2019: I was starting my freshman year of high school and it was the first time I really started comparing myself. I remember looking at the mirror thinking “wow I really don’t look like the other freshman” and started looking more critically at myself. I joined a dance team and fell deeper into the hole of thinking I don’t look right or like everyone else in class. 2020: I really didn’t like how I looked and decided at the start of sophomore year I would do something about it. Little did I know I would do more harm than good. I became vegan (not in a healthy way but to cut as much food out as I could) and started falling into disordered eating habits (NOT the same as an Eating Disorder). I lost a lot of weight, but loved the attention I got for looking so different. I was so low energy and unhappy with myself constantly. I ended up losing my period and I knew at that point I knew I needed to change. 2021: The pandemic hit in 2020 and it was a blessing in disguise for my health and wellbeing. I took the time to reflect and ease myself into eating more food. I downloaded TikTok and followed inspiring individuals who talked about body positivity and how to cure your relationship with oneself. This absolutely saved me and encouraged me to take the steps to heal. I ended up gaining a lot of weight but I was SO HAPPY. I was feeling more free from this restrictive mindset that was slowly shutting my body down. 2021 spring: I started to weight lift after my dancing season was over and fell in love with how it made me feel. I was feeling way stronger since I have never really put in effort to build muscle for myself. 2022: I wound up in college! I became vegetarian because I loved how I felt eating no meat and how much energy I had. I became addicted to the gym, getting in my steps, and had an amazing routine 2025: Building muscle, added in meat for more protein and nutrients and now creating new muscle growth goals! Who knows what’s in store but I am so proud of how far I’ve come! If there is anything I’ve learned it’s that we go through so many ups and downs but if you water your grass every day it will become a garden 🫶