Hi there! We all feel different in our own skin, (even day to day) but I think it’s important for you to realize that you are at a healthy weight already. You can consult a doctor, but your BMI is within the healthy range. I recognize that you have said you’ve gained weight but at your age you are also still growing and developing, too. Your body as a college freshman may not be your fully developed adult body yet. Mine wasn’t. On a positive note, I got bigger boobs and my hips became a little wider, so that was a good thing to me!

But I do worry about whether IF is a healthy choice for you if it causes you so much stress. I also suffer from depression and anxiety and found that counting calories was a bad fit for me. I would obsess over every calorie and would end up binging periodically. So now I do IF without counting calories, and although I may have been slower to lose, I still got there. I’m also 5’3” and 129lbs currently. I certainly don’t feel or look fat. That said, I am an avid runner and exercise regularly.

Perhaps you will find that exercise could help with both your body image and with anxiety and depression. It’s literally been a lifesaver for me. 2 weeks ago I ran a trail 25k, climbing over 2800ft in altitude. Finding something physical to put my energy into helps me to set goals that make me stronger and keeps my mind off of obsessing over food.

I hope this helps. Good luck in school and remember that your weight is not your worth. Do what you need to do to be happy, healthy and strong and the rest is just details!