Kate - I was really, really hurt by your comment about absolving myself of guilt. I feel guilty every time I eat, pretty much. I'm supposed to be on a low sodium, low carb diet. I am okay with boneless skinless chicken breast and raw vegetables with no dressing. That's pretty much it. Anything else, I start counting up the unnecessary carbs and sodium and thinking how I'm so weak to not be able to just eat a very plain diet.

I feel guilty when I don't go to the gym. I feel guilty when I do go, but don't feel like dying at the end. I worry it won't be worth it and I'll end up dying really young anyway. I feel guilty for the damage I've already done to my body, especially the damage I can't undo.

That's just my life. It's not exceptionally emotionally healthy, but I never pretended it was. I also know that changing my thought patterns isn't just flipping a switch.

The only time in my life I've been even remotely successful (meaning, I lasted longer than a week) at getting healthier, I cut out my trigger foods. If I re-add them, I have the specter of the obsessive craving over my head. Even if I don't give in, the desire to give in takes up more head space than I can afford. So, I either don't worry about it at all (physically unhealthy), try to do "moderation" (mentally unhealthy), or cut it out entirely (a bit of a bummer, but not unhealthy).

So yeah, telling me I'm absolving myself of guilt without having (apparently) any understanding of what's going on inside my head was incredibly hurtful and I'm really surprised you wrote it, honestly.

"I'm simply saying that claiming to be not good at something isn't a helpful attitude." - I'm 37. I know my skill set. I'm not good at moderation when it comes to eating, especially trigger foods. There's a reason I don't drink. I know what I'm like.

I also suck at crochet. Do I keep trying it? Nope, I knit instead, because that's what works for me. The problem is when I get really good at knitting I start thinking I can crochet too, and my whole project falls apart.

So, if crochet works for you, you go ahead and make yourself a hat. I'm going to stick with what I know how to do.