It is really important that you read today's Blog

Today's Blog is a really good one. One of the best I think. I can say this without bias because I didn't write it.

I received a blog response from a friend two days ago and I cried.

I cried because of what my friend did to himself, I cried because of its honesty, I cried because I could relate to it, and I cried because of the positive message it sent overall.

It is quite a personal message, I think, but with his permission I am re-posting it here.

I think we all have so much to share, and if nothing else we can find comfort in knowing that at the end of the day, we are not that different. Our similarities allow us to support one another with sincerity.

My friend's message:

Firstly let me start by saying that I love reading your blog and it has really helped to inspire me to get back into a frame of mind where I gain control of my own weight. 

Like you, I have struggled for years to control my food habits and it’s a war I refuse to quit, even when at times, I do lose some battles! I was particularly interested to read your latest blog about being ‘born again’ and I wanted to show you some support with what I think I know you are going through. 

So a year ago, I hit my all time highest weight of 234 lbs and my doctor said I should be around 154 lbs which according to him was the probable cause of my slipped disc in my back and my slightly elevated blood pressure. The result of this consultation – I went out and ate anything sweet and bad I could find until I felt sick. At that point I felt so low I went to the toilet and did something I’d never done before – I wanted to punish myself for being so weak and I emptied my stomach. 

At that moment as I kneeled by the basin, I knew I had to stop this cycle of abuse and try to take back control over my own body. I had a moment of complete clarity about why I am the way I am and how I should deal with my ‘way of being’. I now accept that I have food dysmorphia and I know that I panic with food to the point where I will become irrational about how much of it I need. I even think that I have worked out where it all stems from and to that point I feel better equipped to deal with the issues that arise from my relationship with food. 

I chose to think of myself as an addict – “I am a food dysmorphic but I haven’t allowed my portions to get out of hand today!” I also accept that I will fall short at times and lose that particular battle, but I now refuse to let a failure define me and therefore, damage my future successes. It’s hard to fight the good fight, but I know that it is something I must always be aware of – it is a part of me that I deny at my peril. 

So over the course of a year, I’ve managed to lose 17 lbs which is a good start but believe me, I’ve had a dozen new beginnings during this time... However, despite being ‘re-born’ many times and feeling disappointed by my lost battles, I am now considerably lighter than I was in January of this year AND had I not had the courage to keep fighting, I actually believe that I would be weighing in at around 250 lbs now and unable to do up my own laces properly let along enjoy a confident social life. 

I now see that it is BECAUSE of my lost battles that my considerable success has had more meaning to me. Most powerfully of all, now when I slip, I don’t find that I spiral into a bottomless pit, but after a few days I accept that the battle is over and I plan my next one (only this time I will win!). 

My friend, you have been fighting the good fight and you have had so many victories! The fact that you dust yourself down when you lose a battle defines you as being strong. You live a varied and full life and that will mean from time to time you may move down a path that you hadn’t planned – but that is part of the fun! But like all interesting detours, eventually you get back onto the main road and cover a huge distance. 

Five steps forward and two steps back is still great progress with diversity and life experiences! Sometimes the ‘bad moments’ took me away from my weight loss goal, but my life would have been poorer for it not to have happened. 

I know I will get there in good time and so will you my friend. Give yourself permission to be a health warrior – as long as you win more battles than you lose, you will be victorious! 



I am so glad my friend sent me this message. I could never have written anything better. It is so raw, and so truly honest. We can all learn from it I think.


Please share this blog with anyone you know who might find supporting words in his message.


Be healthy,


Alan