Looking for a supportive community. Come say hi :)

Hello, my name is Liz, but you can call me "Short Stuff" if you so desire. I'm 22 years old, 4'11" (hence the "Short Stuff" nickname) and weigh about 115 pounds.

I've been on and off some sort of diet for the past couple years, but its only in the past year that I've made serious commitments. In the past four months I've lost about 10 lbs (I used to be 125 lbs for a long time).

The main reason I joined was because I want a supportive community. At the beginning of my weight loss journey, my main goal was to be as healthy as I could be, and that went well for awhile. I was very active, gaining muscle, and feeling very good about myself.

At this point, however, I feel like I'm losing my purpose. I'm more concerned with staying well under my calorie goal (I usually eat about 900 calories per day), and I meticulously log everything I eat. I can't eat anything without thinking about the calories it contains, and I become frustrated when I'm out with friends and they eat everything they want, and still look skinny. I am always thinking "Its so unfair that they can eat whatever they want and still look good, while I have to watch everything i eat lest i blow up like a balloon" Its come to the point where I sacrifice exercise because I'm too tired from not eating enough. Food has become something for me to control, and I would feel lost without my food journal

I've taken enough psych courses to realize that I might be headed for an eating disorder. I know I am not in a healthy mindset, and I need to change that. I'm not exactly miserable, but I know this is not the right way to live. I know the way that I'm treating my body is the exact opposite of healthy, and I need to make positive steps before I really do my body harm.

I know I have the tools and the knowledge; my mom works at weigh watchers, and from an early age she taught me about healthy eating. I know what needs to be done, I just have to let go of my need for absolute control.

I think what's missing at this point is the support. I want people I can talk to, people who are in the same boat as I am. I don't really have any other friends that are struggling with weight, so having this community to turn to is a wonderful safety net, a place I can turn to for advice, consolation, and yes, the occasional stern talking to when I neglect my health.

So, this post was a bit headier and not quite as light hearted as I intended it to be. Sorry about that. I promise I'm a friendly person, and funny as well (if you have an odd sense of humor, that is). So please, send me a message or friend request, or whatever it is you do on this site. I'm a newbie on here and still haven't figured out how everything works exactly.

-Liz (aka Short Stuff)