My husband accuses me of having a sweet tooth, which bothers me (maybe because it’s true). We entertain often, and when I know there are leftover desserts in the refrigerator, I wake up in the middle of the night to eat dessert–very carefully so my husband doesn’t know I did it. Lately I’ve been giving the desserts away to break the habit, but my husband gets upset with me because he enjoys having the leftovers. But I’m not sleeping knowing there are desserts in the fridge. Help! –Sticky Fingers
Sticky Fingers, this is definitely a complicated situation! You have the right idea to just get the dessert out of the house as quickly as possible. However, in your case it does get tricky when there’s another person in your home encouraging you to hang on to the sweet stuff. I think it would be beneficial for you to have an honest conversation with your husband about your compulsion to eat late-night dessert. It may not be an easy thing for you to talk about, but it would certainly help to have an ally. If he has no idea that you’re sneaking in a midnight dessert, he can’t be sensitive to your needs. Help him to help you!
A cake in the fridge can be a dangerous thing..
Since it sounds like you often have people over for dinner, you may just want to start a new routine. Guests often come bearing dessert; instead, ask them to bring fruit salads or sorbet, which are much lighter options than the chocolate cakes I’m guessing you sneak a slice of. Or you can be the one to provide dessert, to give you more control over what’s served. Try to get just enough for the group you’re eating with, then leftovers won’t even be an issue! Many desserts are coming in “mini” or bite-sized desserts, especially from bakeries – so go for the mini-bites, serve on a decorative large plate, so guests can choose, and then you can pack them up easily when guests leave – this may not be as tempting as a LARGE cake in the refrigerator and lasts for days. For you, the main goal should be making sure the dessert doesn’t make it into your home and that your loved ones are helping, not hurting, in your efforts to stay healthy.
– Stacey Antine, M.S. R.D., author, Appetite for Life and founder, HealthBarn USA
Do you have a confession to share with Stacey? Want to learn how to improve an unsavory habit? Send your stories our way to [email protected], and Stacey will help!
