If you write a blog post http://babeimsleevin.blogspot.com/2014/06/yesallwomen.html that implicates your mother but then you feel guilty about doing so, does that make it ok? :-) For those of you who also have deep baggage related to your weight from your childhood, how have you learned to cope with it?

Some of my weight issues stem from childhood, but more stem from a positively evil, abusive ex that destroyed my self-esteem. I've written about it before, and I haven't the slightest shred of guilt. I've learned via therapy that sometimes the only way to deal with pain is to talk about it, whether with a therapist, or write about it in a blog, journal, whatever.

If you are trying to put the baggage behind you, then you need to acknowledge that it's there. And don't let it have power over you (that is so much easier said than done. It's 12 years since I left the abusive ex, and only now am I starting to heal enough that I could do this surgery for myself and understand that yes, I am worth it) Learning to cope is an ongoing process, and I am extremely grateful that my insurance is paying for me to continue seeing my therapist.

Mine comes from 9 horrid years of a 12 year marriage that I walked away from 7 years ago. I was never an overweight child, never an overweight teen, but when I became emotionally and mentally abused, I self medicated with food.

I agree with all of you that our life experiences affect how we "behave" (eg. overeating/stress eating) but ultimately, its up to us what we put in our mouth. I grew up in an alcoholic, abusive home then moved into a 30 year abusive marriage but I don't blame anyone for my eating. It's my choice.

Food was the only pleasure I had in life. My ex made me believe I wasn't worthy to live anyway so I didn't care what the food was doing to me. I had written out a will on more than one occasion. I was so brainwashed by him that I thought if I killed myself he and my son would have a better life. Thank God I woke up and left him.