Hi Pam,
Maybe this will help. I'm not a pastry chef (by a long shot) but do come from a family in which sweets were a part of every meal, as well as between meals. I still have the sweet tooth, but I've mitigated it quite a bit. Like tonight I had a mini Reeses PB cup, and that was all I wanted.

Anyhow, one way I made the transition towards less sugar was to realize that when I was eating dessert after most meals, it wasn't something that made me feel good. I felt heavy and bloated and sugar-rushey afterwards, rather than really enjoying the dessert's richness or decadence. So I just told myself that when it felt like an indulgence to be savored, I'd have some...but when it felt like "the thing I always have at the end of the meal that leaves me feeling blobby," I was better off skipping it.

Does that make sense? When it feels oppressive, free yourself!

S