Mom was busy and thought she was being helpful. I was about 3 and wanted
lunch when mom had lunch. So she fed me. I then wanted lunch when my older
brother and sister had lunch. So she fed me. I wanted lunch when dad came
home for lunch, so she fed me. By the time I was in kindergarten, the kids
teased me. I went home and buried my sorrows in a box of cookies. Then I
needed something salty. I ate a bag of chips. Drank down a couple of cups of
Kool-Aid.
The year before junior high, I lost a lot of weight by walking-I collected grocery
carts for the local store and got raffle tickets for a new 10 speed bike. I won the
bike, got a couple of paper routes and continued eating like there was no
tomorrow. Although I was much thinner than I had ever been, I am big boned,
so the kids at school teased me. I learned to drive and got a job at Mc Donald's.
They gave me a free meal every time I worked. I gained all the weight back
that I had lost at age 11 and then some.
By my mid-twenties, I went on Nutri-System and lost 63 pounds and almost
made it to my goal weight. I quit smoking two years later and gained it all back
and then some. My goal now is to eat at least 5 fruits and vegetables a day--
then maybe I'll be too full to stuff my feelings down with food. I only can pray...
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