Junk Food/Sugar "detox" Group

I think a better approach (for life in general) is to try moderating those kinds of foods first. Pre-plan one of your favorite sugary or chocolates treats each day, in a reasonable portion that still allows you to hit your calorie target etc. If someone brings a treat to work that you don’t want to miss out on, or if there’s a slice of grandma’s homemade birthday cake that you definitely want to partake in, you can revise your planned treat for the day to be the special unexpected treat that popped up.

I found this a helpful approach for myself because it allowed me to get over the “scarcity” mindset, that I had to have the treat RIGHT THEN because I was being so restrictive that I didn’t know when I would get the chance again. I used to binge on whatever dessert popped up in my life, because I was picturing myself locking down into “restrict” mode the next day, and had this thought that I’d never be able to enjoy a brownie again because they are a BAD FOOD.

The moderation-approach helped me tell myself “you planned an awesome delicious treat for yourself after dinner today. Would you rather keep to that plan, or take one of Martha’s homemade brownies home from the office and have that for dessert instead? It’s totally up to you!” This knowledge that the treats are always there (and nothing to feel guilty about!) helped me to stop binging and going WAY over my calories out of fear that it was the last time I’d ever eat a slice of cake.