In the past, things like peanut butter, ice cream, and baked goods felt dangerous. As long as I had rules, portion limits, and designated days when I could eat something, I stayed pretty weird about it! I was much more likely to think about it all the time and overeat it when I had the opportunity. Things got much less weird when I stopped trying to regulate and allowed myself to eat troublesome foods normally and often (exposure, habituation). I didn't see much difference in my weight one way or the other but my sanity was greatly improved!
My months-long quest to try every flavor of Ben & Jerry's caused me to get BORED with ice cream, to reject some flavors, to realize that many were just ok. Designating myself an ice cream critic and reviewing the flavors changed my whole perception. I went from a deprived dieter who feared and idolized certain foods, finding them allĀ irresistible, to being kind of snobby and particular. When you don't eat something very often, you tend to build up in your mind just how amazing and incredible it is. But when you eat it every day at multiple meals, the novelty wears off pretty quickly.