Having gone through foster care, freshman Isabella Tidwell shares her experience with body dysmorphia and depression.

Tidwell’s story starts with change not only for herself but those around her.

“I’ve done a lot of change for myself and other people,” Tidwell said. “Something I’ve changed for myself is my weight.” 

Tidwell decided to start her wait-loss journey a few years ago.

“At one point in like 2021 or 2022, I weighed a lot, for me I thought it was an unhealthy weight,” Tidwell said. “This changed because I heard a podcast by David Goggins that said ‘You have to get up and do something one day,’ after hearing him say that I was like I’m gonna do it.”

Forty-nine-year-old David Goggins is an American runner who didn’t have any cartilage between his bones.

“I started working out mainly doing cardio and now I’m at a healthy weight that I’m very happy with,” Tidwell said.

For Tidwell, her circumstances had a lot to do with her self-image. 

“I think some of the reason for me being at a weight I wasn’t happy with was when I was going into foster care. I’ve been in and out of foster care nine times,” Tidwell said. 

She worked hard and eventually got to a point where she felt good about herself.

“I’m really happy with the family I’m with now and the weight I’m at right now,” Tidwell said. “I’m telling this story specifically because in high school there’s so many people that struggle with body dysmorphia and depression and I want this to inspire others one day,” Tidwell said.