I’m a big fan of portion control, but it somehow seems to bite me in the butt every time. I’m not sure what the deal is.

It’s a simple concept, really: everything in moderation. Except if you’re me, and dessert is at stake.

I’ve been known to defrost a bowl of frozen fruit or bake a cinnamon-sprinkled apple for dessert, and thank goodness for the guilt-free nature of such treats. But lately I’ve had one heck of a sweet tooth. And to satisfy it, I’ve been enamored with tiny, individually packaged brownies or small, one-point Weight Watchers ice cream bars. Perfection.

What’s not so perfect, however, is when multiple brownies or ice cream bars are consumed. They’re like the Lay’s of the dessert course: I can’t eat just one.

It’s a slippery slope. If it’s only one point, why not have another? If it’s a wee brownie, why not consume a second? Before you know it, my single-serve items are in a single place: my tummy.

It’s astounding to me that I can make it through a whole day and stay on track with my vittles, but then be sidetracked during my last hour or two before I hit the hay. What gives?

Do I need to set out on an epic evening walk and wear myself out to the point of dessert taking a backseat to Band-Aids for my feet, water for my person or a bed for my body?

Perhaps.

Do I need to bypass dessert entirely? Yikes. I’d hate to see the gorging that might take place following such a hiatus — not that said hiatus would last long.

Should I stick to fruit-only options moving forward? Meh.

The problem with any of the above “solutions” is that they don’t speak to moderation at all. They speak to a bit of desperation and avoidance. What’s a girl to do?

Stay at it. Earth-shaking advice, right? Seriously, though — sometimes all we can do is vow to begin again tomorrow. The beauty of the single-serve curse is that they’re tiny lessons teed up for us to learn from. We might not learn the first time (or the twentieth), but we can in time if harnessing the knowledge and power is a priority. Tonight I am thankful that they both are for me.