While I am very much into my healthy foods - gimme those raw veggies and fruits & lean meats & whole grains! - YUM!!!! - I also suffer from STH (sweet tooth h***). In the past, I have successfully given up all processed sweets - the longest time I went without candy/cake/donut/etc was 8 months. I lost over 30 lb, and felt GREAT. But then one day, my BFF had a chocolate bar craving... and she offered me half... and WHAM! - right back into STH I went. One half of one itty bitty chocolate bar undid all the hard work I had done...leaving me right back at square one, starting over. AGAIN.
This time, I decided that in calorie counting, I could have "room" for my "sweet tooth". And I do. Some days (you know the ones!!!) I just HAVE to HAVE some ding-dang chocolate!!! Hershey Bar? Reese's Peanut Butter Cup? Peanut M&Ms? .... whatever, I can work it into my caloric limit. Many times I just have a nice fudge bar after dinner. Sometimes I choose to have fresh strawberries with whipped cream. Delicious! - other times, it may be a special occasion such as birthday or holiday & there's my favorite pumpkin pie (Thanksgiving!) or birthday cake with that cream-frosting icing.... or hey, somebody brought donuts to the office & I just happen upon them.... heh.
Then, there are those days when all I can think about is CHEESECAKE... OMG, I could eat cheesecake for eternity!!! And that's the danger zone. When I want something, and I decide to have it, but then I want it again, & again, & again. THIS IS MY BINGE EATING DISASTER that, from time to time, conquers me wholly. That's what I have to be very careful to avoid, and it's not easy, because there isn't really a trigger for it. I can be stressed out, or calm as a wave at low tide. I can be ravenous or have just eaten a big meal. I can be bored or extremely busy. I never know when that Binge Monster will attack me. So I have to be on guard for it all the time. Sometimes I win! Sometimes, I don't.
But I have discovered this: It is absolutely MY CHOICE as to what does or doesn't go into my mouth. ALWAYS MY CHOICE. Sometimes I give in to the craving; sometimes I fight it & don't give in. The trick, for me anyway, is to fight it & don't give in at least 75% of the time. The other 25% - it might set me back, but it doesn't break me. So I may lose a few battles, but I win the war. I WANT TO WIN THE WAR! ~cause, yeah! I'm in it for the long haul.