It's easy to not partake in sweets...I'm 29 and my parents still haven't figured out that they don't ACTUALLY make me sick to my stomach...

I was never a fan of anything that involved food - holiday or not. They are so difficult to navigate and since ED's are a coping mechanism and family was the biggest trigger, it made it very difficult to eat/not eat.

How about if you go in with a plan? You know there will be food there that will be tempting if you become upset etc. Do you know who/what your triggers are when getting together with family? Maybe write them down and then write down what you will do instead of eating. For example:
*Mom will pressure me to talk about uncomfortable things. If this happens I will use my boundaries by saying to her "I don't want to talk about this right now" and then I'll leave the room or go for a walk, change the topic etc.

Hopefully by having a plan before going you will be able to stay on track. Also, if your family is very triggering you have the right to not even go. You are under no obligation to go to Easter to please others. If you don't want to go, because it is best for YOU, then please don't go. If you have children who want to go then say you will go for one hour and then you will take them to a park or setup an Easter egg hunt at home. Plan something different. Also, even if you don't have children and you decide to go - you can decide to go for only an hour. Make an appearance and then leave.

Lucky's advice is good. I am staying home this Easter because I just went to a big family gathering and another one would be too much for me mentally and physically. Instead I am planning a special day for myself. You do have every right to choose how you spend the holiday.

I like Lucky's idea of having a plan in place in case of triggering events, and also the idea of only staying for a short time....

I think if you plan well in advance you will do just fine....let us know how it goes!

I totally have this problem all the time. My family loves to host gatherings, and most of the time I dread the thought of going because I'm scared I'm going to go out of control and binge. One of the things that helps cope with my urges to binge is to simply acknowledge them. It's completely human to want to eat something delicious, and wanting to eat delicious food doesn't make me a bad or weak person. But then again, it's just an urge. An urge doesn't have to be acted on. We are in control of our actions as long as we are mindful of our emotions and thoughts that precede them. And the more readily we accept them, the less we end up attempting to suppress them (which just makes the feeling stronger and more intense).

I agree with everyone that you should plan what you're going to eat. What helps me is that I ask ahead for the food that will be served. If I don't like any of the food, I bring my own. If I find something I like, I plan a rough estimate of how much of that particular food I'll eat.

My best advice for you is to trust in yourself that you won't binge :) The more you believe you will binge, the more likely it will happen (self-fulfilling prophecy). Be kind to yourself :)

Thank you for helping me with this. I am feeling better about this now. I will make a plan and I will believe in myself that everything will be ok. Hugs to everyone.