During the last year and a half, I have lost about fifty pounds. However, two months ago, to my surprise, my family doctor told me I had gained eight pounds back. His diagnosis – I have food issues. His remedy – counseling.

Now I am familiar with counseling for problems in a marriage, issues of depression or even loss of self-esteem. But food issues? Well, evidently it is true. There is counseling for people like me, people with food issues.

So counseling it is. Not a diet. Not a food plan. Not a calorie counter. Counseling!

I have a special counselor now, because . . . . .  I have food issues. She is very nice and we get along well. We do not, however, exchange recipes or talk about Grandma’s best Angel food cake or give each other chocolate treats. That would be out of bounds for people like me – people with food issues.

We spend my fifty minutes of therapy talking about all the foods I do eat, all the foods I shouldn’t eat, all the foods I want to eat, and why. “Why” is the biggest food issue so far.

Why I do what I know I shouldn’t and why I don’t do what I know I should. You know, why I have food issues. Somehow we never have an answer for that. Do all people with food issues have trouble with why?

I know what a healthy diet looks like and I am aware of harmful foods, thanks to the media. (Even though that list changes from week to week). I know the calorie count of most of the foods I eat and I exercise three times a week. How can this be such a problem?

Well, you guessed it – I MUST HAVE FOOD ISSUES! At sixty-nine years of age I’m in counseling for my “issues” with food, which I was completely unaware of until two months ago!

Every two weeks I see my food counselor. We talk and sometimes laugh. She always asks how I feel about food (love it!), how I feel about depriving myself of certain foods (hate it!) and how I feel about managing my food intake (annoyed!). Do all people with food issues have such strong feelings about food?

Maybe not. I don’t know, since I’m the only one I’ve ever known who has been clinically diagnosed with food issues. I’m charting new territory here. I’m blazing a new trail – for me anyway.

I guess the counseling must be working because I haven’t gained any more weight. I think I still have food issues though, because the counseling continues.

Will I need counseling for the rest of my life? I’m unsure. I don’t know if food issues is curable or just manageable. I guess I will see.

I don’t mind talking with my counselor so much – she’s pleasant and all. I do dislike talking about, thinking about and planning for food all the time. That really is MY biggest food issue.

I’m going to tell my doctor so, the next time I see him. I hope he doesn’t recommend more counseling for that!!