I was just miserable. Ashamed. Desperate. Somehow, I had eaten my way to being 80 pounds overweight. What I could wear on a Friday wouldn’t fit by Sunday night. Willpower is something I have in spades, but I was no match for the phenomenon of craving that occurred when my addiction to food kicked in. In truth, I was a person of great extremes, and at one point in my life, I had restricted my way down to an unhealthy 103 pounds. The turning point came when I found Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA), and the relief was immediate. I came to a meeting and found a sponsor who helped guide me through the program. I learned that weight was a symptom of a deeper disease that affected how I was making life decisions. In FA, I lost weight and, more importantly, learned to accept who I am. I’ve learned to cut other people (and myself) some slack, I am a more forgiving person, and I have a far greater sense of peace and serenity. I have learned how to sit with discomfort without eating my way through it. Now, I can show up for my life, regardless of the challenges thrown my way.