Hi!!!

[shoshkabob]

Hello, fellow nerds!

 

My name is Shoshanah (or just Shosh), and I just signed up for the Academy yesterday. I am 24 years old, Orthodox Jewish, and I live in New York City. 

 

I've been struggling with my body image for a long time, beginning in middle school, when my skinny friends would complain that they were "uuuuggghhh soooo fat!!!!" but were skinnier than I was. I've always gained weight primarily in my midsection and my face, and nowhere else, which made me always *feel* like I was fat because everyone else had flatter bellies.

 

I've been experimenting on and off with calorie tracking since high school. in 2007, I lost 7.5 lbs over a summer because I was being so much more mindful of what I ate, and was careful not to eat too much (and if I did, I'd do extra Dance Dance Revolution, which was the only way I would exercise  ). If the scale said I was 10 more lbs heavier and I *knew* it wasn't from muscle, I would always be more mindful.

 

Then, in my senior year of college, they opened a c-store in my dorm hall, and I only ate pizza for dinner instead of veggie sushi. I gained 15 lbs.

 

I shed 10 lbs for my wedding, bringing me down to my regular weight. But after that, I stopped caring about being active or eating right and gained 20 lbs within a year. I gained another 10 within the past 9 months.

 

I'm 5'8", almost 200 lbs, and it's almost all in my gut and back. I'm still relatively newly married, so people assume that I'm pregnant quite often without asking (I'm most definitely not!!!), and it's very embarrassing and infuriating. I want that to stop.

 

I was also told by my doctor that I have high blood sugar and low HDL, and that I needed to change something. I would like to cut my crazy addiction to carbs and finally be healthy! (It's a serious addiction. I'm talking half a box of pasta, 1 cup of (uncooked) rice a day, licorice and peanut butter bars for dessert...)

 

I'm also a HUGE Harry Potter nerd, and am constantly surrounded by everything Star Wars and LOTR. I also love me some Doctor Who (pre-season 6, when Moffat ruined everything   ).

 

Sooo that's me! Glad to be on board!!! 

[fitnessgurl]

Hi! Sending well wishes for your journey!