College Student Ready for a Change

fightinglj

Hey everybody! My name is LJ and I'm (sorta) new to MFP. By sorta, I mean I've been using MFP and other health apps on and off for the past few years. But this time around, I'm determined to make it stick.

I've struggled with being overweight pretty much all my life. My middle school and high school years were riddled with negative views of my own body image. P.E. classes helped me maintain my weight, but once I stopped taking them, the number on the scale shot up. (That doesn't do too well for a highschooler's self-esteem, now does it?)

Right now, I'm nearing 200 pounds. Lately it seems like I'm constantly asking myself "how on earth did I end up here?" I have just realized that I've been looking more into the past--beating myself up about what I could've done to be healthier--than I have been looking into what I can do right now to change my lifestyle. For me, this journey isn't just about eating healthier and losing weight, it's about gaining self-confidence, self-love, and self-respect too. I want to be healthy again. I want to be able to go up a flight of stairs without having to catch my breath. I want to be able to feel good and look good (for myself). I want to be able to look in the mirror and be secure and happy with who I see and how I feel.

I think the reason why MFP hasn't worked for me in the past is because when I first started (1) I was an impatient teen who wanted quick and easy results and (2) I thought that I was alone in this battle, which made it A LOT harder. This time, I'm dipping my toes into the MFP community. From what I've seen so far, it seems like a great group of supportive individuals. I hope that I'll be able to find a good support system here and maybe be a part of someone else's too. (Friend requests are welcome by the way!) Thanks for giving me this opportunity to share, I look forward to starting this journey with the rest of you!

sarabeth320

Hi LJ!
SAME, pretty much. I will add you. Maybe we can help each other! I need someone to help me not quit this again.
I am also willing to connect on other forms of social media if that is more helpful.