Is this the same thing as complusive eating?

If it is, that cold explain why I gained weight as a child. I didn't do it on purpose, but I was eating for stress relief. It was also a way to deal with my Tourettes (which I already made a post in the Tourettes forum). I was a skinny child, until I hit the age of 8. People in elementary school was forming groups and eating helped the stress. I was short, skinny, and reserved. The next year, I was overweight. I use to day dream about food. It was horrible. The first 5 pounds was normal as I was entering puberty at an early age, but eating made the stress of growing up better. I got picked on for it more and that made my eating habits worse.

When I was 12 (back in 1998), I was looking at some teen magazines and found a new trend in Hollywood; yoga. I told myself I could never do yoga as I was too fat. I also told myself if I ever get skinny, I will do yoga. I tried a couple poses, but gave up. However, I tried the meditation and thought it was a little bit easy. My grandpa died in 2001 and I was just starting to lose weight (he gave me encouragement). I lost 15 right before he died by eating smaller portions and running. I decided to start doing yoga and I continued my weight loss. It was slow. In the 12th grade, I got to 148 pounds and was proud. I graduated and entered college. Compulsive eating helped me and I gained (Paxil CR also is to blame). I didn't gain a much as I thought, because I did work out alot and I didn't have a car at the time. The weight really came on after I dropped out, after attending a semester. I gained almost 2/3 of the weight that I lost back (was 200 pounds in 2000).

Then, I starting thinking to myself. I need to change something. I can't let food control me. With my pratcie of doing yoga (I stopped in 2004), I became a more spiritual person. Sop I starting thinking of becoming a vegetarian after browsing PETA's site (I don't support PETA anymore). That was the best decision of my life. The weight came off like that. My BMI is in the normal range. I got over the compulsive eating and is proud. Although, there are times I might have lost the weight wrong, but for the most part I eat healthy. I still daydream about food, but mostly it is meal planning. I have to plan my meals, because of being a vegetarian. I weigh 127 pounds now a wear a size 7. I was a size 9 a month ago. I do yoga everyday to help with toning my body and calming me down so my stress is managable and my Tourettes don't act up.