070. It’s About Gratitude, Y’all

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 kept trying diets, extreme exercise, weight loss gurus, positive affirmation coaches, and bulimia. I even had a high-risk lap band surgery. Nothing worked. I was so full of self-hatred, I called myself “the lap band loser.” When I met another Person of Color who assured me that if they could do the FA Program, so could I, miracles began. No one in FA asked me how many miles I ran or if I counted calories; they asked me what I was grateful for. Today, I can be honest about who I am, inside and out. I have a sponsor, a host of friends, and a Higher Power who loves me. Most importantly, in FA, I am learning to love myself. (Recorded Live)