Should I allow food with sugar or flour in my house?

The whole question of whether to permit foods with sugar and flour in them into my house is tough:

Should I ask my (non-food-addicted) husband to keep them out of the house? Should I insist that he hide them? Or only buy things that I dislike?

Should I attend parties where sugary desserts are served?

Should I serve sugary dessert at a party that I host? Bread? Alcohol?

The answer, I've decided, is decidedly "it depends."

That sounds trite, but it's absolutely true -- there's a huge spectrum.

After a solid year of no sugar, I can pretty easily say no to most foods that contain it. It's not a problem if my husband has that kind of food in the house. I'm OK going to a party where a traditional dessert is served.

I know certain sweet treats exist in the world. I don’t eat those things

I know certainly flour-filled foods exist in the world. I don’t eat those things either.

I know crystal meth and cocaine exist in the world. I don’t eat those either.

On the other hand, when I was relapsing nearly daily, certain foods would trigger me so badly that even if I hid them in the locked car outside, I'd still go outside in a rainstorm at 11 p.m. to retrieve them. Those I had to ban altogether. And ask my husband not to buy them either.

And that's the thing, right? You need to decide -- or maybe I should say, you get to decide -- how much you want them to be in your space. And you can change your decision anytime.

If you are struggling with relapsing and resuming and can't seem to go more than a day or a few days without breaking a bright line -- well, maybe you could consider not permitting anything with sugar and flour in it in the house (or asking family members who eat these things to hide them well).

If you've have solid bright lines for months and months but still feel fragile, you're still allowed to refuse to let them in the house (or only let them in if they're hidden) as well.

If your bright lines are really solid and you feel OK with it, you're allowed to let them in the house for others to enjoy while you say "I don’t eat those things."

Banning is a perfectly acceptable way to care for yourself. Changing your mind and allowing them in the house is also perfectly acceptable.

If you’re asking yourself about it and feeling uncertain, that might be a sign it’s better to just not have them around you. When in doubt, I err on the side of keeping them away from me.

The important thing is that you do what feels right and strong and positive for you.

Disclaimer: This website is not officially affiliated with Bright Line Eating or Susan Peirce Thompson. The opinions here are entirely my own.