When I was 10 years old, I had to wear husky pants.

The day my mom took me shopping for “back to school” clothes and I realized that the only pants that fit me were labeled “husky,” I was humiliated. I thought, This is a nightmare!

That, combined with being called “Sissy” and other names, did not make for an easy childhood.

To say I was not athletic is an understatement.

This was especially challenging for my dad as he was a great athlete in both baseball and football. To this day, anything to do with hand-eye coordination and a ball is a no-go for me.

Luckily, I soon after found I loved swimming when I joined the swim team. And the pounds started to melt away. I actually became a lifeguard! And that helped me earn money for college.

If I could go back to my 10-year-old self I would say, “It gets better!”

But still, I struggle with my weight. The imprinting of emotional eating is something that requires a “re-wiring” every once in a while.

Just when I think I have mastered replacing a stressful situation with something besides a cookie, a new challenging situation comes along.

What always amuses me is when labels are created.

“The Freshman 15” for the 15lbs many freshmen in college gain from all the late-night pizza and beer.

Now it is “The Covid 15.”

“If only it was 15 extra pounds!” I thought to myself when I read this. For me, the perfect storm for weight gain is isolation, stress, and the fear of the unknown. To have all of that happen right after I moved from LA to Austin on March 1, 2020, was a new level of stress eating.

Just when I was starting to get in a better frame of mind, Texas got hit with a freak snowstorm in February 2021, and I, along with thousands of others, lost power and water. Luckily, I was able to stay at a friend’s heated home, but let me tell you… there was no “healthy eating” during survival mode.

Well, now the challenge is to still accept and love myself despite clothes that don’t fit or a number on the scale.

No amount of beating myself up ever helps anything.

Instead, let’s all give ourselves a little compassion, and remember we are the director of the movie of our life.

We can change the story at any time.

What story are you telling yourself around addiction: whether it is food, drugs, work, relationships, drinking, or anything else you use to “escape the current anxiety”?

Let me know so I can remind you of the truth of who you are!