My whole life was about dieting, restricting, and waiting to be thin. When I’m thin, then I’ll be happy, I thought. I was sure Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA) was not for me – too time consuming, and there was that whole “higher power”

088. First Stop: Refrigerator

24 days ago 28m 47s

Standing at the refrigerator looking for something—anything—to change the way I felt, I heard myself admit, “I do not know how to eat,” and I started to cry. Ironically, I was the class clown, the jokester, and above all, I wanted you to like m

087. Finding My Value and My Voice

Mar 20th, 2024 43m 20s

At the age of thirty and weighing 207 pounds, I was living a hopeless life. My existence was one of self-loathing, never feeling like I belonged. As a young person, I started hiding food, which began a cycle of guilt and shame over my eating. I

086. You Can Do This

Mar 6th, 2024 32m 32s

At nine years old, eating five meals a day and snacking in between, I thought I was ugly and I hated my body. In high school, at 217 pounds, my friends thought I was the strong one, but I never really showed what was happening inside. My twenti

085. How I Got My Life Back

Feb 21st, 2024 28m 20s

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 c

084. A Miraculous Transformation

Feb 7th, 2024 30m 7s

Plagued by a lifetime of anxiety and repeated hospitalizations for depression, this transgender man took refuge in food. As his addiction progressed, everyday tasks and the most basic self-care seemed impossible. With anger issues escalating at

083. From Isolation to Collaboration

Jan 17th, 2024 28m 10s

I grew up a middle child in a single parent family, until my life changed at the age of five when I moved in with my aunt and uncle. I would eat everything in the kitchen, and then deny, deny, deny -- or blame it on the dog. At school, I felt

082. At 300 Pounds, Everything Hurt

Jan 3rd, 2024 30m 39s

While putting food on the table and keeping the lights on were ongoing challenges at home, my family showed their love through large quantities of food. At school, I was always the biggest person in my class. TV shows and magazines about weight

081. Made A Decision

Dec 20th, 2023 19m 48s

She did not have weight to lose, but knew she was in serious trouble with binge eating. Repeated trips to fast food and convenient stores looking for “pep” and answers in food, she was overwhelmed, hopeless, and certain Food Addicts in Recovery

080. Ninety Pound Pendulum

Dec 6th, 2023 24m 5s

I was an anxiety-ridden child. I was uncomfortable in my own skin and felt as if I just never fit in. Looking for relief, I made food my solution. I hoarded food, stole food, and stole money to buy food. Graduating to other substances, I was sm

079. Ticking Time-Bomb

Nov 15th, 2023 25m 24s

As a kid, I would eat everything that was put in front of me and then go back for seconds. But I was thin, so my weight wasn’t an issue. As I grew up, I ate to escape: from work stress, from family relationships, and from fear in general. I was

078. The Secret is to Stay

Nov 2nd, 2023 37m 17s

From my earliest memories, I was never satisfied. No matter how much I got, I wanted more. I felt like everyone else had life’s instruction manual, but I felt alone and awkward. In school I found my solace in food and Teen Beat magazine. After

078. No Weight To Lose

Nov 1st, 2023 19m 48s

077. An Abundance of Miracles

Oct 18th, 2023 25m 46s

I grew up an only child with two loving parents, but my expectations were so high I never believed anyone loved me enough. I was left with a deep emptiness that I tried to fill with food, constantly fantasizing about what I’d eat next, and figu

076. I Can’t Go. I Have To Mow My Lawn.

Oct 4th, 2023 29m 19s

At 58 years of age, I argued that I didn’t really eat much, but you don’t get to be 300 pounds without eating. In reality, I was a fast food guy in denial. I never ate breakfast, but I would stop at the drive-thru, eat in my car, and binge all

075. Overcoming Survivor’s Guilt

Sep 20th, 2023 24m 14s

At 18 years old and 295 pounds, I was trapped in the downward spiral of food addiction. When I heard about Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA), I thought, “No way will I ever set foot in one of those meetings." I was diagnosed with cerebral

074. I Found Hope

Sep 6th, 2023 23m 47s

Nineteen years old, 245 lbs., and completely out of control with food, I could not get it together to apply to colleges, get my driver’s license, or even get out of bed. Lonely and depressed, “eh, whatever” became my mantra. Even after losing 1

073. Always Running, Running, Running

Aug 2nd, 2023 31m 1s

On the outside, she would light up a room with smiles and positive energy. A competitive athlete who also had a penchant for traveling the world, her life looked like a dream. On the inside, however, she was plagued with deep insecurity and anx

072. 10,000-Calorie Binges

Jul 2nd, 2023 42m 57s

Fueled by willpower, high moral standards, and determination, I successfully controlled my weight for extended periods. However, by my early twenties, my eating was out of control and I was overweight and hopeless. After each 10,000 calorie bin

071. Put in the Cork, Picked Up the Fork

Jun 11th, 2023 28m 1s

Over time, she went from being a picky eater, to an under-eater, to an emotional eater, to a binge eater. After getting sober in another 12-step program, her eating got completely out of control, and she realized she was still practicing a leth

070. It’s About Gratitude, Y’all

Apr 2nd, 2023 28m 14s

I’d heard about Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA), but at my first meeting, when I didn’t see anyone who looked like me, I assumed no one there would understand my culture. I had gained and lost 50 to 100 pounds over and over again, and k

069. If You Liked Me, I Liked You

Mar 26th, 2023 35m 46s

Battling the war with food and dieting for 20 years, this African-American woman was constantly looking for anything on the outside that could make her feel better on the inside. An overachiever, she could work highly demanding professional job

068. The Best Show on Earth

Feb 12th, 2023 23m 30s

Diabetes ran in this Black woman's family, so she understood that amputation, blindness, heart attack, and stroke were real dangers as long as she continued to eat addictively. Nevertheless, she was stunned when her doctor prescribed insulin fo

067. Whatever Life Brings

Feb 5th, 2023 26m 3s

She was intensely driven by obsession with self and the perfect body. Dieting left her miserable, with the perennial question, “What do you do after the diet?” Once she found her way to Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA) years of misery en

066. Nunca Podía Ser Honesta

Jan 30th, 2023 24m 34s

Se pasó años buscando una solución a su sobrepeso, sin saber que era adicta a la comida. Repetía patrones familiares poco saludables. Su crecimiento en el programa fue lento hasta que pudo dejar de mentirse a sí misma y a sus seres queridos. Es