I've been contemplating my weight loss journey for a while now and I've realized a few things, at least about myself.  We were always told that we eat for psychological reasons or boredom and losing weight would have no effect on our lives.  We would still be miserable because we had not conquered the things that made us eat.  What a bunch of hooey!!  I believed that garbage my whole life.  Probably started by someone that was very thin and never had to diet a day in their lives.  In fact most of the people who felt they could tell me about me and how I felt inside were always rail thin.  Here's the scoop for MY life.  I ate too much because food tastes good.  I love big sloppy cheeseburgers with bacon, melted cheddar cheese, and mayo.  I love fettuccine Alfredo and pizza and chocolate.  Why wouldn't anyone?  Those things taste amazing!  Never once did I think "wow, I feel depressed, or lonely, or whatever, I bet a burger would make me feel great".  Well now I've lost a substantial amount of weight and let me tell you, thin changes everything!  I have more energy, I want to do more. I want to see more, I want to participate more.  I never really wanted to go out in public because I was ashamed of my weight.  I felt like everyone was staring and judging me simply because I had more pounds than they did.  I am no longer embaressed to go out in public.  In fact I'm proud of my new look and the clothes that now fit me and how, while I still have a long way to go, I feel more like everyone else.  I would never say that no one out there eats because of problems in their lives, but I don't believe that is true for the majority.  I've learned a new way to eat with new foods I now love.  I'm happy with that, but that doesn't mean I don't want a cheeseburger sometimes.  But when I do have it, I don't feel comforted.  Actually, I usually feel guilty, because being thinner makes me happy, and proud, and excited for the things I can now do and will do in the future.  That cheeseburger, in fact most of my old foods, no longer tastes as good as I remember.  However, sometimes, I just have to have some chocolate.  But just becasue, well, it's chocolate!