How do I gain confidence in myself?

[Anonymous]

So I'll be honest, I'm fat, women's US size 22. Luckily, I'm tall so I have a figure and am not just a ball of lard. But I have no confidence in myself, I feel like just because I am fat people will always think that I'm lazy and don't care about myself. I've struggled with my weight since sixth grade (around when I hit puberty), and in High School I became bulimic to try and lose the weight. I've since gotten help for that and have started trying to lose it in a healthy way, but with my busy college schedule I can't take as much time to exercise as much as I'd like to, so it's really slow and I get frustrated, which makes me feel like I can't lose it. Which just feeds a viscous circle.

I see girls two or three times my size with more confidence than they know what to do with, and I'm so shy that I can't even say 'hi' to someone I know in public. I'm a Junior in college and will soon have to start looking at the professional world where I won't have the option to be shy and insecure. Is there any way that I can become less shy and be more confident in myself as I am?

PS- I really don't need a bunch of people just telling me to lose weight, and I'll feel better. I've lost a lot of weight since high school and still feel just as bad about myself.

[Anonymous]

If you find some other way to improve yourself, besides your weight, the confidence you gain from that should effect other areas of your life. There are other exercises you can do, such as complimenting yourself in the mirror every day. Or listening to songs with positive lyrics. You also need to make more of an effort to socialize, so that you can work past your issues.