I was a happy kid with a supportive family and a lot of friends. But frankly speaking, growing up was really _________ and even painful. During my childhood, I spent much time trying to achieve perfection in every aspect of my life, which made me extremely tired and anxious. I wanted everyone’s compliments and hugely feared criticism. But I didn’t realize that I was the one who _________ myself in the toughest way.

After I graduated from high school, my desire to be “thin” began to trouble me. I went on a diet. In the beginning I dieted by controlling food and gradually I started _________ meals. I lost weight day by day and felt super good. What I didn’t see was that I was slowly _________ myself.

People around me began to _________ my weight loss. They said with concern, “You’re losing too much weight.” “Elisa, you’re so skinny.” All their words only suggested that I was getting closer to “_________”.

Sadly, I took my physical _________ the first important in my life, believing that it was the way to become attractive and accepted. Then I cut down my food more and more, until a _________ day including half a teaspoon of nonfat yoghurt and black coffee in the morning, and a cup of grapes at night.

But my poor nutrition began to cause me to lose _________. Then one night, like many nights before, I couldn’t sleep, and my heart felt as though it might beat out of my chest. I tried to __________, but I couldn’t. The beating became so rapid and so strong that I could no longer __________. What I had done to diet nearly caused me to have a heart attack. I stood up, and immediately fell down. I was really __________, and I knew I needed help. My roommate rushed me to the hospital, beginning the long road to my __________. It took a lot—doctors, nurses, nutritionists, and food supplements.

And more importantly, a sense of what was true about myself got back on track with reality. I realized that, with my __________ of trying to be “perfect” on the __________, I had sacrificed who I was inside my body. Now what I know is, we are—every one of us—already perfect enough.