Surrender….
They say the first step in getting help is admitting you have a problem. Well, that is what I am doing. I have a serious Eating Disorder and I’m getting help. Some of you know me, some of you don’t. Some of you see my picture and think, hey there is a girl who is starting a weight loss journey. Some of you see me and know me a year ago and think Jill, what happend??? But the truth is. This is me…this is me naked. The real me. You see I have suffered with Bulimia/Compulsive Over Eating since I was about 8 years old. I used to eat when no one was watching. Hide food, use laxatives. Always trying to lose those last 10 lbs. My disease would subside for a while and I would lose weight. People would praise me for my dedication and hard work. I had everyone fooled. This is all part of the cycle. The Restrict/Binge Cycle. Right now I am in the binge cycle. I eat thousands and thousands of calories a day, wake up in the morning, go to the bathroom and start all over again. I eat in the car, I eat at work, I eat at home in front of the TV. I lie and say I’m busy so I can eat. I have used my money to pay bills to go and get food. I have managed to gain 75 lbs in a little over 9 months. I’m slowly killing myself. Im slowly disappearing.
A week ago I walked into my first OA meeting in over 5 years. Something is different this time. Something is comforting. I feel like I am home. I am surrounded by people that know exactly what I am feeling. What I am going through. What I feel like at those seconds before a binge. People who know what I feel like moments, hours, days after.
I am writing today to share my story, to share my journey, to share my path to recovery. I am making a promise here and now to get help. I know this is going to be a process. How ever long it takes, I will take this road. I know my sanity is waiting for me on this road.
Over the weekend I had the pleasure of babysitting for a friend’s babies. Twin baby girls. They are about 14 months old. I love babies and I am confident in my care giving skills. I have babysat since I was about 12 years old. There is nothing I can’t handle. The mother left me instructions and said, "there is potatoes, green beens and chicken in the fridge, give them dinner around 7pm" No problem I got this. If there is one thing I know I can do, and God put me on this earth to do is be a mother. Well, at least I thought.
A few hours later I pulled out the tupperware containers and for about 2 minutes I stared at them with utter fear. How much do I feed these babies? I didn’t know how much to give them. 1/3 cup, handful, tablespoons, do they get some butter? For the first time in my life I realized I don’t know how to feed a toddler let alone myself. I managed to give them a little bit each and figured that if they wanted more they would let me know. And then it really hit me. This thing that babies have when they let you know they are hungry and when they let you know they are full…Well I don’t have one of those. I think I broke it along time ago. I have to tell you, I am petrified. I do not want to pass this on to my kids.
So today I write because I am a toddler. I am back to learning how to eat. When am I full, when and I hungry. I am going to have to relearn all of this. This is going to be my journey of recovery. Not a prep for a competition, not a race to lose weight. But something more meaningful and more detrimental to my life. This is my journey of surrender.






September 16, 2009 at 11:41 pm
Now that you have finally admitted that you have a problem and that is the first big hurdle to get over. I am pulling for you and i wish you the best of luck. You are a beautiful woman! Keep up the great work and you will get through this problem. GOOD LUCK!
September 17, 2009 at 12:02 am
Words fail.
This is the…bravest, hardest, most inspiring thing I have ever read on this entire site.
-tclary
September 18, 2009 at 4:45 pm
I have goosebumps as I read this. Jill-I’m so proud of you for your honesty & commitment to beginning a new chapter in your life. You will beat this b/c you have the will of a WOMAN!! Go get ‘er done lil sis!!!
November 3, 2009 at 9:02 am
You can’t change something until you realize, and accept, that there’s a problem. Sometimes I think that’s the hardest part about change, the inability to see and understand that it needs to be done.