Good luck with abstaining. It’s really, really, really tough. I find myself bargaining with myself sometimes – telling myself this time will be different, that I won’t go crazy on the cereal or eat the tortillas two or three at a time. Sometimes are better than others, and sometimes I can control myself. But until I get to the bottom of my emotional food issues, it’s easier to not have these things in the house. If I binge, I binge on what’s here – fruits, veggies, greek yogurt, meat. Products made with flour (and the refined sugar that’s usually mixed with it) have a ton of calories and they add up quickly. 500 calories of cookies is only two or three – and a binge is never two or three. It’s going to take a mountain of broccoli to make 500 calories.

Of course, my long-term/maintenance logic is based on something you wrote a few months ago – I have it written down verbatim somewhere, but essentially it was like, some days you choose the carrot, some days you choose the cupcake. It’s all about finding a balance that works for you. For me, that means mostly avoiding these trigger foods until I find a way to incorporate them into my life in a healthy way.

That was probably not at all helpful but at least you know you’re not alone?