My name is Leah and I am 21 years old. I have struggled with my weight my entire life, as has the rest of my family. About 5 years ago, I gave up on dieting altogether and developed bulimia. It was wonderful, I thought, because I was losing nearly a pound a day. About a year after I started, I forced myself to quit because I could already feel the negative effects it was having on my body. Today, I only suffer from the occaisional acid reflux, a product of the stomach acid eroding away at my esophagus.

When I was bulimic, I lost 60 pounds in a matter of months. I went from 209 to 145. I enjoyed being thin, but I realize that I would never compromise my health like that ever again. My older sister also struggles with bulimia, however hers has been going on for years and years.

I want to lose weight for several reasons. Number 1, of course, is my health. I want to get married and have children soon and I want to be in the best health possible. I also want to be able to teach them how to eat healthy, and what good would I be if i could not be an example for them? I also want to lose weight to possibly show my sister that you can eat right and be healthy without chucking up your dinner. The last reason, is of course, to feel better about myself. Although I had the lowest self-esteem when I was skinny, I believe I am now equipped with the tools to thoroughly enjoy it and make it last a lifetime.