When eating is the solution, diets won't solve it: Amy’s Story

A lifetime of trying

Amy has spent more than half her life trying to lose weight. Now in her early fifties, she’s a veteran of diets, paid meal plans, gyms, and weight loss groups. Despite all the effort, money, and self-restraint, her weight remains stuck at a level that demands constant attention.

Why she was always hungry

As a child, Amy remembers always feeling hungry, always being bigger than other girls her age, and always being taunted about her weight. By eight, she was already taller and heavier than her older sister. Her appetite became a problem her parents thought needed controlling. Her school lunches were reduced, snacks were replaced with low-calorie substitutes, and eventually, she was served dinner on a smaller plate than everyone else.

Her eating was restricted without explanation

Unlike her siblings, Amy wasn’t given pocket money. Her parents didn’t trust her not to spend it on food. They never said it outright, but the message was clear: her hunger wasn’t normal, and she couldn’t be trusted to make her own choices.

When her secret eating began

By thirteen, Amy’s mother took her to the doctor, hoping for appetite suppressants. The doctor refused and suggested a dietician instead. But Amy had already started stealing food and eating in secret, her hunger now hidden, but still unmet.

He freedom came with consequences

When she left home at eighteen, she promised herself she’d never let anyone restrict her eating again. She celebrated her new freedom with takeaway meals, oversized dinners, and snacks whenever she wanted. But over time, that freedom led to a weight that, when she saw the number on the scales, frightened her.

A system built for her survival

What started as rebellion quickly became an eating system. Food was no longer just fuel or pleasure, it was regulation, comfort, expression, and sometimes punishment. Amy wasn’t just overeating; she was ensuring her survival.

Why a repeating diet cycle won't solve Amy's weight

Her story isn’t unusual. But what makes it powerful is what it reveals: that repeating weight problems aren’t just about food. They’re built from a thousand small rules, restrictions, and emotional responses that form a system most women have never been taught to see.

Change for Amy didn’t come from analysing why the last diet failed. It came from understanding the story that made food the one thing she could always rely on. Only then could she match the real problem with the right kind of help.

Additional resources for you

Check out the Weighting for Happiness programs for the tools and roadmap to uncover your food story. Download the free e-book

Listen to my Podcast 'Before Dieting' where ever you listen to your Podcasts or try the Apple/Spotify links below.

🎧 Listen to Amy’s story on Before Dieting …

Episode 5 - What diets won’t solve

Before Dieting... - Podcast - Apple Podcasts 

Before Dieting... | Podcast on Spotify

Happy listening - Bronwyn 💚