I am 54 years old. I came into the program a little over six years ago. I had a couple of breaks, and in two weeks, I will have six years of back-to-back abstinence, God willing. I am deeply grateful for the life I have today and especially for these recordings. When I first came into the program, this is what I listened to, and it made a tremendous difference in my life. This program and these recordings helped retrain my thinking.When I came into the program, my top weight was 152 pounds. At five foot one and a half, that was very heavy for me. For most of my adult life, I believed I was around 120 to 125 pounds. Somewhere along the way, I stopped paying attention and woke up one day at 142. I decided to do something about my weight, as I always had before, by running or cutting back on certain foods. I thought that approach had always worked. But by then, my disease had progressed, and my life around food and other areas had become unmanageable. Instead of losing weight, I went up to 152 and kept gaining. Nothing I did could stop it until I came into this program.Today I weigh around 115 pounds, which was the weight listed on my driver’s license for years even though I had never actually been that weight. I now have the body I always imagined I had but never truly did. I remember saving a pair of pants from graduate school that I once wore for a presentation. As I lost weight in the program, I had to take those pants in. That was a miracle in itself. There is real joy in this program, though it took a lot of pain to get here.I grew up as the third of five children, with two older brothers and two younger sisters. I was born in California and moved to Florida at age eleven. My body was always a little heavier than I wanted it to be. I remember a childhood photo where all I could see were my thighs, and that image stayed with me. My weight was always slightly more than I wanted, but for a long time I wasn’t aware I had a problem with food. I knew I was uncomfortable with myself and kept trying to fix or change who I was through personal growth work, meditation, and different groups.I did well in school but struggled to feel connected. I grew up believing I could control things, including myself. I learned early on to suppress my anger because I was afraid of it. I also learned that “more is better.” Whether it was school projects, cooking assignments, or sewing, I always took on the biggest, hardest option. That pattern followed me into adulthood.Today my sponsor often reminds me to practice being satisfied with being average, to slow down, keep things simple, and let God lead. Growing up, I carried a belief that more was better and that I wasn’t quite enough.I earned degrees in physics, married after college, and divorced during graduate school because something wasn’t working. I spent years searching for fulfillment, joining groups and programs, hoping something would finally make me feel connected. I had good friends and even bought a house with some of them, but my food addiction deepened. I used food to cope with discomfort and to fit in. I hovered around food at gatherings, ate to manage social anxiety, and finished leftovers compulsively. I couldn’t understand how anyone could throw food away.Other areas of my life became unmanageable too. I mishandled money, procrastinated on responsibilities, and struggled to show up consistently for family. I accumulated clutter and avoided letting go of things. My self-esteem deteriorated to the point where I didn’t even trust myself to choose an apartment I liked.As my weight increased, I went to extremes to control it, including training for a half-marathon as a way to force myself to run. I worked long, erratic hours and used food as fuel to keep going. I didn’t believe others cared about me and resisted letting people in. I neglected basic self-care, always telling myself I would do things later.I was often late, missed important moments, and struggled to relate to people. I stayed busy to avoid connection. Before I entered the program, my weight climbed again, and I moved into larger clothing sizes. A photo taken around my father’s funeral finally showed me the truth of my body, though I initially tried to deny it.I turned to flour and sugar to manage discomfort and covered my life with denial. I spent time in another Twelve Step program, which helped, but I eventually drifted away out of fear. I tried counseling and kept saying I needed to do something about my weight. At one point, I was encouraged to accept my body as it was, but I felt increasingly uncomfortable and miserable.A friend staying with me began working this program, weighing and measuring food and calling a sponsor. Eventually, I was invited to a meeting. I wasn’t ready at first and tried other approaches, but they failed. I finally agreed to attend a meeting and heard people share calmly about their lives. They had what I wanted.After another failed attempt to control my eating on my own, I accepted that I couldn’t do this alone. I got a sponsor and began working the program. I was sure it wouldn’t work, but I also knew nothing else ever had. I committed fully. I learned about using the telephone, breaking isolation, and reaching out. I had two early slips and learned important lessons from them.Over time, I became diligent with my food and my program. I learned humility, prayer, and gratitude. I began thanking God intentionally throughout the day. That practice changed my perspective and helped me manage life beyond food, including responsibilities, relationships, and work.I started showing up for my family, something I hadn’t been able to do before. I learned how to relate to people through regular outreach calls. I stopped using food as my source of energy and learned to manage my time better, with God’s help.Working the Twelve Steps gently, with the guidance of sponsors, transformed my fear into trust. I learned that I wasn’t as terrible as I believed and that help was always available. I established daily practices: prayer, quiet time, weighing and measuring food, making outreach calls, and nightly gratitude.My work life improved. I became more open to feedback, less competitive, and more grateful. I learned to accept others’ strengths without comparing myself. Gratitude became a powerful tool in changing my thinking.Today, my life is very different. I show up for my family, go through challenges abstinently, sponsor others, and give service. I live one day at a time, one meal at a time, asking for help and trusting the program and the people in it. Today, I can believe that I am enough, that I do enough, and that I have enough.Thank you for being here.