Not Just About Food

I remember being at summer camp as a teenager.

We had just finished dinner and dessert—pie.

Then another camper came around with an extra piece.

No one else wanted it… but I did.

So I took it—and ate the second piece.

A few minutes later, everyone at the table started laughing.

My heart sank.

I was sure they were laughing at me.

Because I took the extra pie.

Because of my weight.

It turns out it was a prank.

(Ex-Lax in the pie, but thankfully, I wasn’t affected.)

But that didn’t matter in the moment.

What stayed with me wasn’t the prank…

it was the shame.

The way I saw myself.

Looking back now, I can see something I couldn’t see then:

Overeating wasn’t just affecting my weight.

It was affecting my self-esteem.

I didn’t recognize that until much later—until I got healthy.

What changed things for me wasn’t just trying harder.

It was working the 12 steps,

having a supportive group of people who understood,

and learning to rest in God’s grace instead of shame.

That’s what started to heal both my behavior and how I saw myself.

If you’ve ever felt that kind of shame around eating…

you’re not alone—and there is help.