About Me

Hello friends and thank you for checking out my blog, I really appreciate it! So to get to know a little bit about me, my name is Jenna and I am 19 years old and I am a college sophomore and I am a Nursing major. I love my family, they mean the world to me <3

me and the fam, August 2008

I never had a dislike for food in my younger years. As a teenage girl in high school I was very athletic. I played soccer, basketball, and lacrosse all four years. I was healthy, active, ate whatever I wanted (never worried) and was never was concerned with my weight.

me and my best friend Kelly, Senior Prom May 2008

The summer going into college I still didn't have a problem with food or my body. It was definitely by far the BEST summer vacation ever, it was soo much fun, no doubt about that! I went on vacations with my family, hung out with my friends, went to the beach, exercised, and ate whatever I wanted too.

my sisters Krista and Alexa in FL, July 2008

College was soon approaching and I was both excited and nervous for school to begin. I got a full lacrosse scholarship to my college and I couldn't have been happier :)

me and Krista, Summer 2008

As I started college, and a lot of things changed for me, I was now without my family and friends at my side whom I love so dearly and I now had to make all of my own decisions on my own. I was playing fall lacrosse, exercising, and eating quite healthy. My weight was never an issue. With all of my working out I dropped a few pounds in the fall (not intentionally though). I probably dropped five or ten pounds throughout the fall.

me and Alexa, Thanksgiving 2008

As I came home for winter break I felt wonderfully. I was now a whole size smaller and I felt like I had just made a huge accomplishment, but I knew I could do more! At Christmas time I was very content with my body and liked the way I looked. I felt healthy, strong, and beautiful. My family all said I looked great and this is a picture of me and my sister Krista (on the left) on Christmas Day when I was at an ideal weight.

I can clearly remember that Christmas when I was happy and full of energy. I remember helping myself to delicious desserts and not worrying about it one bit! I had no regrets in eating them. I just ate what I wanted to and exercised regularly.

me and Alexa on Christmas Day 2008

When I went back to school in January was when things really turned the wrong way. My weight loss soon became my life. I knew I could lose more weight if I just kept doing the same thing. My eating disorder soon became my best friend as I began restricting foods and over exercising, and isolating myself from everything and everyone. My food intake decreased dramatically and my exercising became more and more. I honestly do not know how I was eating barely anything and on top of that going to lacrosse practice AND running more on my own. WHAT was I thinking? Clearly I was not! I became obsessed with counting calories, looking at nutrition labels, watching the Food Network, looking up recipes, cooking, hording food but not eating it, and watching other people eat.me in March 2009 (collar bone sticking out)

lacrosse picture, February 2009again, March 2009 (face sunken in)

Early February, my family, friends, lacrosse captain and coach were all terribly concerned with my weight loss and my lack of energy. They all talked to me and told me I needed to do something. But I just kind of ignored them not thinking anything of it. But I finally went to see Health Services at my school where I saw a nurse practitioner and she weighed me weekly. They sent me home for one week in February because they thought my weight and pulse were extremely low for my height. I went home and I started seeing a nutritionist and therapist, both of which I paid no attention too. I just went to all of the appointments because I had to in order to go back to school and not because I wanted to get better. The next three weeks as I was back at school I just kept losing more and more weight. Once again, Health Services sent me home again, but this time for good. They said I needed to seek more medical treatment at home because this time I was at an extremely low weight.

collar bones sticking out (gross :/)

As I went home on that Friday, the following Monday I was admitted into Walden Behavioral Care at Children's Hospital Boston at Waltham. I was inpatient at the hospital for a little more than one month.

As I left inpatient at the hospital I was required to see my doctor each Tuesday for a weigh-in and vitals. I began seeing a therapist weekly and a nutritionist every two weeks.

At first when I left the hospital I did not follow my meal plan and do exactly what I was supposed to do. I soon began to lose weight the first couple of weeks or stay the same weight. I was going to exact opposite of what I needed to be doing. But soon enough things got to get better for me, as I soon realized I was GOING NOWHERE with my eating disorder. If I wanted to do the things I loved and used to do I needed to get over this disease and move on with my life.

Though I am still in the process of gaining weight, I am much closer to health and happiness than I ever was before. I still continue to see my doctor, therapist, and nutritionist whom I all enjoy working with and I love dearly. If it were not for them I probably would not be where I am today. Each day with the support of my family, friends, and my team I am making more and more progress to a healthy life.

I hope this blog will be very helpful to everyone and also motivational. If you have any questions, comments, or thoughts for me please feel free to e-mail me at
Jetgirl1990@aol.com.