So I was thinking more about this issue.
And something shifted in my mind.
I remember some of my buddies back in the old neighborhood were wild drunks or stoners.
And being lushes or potheads was a big part of their identity, perhaps the biggest part of their identity.
Being a foodie is actually a big part of my identity. I am the guy people come to about restaurants and ethnic cuisine. I always know the coolest and latest African or Asian restaurants in the city. I know the names of all the entrees and sides and say: "Oh, try the Kuku Paka at Wycliff's!" Or: "Addis has the best injera, go there!" Or: "If you want a good sampler of Somali food then go to Hoyo's -- Hoyo means mother in Somali."
And so on.
Perhaps as long as being a foodie is a huge part of my identity I will continue to have problems with weight and unhealthiness and overspending.