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Wellness > Health

Lose the Freshman 15: Jumpstarting my life

This is a sponsored feature. All opinions are 100% from Her Campus.

Nikki_headshotToday is the day. It’s the day I take back my life and my weight. It’s time for me to finally actually take care of me. Today, I start the SELF magazine’s Jumpstart Diet.

In high school, I read all the books about college. I KNEW the “freshmen 15” wouldn’t happen to me. I’m a health-conscious girl who loves fresh cooking and the feeling of a good workout. How would I ever gain those taboo pounds? Actually, I wasn’t even at my ideal weight when I left for college. I was determined to finally lose it all, but instead…well…I just gained more. A LOT more.

Life happens. Between meeting the love of my life, becoming a workaholic, and going through a traumatic experience, I’ve gained weight. In fact I am *gulp* 210 pounds.

Nikki Full_lengthYou may be surprised when I say that I feel like it’s nothing to be ashamed of. And trust me, it’s hard to finally as a person look past something that society (and often family) make such a big deal over. But I know my appearance or dress size doesn’t define me, and I’m confident the way I am. I’ve accomplished a lot of amazing things in my 3 ½ years of college; but as graduation approaches, I know that I need to get a handle on my weight before it gets a handle on me. A lot of health problems run in my family, and I’m going to put up a fight before I become a statistic.

In a couple of months, I’ll be entering the workforce AND planning a wedding. Sure, I know I’m beautiful the way I am (my boyfriend makes sure I hear it everyday). And yes, I know that you don’t need to be a size 2 to be confident. But let’s be honest. Sometimes that mirror catches our eye and fills our head with self-doubt.
Well, not anymore for this girl.

When I glanced at my reflection in the mirror the other day, I realized I want to look as confident as I am on the inside. So, why not start now? My name is Nikki Roberti, and I’m taking control of my life (and my weight). Here’s to the Senior 15—and those are negative pounds, my dears.

Follow along by signing up for your own diet plan at Self.com.

Nikki is a senior at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC majoring in journalism. Obsessed with all things magazines, she hopes to one day be a health editor for a publication in New York. She interned at Parents magazine through ASME and also reported on the hill in D.C. through the Scripps Howard Foundation Wire semester in Washington program. Currently, she is the Health Editor for Jaye Magazine and runs the health-meets-wedding planning blog, The Bloated Bride.