Hello!!!

Hey Maddy

Just some input and thoughts....

You are young and still figuring out who you want to be in life. Do you. If you want to feel better in your own skin, do it the way that works for you, and don't let the influence of others take over. I've known people who look out of shape but are fit, happy, and confident. And I've known people that look in shape and won't walk a block if they have a choice. I think you are making a wise choice in putting a priority on your health and how you feel over how you look.

As for the allergies, that can be tricky, but post them up in a thread and often you will get suggestions for new ideas. My daughter deals with GERD so has a fairly restricted diet, so I can at least understand your situation. Also keep in mind that you don't want to limit your resources to just people in a similar situation, though you might connect with them better they might not have much good help as compared to others. As an example, a really good or great cook/chef could probably give you tons of ideas on good nutrition within your restrictions, even if their age, fitness goals, etc, don't align with yours at all.

As a parting word of advice.... life changes are often hard. They are a process which is often slow and takes hard work to overcome the poor choices we have made in the past. Don't think it will happen overnight. Accept that it can be a long path to walk but is worth it.

Best of luck to you.