I’m Taking A Paleo Diet For 2 Months

This was my first significant step towards improving my health.

Photo by Madison Inouye

In my bedroom, there is a picture of me and my late grandmother. I can’t remember the details other than that it was taken suddenly and likely by my dad, judging by the somewhat surprised expressions on both of our faces.

But I know this was during a time before I became fat, sometime in elementary school, and before I wrestled with depression, self-inflicted emotional abuse, negative self-talk, self-imposed isolation, and an addiction to being online.

I know this because by middle school, I tended to overeat at every opportunity. At family gatherings, I would eat whatever my uncles, aunts, and other cousins didn’t have. I would also stay up late on Fridays watching late-night cartoons on Cartoon Network and raid the kitchen.

It wasn’t good.

And with my parents being less strict on having a healthy lifestyle and not cooking as much back then, I was well overweight in a matter of a year or so.

Picture taken by the author

Transitioning from the skinny and lithe boy with excellent eyesight to the fat boy that I…