MY DIAGNOSIS Why Did I Struggle With My Weight for Years?

I was also exhausted and depressed-until I pushed for an answer.

- ALEX RUIZ, AS TOLD TO MARISA COHEN

I slept a lot as a kid in fact, one of my friends told me that when she would spend the night, she would be very bored because she would have to wait hours for me to wake up.

By fourth grade, I started gaining weight. Everyone else in my family was thin, but I felt as if no matter how much I dieted and exercised, the pounds wouldn't move. I'd see all my friends eating whatever they wanted, and there I was eating a salad or salmon.

Throughout my adolescent years, I continued to struggle with cravings, depression, and anxiety. I started experiencing terrible mood swings, which my family attributed to my "just being a teenager." Doctors would tell me, "You just need to lose weight!" which felt impossible and worsened my disappointment in my lack of discipline. This cycle repeated for years.

HITTING A CRISIS POINT

In college, my symptoms spiraled and my weight gain was so significant that my family was convinced I had diabetes. Though my glucose tests came back normal, my family and I decided to take more extreme measures. I remember one diet in which I would drink a shake for a couple of meals and then have one lean meal. How could that be healthy for anyone? I lost weight but knew it wasn't sustainable. I wound up developing a severe eating disorder.