My Weight Loss Journey: I'm a Compulsive Overeater

Here I sit...I'm 30 years old and haven't been thin since I was 5 years old. From the moment I started elementary school until now, I have been addicted to stuffing my face. They say that there is an underlying cause to every person's overeating habits, but I have no clue where mine comes in. I can pin point a few events in my childhood where words stung me to the core, but I was already overeating and over weight. I had a great childhood. We didn't have a lot of money, but at that age, you don't understand that. I had 6 siblings that I had to compete for attention with, but I don't see how that would contribute to my problems, either.

I guess I'm just a big mess. Sigh. I've been on diets since elementary school, but nothing has helped me to overcome my addiction to food. People in the world look at people like me and think, "Why don't you just stop eating so bad?" I wish it were that easy. I wish my brain would just flip that switch and I was magically healed. The problem with food addiction in comparison to drug and alcohol addiction is that you cannot live without food. Another big problem is that almost every restaurant in the world serves way too much food for one person. One meal out to eat is usually equivalent to the amount of calories you should ingest in a day! We won't even go into the fat, carb, and sodium content! I challenge each of you to go onto your favorite restaurant's website and look at their nutrition information, it is a true eye opener.

I have learned that if I'm going to eat bad, that I should just order off the kids menu, because that is the correct portion sizes for an adult. Most restaurants do not allow adults to order off of the kids menu. I have found a few that do honor this request. Other people say, "Well, just eat half of what they serve you." That is like telling an alcoholic to only take a sip of the drink and that they cannot drink the rest of it.

Here is what a day is like for me.