20 Questions

I've been meaning to post the 20 questions from my Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous pamphlet for a while.

"Are you a food addict? To find out, ask yourself the following questions and answer them as honestly as you can:
1. Have you ever wanted to stop eating and found you just couldn't?
2. Do you think about food or your weight constantly?
3. Do you find yourself attempting one diet or food plan after another, with no lasting success? 
4. Do you binge and then "get rid of the binge" through vomiting, exercise, laxatives or other forms of purging? 
5. Do you eat differently in private than you do in front of other people?
6. Has a doctor or family member ever approached you with concern about your eating habits or weight?
7. Do you eat large quantities of food at one time (binge)?
8. Is your weight problem due to your "nibbling" all day long?
9. Do you eat to escape your feelings?
10. Have you ever discarded food, only to retrieve it later?
11. Do you eat when you're not hungry?
12. Do you eat in secret?
13. Do you fast or severely restrict your food intake?
14. Have you ever stolen other people's food?
15. Have you ever hidden food to make sure you have "enough"?
16. Do you feel driven to exercise excessively to control your weight?
17. Do you obsessively calculate calories you've eaten?
18. Do you frequently feel guilty or ashamed about what you've eaten?
19. Are you waiting for your life to begin "when you lose the weight"?
20. Do you feel hopeless about your relationship with food?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then you may be a food addict."

I absolutely love these questions. When I first answered the questions for myself, I couldn't believe how many of them resonated with me. Now these questions are just memories for me. I eat the same as I do in front of my boyfriend as I do in front of my parents as I do in front of complete strangers. I know longer feel ashamed of my caloric intake; in fact, I don't even care about my caloric intake. Food no longer dictates whether I had a successful day or if I was a failure. My food is nourishment and nothing more. The biggest thrill F.A. has offered me is the ability to go to bed each night without saying to myself, "Tomorrow will be different. Tomorrow, I'll finally get control."

If anyone is interested in attending a meeting, just let me know. I have a list of locations and contacts throughout the state of Maine and New Hampshire. I'd be more than happy to take you along with me! Feel free to send a message to my Facebook inbox or leave a comment below!