Hi! I’m an 18 year old girl, and I’v created this Tumblr to document my journey to lose 40lbs :) I hope to become an inspiration for other who also want to lose weight.

My stats: 5’ 3”

SW: 145

Final GW: 108 lbs

About two years back I had a history of eating disorder behavior. I began to restrict, and went from a chubby 130lbs, to a slim 105lbs. But I was not a good place in my life at the time, and I started to become depressed. I developed bulimia, and in a desperate attempt to reach out to someone for help, I told my doctor about my purging. She referred me to a therapist and immediately started me on an antidepressent. Unfortunately, antidepressents cause rapid weight gain in many people. I happened to be one of them, as I found out later.

I slowly started gaining weight, but I chalked it up to me being weak willed. Eventually I hit 130 lbs again, and I had had enough. I stopped the depressents on my own (I do NOT suggest this, talk to your dr before quitting medication) which caused plenty of nasty side effects, such as brain “zaps”, anxiety, and mood swings. But eventually I was ok. My faith in God pulled me through bulimia, and thankfully I am no longer depressed. :)

Later that year though, my health began to deteriorate. After going to the doctors again and again, and doing a bit of my own research (ok, a LOT of research!) I askied my doctor to test me for Celiac’s Disease. The test result was positive.

Celiac’s is a digestive autoimmune disorder. This means that when I eat gluten, a wheat protein that gives bread it’s soft, squishy consistency, my sees it as a serious invader that it must attack and get rid of immediately! So when I eat wheat, rye, barely, or malt (all food types that include gluten) the food goes down into my stomach where it is broken down by stomach acid. Then the gluten-food is released into my small intestine. The small instestine is where foood nutrients are absorbed into the blood stream, so the SI is covered in thousadn of miniscule “fingers” called villi, that do the absorbing job. Well, when someone who has celiacs disease tried to absorb gluten, the body cannot. So instead, the body releases white blood cell “warriors” that attack and kill the gluten. But since the gluten is in and on the intestines villi, it kills the inside of the small inestine too, over time.

Basically, it’s a very deadly disease. Thankfully, it can be controlled by eating a gluten-free diet. Gluten is in almost every boxed product though, from pringles to bread, to granola bars. So I tend to eat a very whole foods healthy kind of diet :)