Hi there,
I was a member of this forum previously, about a year ago. I hope it's alright to come back?
I am a 17 year old high school senior, trying to lose weight to prepare for college. I'll spare you the whole "I need to change, I'm so unhappy this way" bit because you can probably already guess I feel this way.
I think, most recently, the thing that really woke me up about my weight is seeing myself in old vacation pictures, back when I was thin. It astounds me that I thought I was fat at that time - I'd give anything to have it back! It was the summer I turned 13, and I weighed about 165lbs. I'm turning 18 in a few weeks and have gained at least 50lbs over the years.
Looking back, I can see that my depression was largely responsible for my gradual weight gain. Since about 5th grade I've been dealing with social anxiety as a result of the bullying I endured in elementary and middle school...I guess I never really got over it. I was always a heavy child but really ballooned in my early teens.
So that's a bleak picture of me. I look forward to meeting new people and reacquainting myself with old friends.
R.P. McMurphy
(The username is a nod to my passion for psychology
)