When people ask how...

Hi, I'm Samantha. About 2 years ago, I weighed 223. I realized how terribly unhealthy I was. I'm 5'6.8. I ate Pringles, Wendy's, McDonald's, chips (pretty much every kind) and so, so many other 'unhealthy' foods. But what I wasn't realizing is that these foods don't have to be unhealthy(some, anyways), if you eat them moderation. I had a breakdown and started to research all the quickest ways to lose weight. Running is what popped up the most. So I joined a soccer team, started running at a local park and started to slowly work myself into a healthier diet. I didn't focus on portion, I focused on nutritional value which I knew next to nothing about, then. Someone made a joke about my legsat soccer practice, and my self consciousness really kicked in (pun intended).

I told myself, "I'll just pick these bad eating habits up, and drop them once I've hit my goal. I'll eat less and more healthily." But keep in mind, I didn't know nutritional anything. So I started skipping snacks. Then meals. Then I just didn't eat at school, I'd bring my iPod to distract myself at lunch time. I'd run 1-3 miles on the days I didn't have soccer practice. I'd get home, I'd eat whatever was for dinner and I'd throw it up right after. "Going to go finish my book." "Just going to finish my homework." I'd say. Then I'd lock the door, open the window, turn on the fan to drown out the noise, and lay paper towels around the toilet just to make sure I didn't make too big of a mess. My family didn find out until I'd done it almost every day for over two months. I started getting weightloss compliments, people asking if I'd lost weight, telling me I looked great (compared to before). I lost 30 pounds in one month. Every compliment fueled my 'need' to live up to self-set standards.

My first goal was 170. Then 140. Then 130. I'm at 130 now. Weightloss is about being healthy and active and happy. Not about skipping meals, feeling disgusting and guilty. I never did gain alter weight back super fast like people said I might, and I'm really thankful for that. But I destroyed my immune system. My hair thinned, my skin became grossly pale, my eyes lost their glow, my eyelashes thinned. I was weak, even though I started lifting weights. I caught a cold or virus or strep atleast twice every two months.

Would anyone want that? I hope you'd say no. But I've learned from that experience and yes, I'm still battling the urges to go back to my "quick" methods but they don't work, they don't just destroy you physically.. It's all mental. I thought I'd pick up an eating disorder and be able to drop it once I reached my goal. No. It isn't like that.

Please do everything you can to lose weight or far healthily. You know my story now... Create your own and be happy