To those of you who clicked on this link, hello, my name is Jenna and I am about to get really honest.

You are probably wondering where this title is going to lead, but I would like to point out where is comes from. It comes from millions of girls mouths every day, and if not their mouth, then their thoughts.

Here is where I will start to get real with those of you reading this article, and honestly, it scares the hell out of me. I would like to first start out by saying, I am writing this, hoping that by showing my vulnerability, it will help someone who is struggling with body image right now. Secondly, I was to say: You are not alone.

I struggled for a while to find the right way to string words together in this article so that I don’t seem too attention-seeking, or too-open. But, I couldn’t find a way to make this article seem genuine yet reserved, so here I go, no reservations, just truth.

Do I classify as an anorexic? Well no, I was never under 100 pounds and my hips never protruded out of my body enough and my color bones were just slightly existent… so that must mean I didn’t have an eating disorder, right? Because I was never “strong” enough to resist food altogether, and just because my thoughts were haunting, doesn’t mean I have a problem, right?

Because you can’t have an eating disorder if you are not skin and bones, purging, or binging, right?

Wrong. Eating disorders do not have a weight limit. I repeat. Eating disorders do not have a weight limit.

When I was 15 years old, I decided I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror. A young and innocent freshman decided she was not thin enough, and soon she would find she never would be. I started running and I stopped eating. I dropped the weight fast, but what I saw in the mirror never seemed to change. As the number on the scale went down, my acceptance of myself did not go up. I was miserable, weak, and not myself. I lived most of my sophomore year in a fog, never being fully present, and not focusing on the relationships I had. It was me and my disorder, alone and afraid. At the time, I did not think I had a problem, that is, until others started to notice. The picking at my lunch, constant angry outbursts, and glazed eyes caught my friend’s attention. Not only my friends, but also my mother. My mother, who had to watch the daughter she loved so much, not love herself at all. Which is something that I will never be able to forgive myself for.

A little therapy, and the introduction of a new addiction (I’ll get to that soon), made it easier for me to accept good food without near as much resistance. Though my body started to recover, I’m not sure if my mind ever did. They always told me “the negative thoughts are the first to come, and the last to go”, but sometimes I fear they may never leave. The new “addiction” I spoke of is exercise, something my mind tells me I can barely go a day without or I will get “fat” or “fatter”. My disordered mind stole away the purpose of exercise and healthy living. Anxiety now rules my day and takes toll on my relationships, and that is not okay.

So why am I sharing this with the social media world? Well, I hope I can shed some light on the fact that eating disorders, no matter the severity, are becoming more and more prevalent, and that is something that needs to be addressed.

Through my experience going to college I have met far too many young and beautiful females that have struggled with some type of eating or body image disorder. One after the other, we “bond” over something that should have never had to happened to us. I cringe at the thought these amazing individuals going through it too, when all I see is worth in the souls, and I am sure they see the same in me. So, why is it so hard to see the worth in ourselves?

I believe eating disorders develop into issues that are deeper than wanting a better body. The control that comes with the disorder serves as a comfort zone for us. That is why I believe, they are so hard to give up. In a twisted way, the disorder becomes part of us and by recovering, we will lose ourselves. But I am here to say, I am ready to let go of that part of myself. More than I ever have been, and I hope those of you reading who feel the same way, will know you are not alone. I want to do this with you.

Chances are, we give the best advice about loving ourselves and taking care of ourselves but don’t even see the contradiction that comes out of our mouths, well it’s about time we start taking our own advice. I am challenging us to find beauty in our smile and the way we make people laugh. To find worth in our loving nature and our driven personalities. To love the parts of ourselves that are imperfect because we are human, and that is beauty in itself. To accept ourselves for what we are; big, small, flabby, muscular, or whatever else we may be, because that is beautiful, my friends. We are beautiful. I also challenge you to look in the mirror and tell yourself that you are awesome and beautiful and powerful, not that you are “not enough”. Tell yourself every time you say something negative about yourself, “that is a lie”, because it is. And ladies, next time you are around your beautiful best friends, please, don’t say “ugh I feel so fat today” or anything of that nature, negativity will feed negativity. Then those negative words will become thoughts and those thoughts will become acceptable and normal, and believe me, they are not. Build up your best friends because I know you think they are the most beautiful people to walk the earth. But remember, by building up yourself with positive words and thoughts, you are building up you loved ones too.

This is not easy, but I believe it is possible. We are worth happiness, and we wont find happiness in a “good” body, we will find happiness in ourselves and our loved ones. So please, challenge yourself to take your own advice, and I will promise to try and do the same.

This road is not easy, and it’s serious. You may be reading this article thinking that I don’t understand, because its not that easy to just turn off the negative thoughts, but believe me, I do understand. I don’t want to see myself, or anyone else, waste their precious time we have here on earth. So try and see yourself the way you see your loved ones, because they know truth about yourself. Your loved ones know the truth, stop believing the lie.

If you are feeling alone and need someone to talk to, don’t hesitate to follow/message me on twitter, @_JennaSnyder_, or add me on Facebook. I am here for you and so are thousands of others.

National eating disorder hotline: 1-800-931-2237