found guidelines which worked for me. I then lost weight easily.

Just one of the guidelines I have found which helps to stabilize blood glucose, for me, is: If I eat carbs, my protein intake must at least equal that same amount. This helps to offset the impact of the carbs on raising blood glucose.

I have rambled, sorry.

I read your post and could see myself in it. I have made very erroneous and even self-defeating conclusions based upon untruths. In one case , I even had the help of a nutritionist; unfortunately, she did not know how to address the "individualized" needs of my body. I had to figure this out by learning more about regulating my blood glucose, something she was not doing within her guidelines. She had more of a "calculate what her caloric intake should be and give her the same diet as everyone else, with modifications on the amount of food only.." It was a flop!

If we drastically cut our caloric intake, we will lose weight. So the idea I'd had in my mind, the idea that I could not lose weight, no matter what, was clearly erroneous.

It is not healthiest to get into restricting our intake in a severe manner, even though we could lose weight in that way. I have found, at least for me, I can lose if I keep things higher protein and higher fiber. If I eat too much of each, I then cannot lose and/or I gain. A calorie is a calorie. It can be a healthy food type of calorie or a junk food type of calorie it is still a calorie.

I thas been incredibly helpful to me to use a Basal Metabolic Rate Calculator. The Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the number or calories we use in order to simply exist. This BMR calculator calculates the number of calories we need at rest 24/7. We then plug in the level of activity and any other factors we are allowed to add in, in order to determine how many calories per day we are allowed in order to lose weight. There are many free BMR calculators online.

I used to feel as frustrated as you have expressed in your post. I know we are all different. I wanted to take the time to share some of what has worked for me when other reasonable approaches to weight loss seemed to be failing me.

I hope something in this post is helpful in some way.

I remain very hopeful for you and for your wellness on every level!