How do you resist temptation?

How do you guys resist the temptation to eat desserts, unhealthy food, etc?  I'm in college (surprisingly, the food is REALLY good), and it is hard for me to resist fattening foods at the dining hall, especially desserts!! I'm 19, 5'4, and I weight 127, so I'm in the healthy BMI range, but I gained almost 25 pounds my first year (I was 137 but since then I've lost ten pounds).... however, if  I continue eating the way I did my first year I will just keep gaining!

What do you tell yourself to help resist eating desserts??

well I have free eating days occationally (usually around holidays...birthday, july 4th, etc)...so I wait until then to have desserts...I tell myself that I cant have it now, but then I can...

Also, some people just make room for desserts..or eat more healthy desserts...(skinny cow vs regular ice cream, etc)...

Some people just keep telling themselves they can have it tomorrow...then just never eat it

I don't. I have whatever I want within moderation. Occasionally I have everything I want in whatever portion I happen to have (ie over 3k calories in one day).

It may not work for everyone, but for me not feeling deprived or having to approach food as either good or bad has been remarkably freeing.

I have lost 36lbs and inches so I will continue as long as it works for me. I also think it will help with maintenance as I will already be used to eating regular food and will most likely only have to make small modifications.

So hard to resist but I would definitely gain if I ate desert every day. I do it once a week. On Friday I eat out and eat a big desert. As soon as I am done I want it again.  But I wait until the next Friday.

Food is so hard to resist because you have to have it. It is not like smoking or drinking that you can give up and never touch again and still live. You must have food. I think if you deprive yourself always it will not work so allow a day a week or whatever works for you.

I'm also a healthy weight, but since I am still losing I have 1 dessert a week (and a week should be fixed, monday-sunday or something, so you're not tempted to move it around). Trust me, this is a great way to work it - you never deprive yourself, you just postpone the pleasure and you choose something that you really love.

This has helped my relationship with food to improve. I don't feel guilty having desserts now, so I enjoy my 1 dessert a week more than when I had them every day. Before, desserts were like an abusive boyfriend - you love it but you know that it'll hurt you later. If you have 1 dessert a week, you make dessert a booty call - you call it when you want it, you have no lasting ties to dessert (ie fat), and it has no say in the matter.

Well that's how I think of it anyway! :) I'm also in college so that might be why.

Davefire and bigmommah both have good ideas. Personally, I can't do anything in moderation. I'm an all-or-nothing type of girl. So I'll let myself binge on special occasions the way Davefire does (like my birthday or Thanksgiving). But, for some people, enjoying dessert in moderation eases temptation. Which ever works for you!

Just don't resist if you really want something. I let myself have whatever I want but you have to prioritize and decide what's really important. Is it really important that I have this slice of chocolate cake today? No, not really?

But then I go to the dessert diner 2 weeks later and think, "Is it important that I have a slice of the raspberry truffle torte with the dark chocolate grand marnier mousse and pecan halves? Yes, i think it is.

This weekend I was bad. I made brunch for fathers day with lots of butter, cream, sugar and champagne. And friday I had burgers with friends. But for me, those were one hundred percent worth it. This week I will be better.

And I find it amazing that your dining hall has good food. Mine never did.