Coming from a family in which eating disorders seem to run rampant, I am scared to death of them. Scared out of my wits. I do everything I can to avoid them, including never dieting because I know where that road leads. I believe in not allowing myself to gain weight so that I will never have to diet to lose it. Because I've never seen dieting done successfully and healthfully. I've hovered at the same weight since mid-college without dieting or restricting myself. Obviously I'm no toothpick; I border on plus-size but am proud of my curves that make me beautiful. (regardless of what anyone else thinks!)

A running joke between me and my best friend ever since I can remember, is that we are picky eaters. And almost to an extreme, though probably I am more than she. Though it's no eating disorder, it is something I can't help and I hate it about myself. I constantly am asked if I ever eat "real food." I've grown very insecure about eating in front anyone who isn't already accustomed to my odd eating habits. I hate trying new restaurants. The restaurants I do eat at, I never sway from the one dish that I find appetizing, and often it involves chicken fingers. My diet is incredibly limited because 80% of food out there isn't even food to me. Put a plate of vegetables in front of me and it might as well be a plate of vomit. I cringe when I imagine there are people who eat vegetarian diets, because I couldn't handle that.

It's laughable that a 24-year-old adult can't stomach vegetables or exotic foods as if she were a 5-year-old. People told me for years that I would outgrow it, and I'm still waiting for that to happen. Until then, I know the foods that I can handle and perhaps someday I will be able to handle more.