Portrait of a former self

It's no joke that the food in our public schools (or any school, for that matter) is JUNK. Considering that french fries serve as the staple "vegetable" accompanying our mozzarella sticks and gourmet greasy pizza, food service has provided little to the kids and the communities it serves. One of these effects can be seen in my own fabulous past as - you guessed it - the fat kid. Don't worry, we'll get into the logistics of the typical school lunch and proposed solutions soon (Farm to School, anyone?), but for now, a look into the eating habits that so shaped my awful former self.

1. Middle school Friday specials
Friday always means the fun food, a celebration of the weekend of sorts. My typical meal? A slice of cheese pizza, a slice of pepperoni pizza (you know, gotta have a balanced diet), a large fry with cheese sauce, a slice of cake, and two chocolate milks. Needless to say, one of the highlights of those Fridays involved me leaning out the window to say hello to a parking lot's pavement.

2. Saturday night deliveries
My sister and I were big for Domino's pizza. We also understood the importance of splitting bigger meals between two people, so we always shared the medium thick-crusted cheese pizza, full order of Buffalo Chicken Kickers with ranch, and hot order of Cinnastix and icing. Too bad there were never any leftovers.

3. Eighth grade exercise
My mom was one of the types that encouraged me to sign up for whatever activity I pleased, so naturally when an ice rink opened in the neighboring mall, I signed up for skate lessons. These got old after a while...but the large order of cheese fries I'd down while watching the lessons never did.

4. Dancing and donuts
Summer school came around and I joined a hip-hop dance class. Of course, the teacher brought breakfast food to celebrate near the close of the session, including orange juice, apple juice, and the ever-popular army of Krispy Kreme donuts. I was so excited, I cut in line, only to have one of my classmates yell, "Erin, I know you haven't eaten in the past half-hour, but you're going to have to wait in line like everyone else!" See, my healthy example was already being recognized for its excellence!

5. Bag it up
In seventh grade, I opted for bringing a healthy lunch from home. "Healthy" meaning a pepperoni pizza Lunchable and full-size bag of Skittles. Hey, at least I had a bottle of flavored water to wash it all down.

Any habits you blame for your childhood chunk?