An introduction
 

Hello there!

My name is Jessica. I'm 17, soon to be 18 in the summer - just about to move on to university life far from home. :)

My story:
I've given up on my self image for a very long time. For the most part, it has never had anything to do with weight. I have a few of skin problems that have toppled my self-esteem. The most problematic of them is my Keratosis Pilaris (a bunch of rough red bumps that clog up the little hairs),which covers my butt and the entirety of both of my legs,from the upper part of my back to my forearms, and on my cheeks. That, coupled with annoyingly shiny lower limbs and skin tags under my armpits, and elementary/middle school boys teasing me for my premature growth spurt, made me give up for a long time. So I ate what I wanted to since I didn't care.

Now I'm a senior in high school. I scared myself at the start of this year when I looked at my upper arms and saw stretch marks there. I've gained a lot of unwanted weight from eating crap, and I want to change that. I can't do much about my skin conditions that remain insistent through treatments, but I can control my weight. Even if I can't stand in front of a mirror naked and feel good looking at my skin, I want to be able to stare at the mirror with clothes on and think that I look nice.

I started at 161 lbs at the start of April. I'm now around 155. I'm going to work myself down to 130 lbs.

I'm very excited to be joining this community. It's nice to meet everyone.:D

Welcome Elsewhere! :wave:

Congratulations on losing 6 pounds so far - that is a great start! This is a great place to go for support. Everyone here is so supportive and knowledgeable. I am starting over again today after letting the number on the scale creep up for too long, so you are not alone! Let's do it!!! :cheer3: