Jessica Ay would not eat during the day, but come night time she would binge on calorie-dense meals like burgers, pizzas and hot chips.
The 27-year-old isolated herself from family and friends, avoiding social events because she felt "super self-conscious" with how she looked.
"I didn't like dressing up to go out. I found that really confronting and mentally challenging," Ay said.
"I was binge eating, unhappy and I honestly had the worst relationship with food," she said.
In adulthood, Ay put on 21kg, describing it as a "shock".
"I was very different in appearance from how I looked growing up, so to see myself carrying more weight than I was used to was a shock," she told news.com.au.
The Sydney local embarked on a lifestyle change two years ago, after becoming fed up with feeling unhappy.
"I started my journey mid July 2018 after being the heaviest I have ever been, weighing in at 78kg," Ay said.
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It was when she joined macro nutrients-based diet Equalution, that her life changed completely.
Ay explained that the "flexible dieting" approach allows members to eat all the tasty food they would normally, but in moderation – with meal-plans customised, depending on clients' calorie goal which includes the amount of protein, carbs, fat and fibre you should be consuming.
For example, Ay, who is on a 1700-a-day calorie intake, said she can still enjoy burgers and pizzas while shedding the kilos.
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One of her favourite homemade beef burgers and chips equals 613 calories, while a loaded burrito also with fries is 647 calories.
She said it also allows enough calories for the day to play around with including a bowl of ice cream with a Flake and M&Ms for dessert.
"I never ate any protein sources and wouldn't eat fruits and vegetables which I've since learnt to incorporate for the benefit of my overall health.
"I have also been able to eat all my favourite foods and have finally been able to enjoy life again."
Ay goes to the gym three days a week to help keep her fit and active – something she never did prior to her transformation.
But it wasn't an easy journey for the 27-year-old who described the most challenging task as parting ways with her old eating habits.
"It was difficult trying to be more health-conscious after coming from the polar opposite background," she said.
"I also had a pretty prominent binge eating disorder so breaking that habit of over-consuming food and having write-off days also involved discipline."
However, she said once you start seeing results, it not only helps with staying focused, but motivated too.
"Starting is the hardest part but once you have some momentum under your belt you will never look back," she said.
"Gaining confidence is not only an invaluable gift you can give yourself but then maintaining optimal health is an added benefit that you will be forever grateful for."
Ay said regaining her body confidence has allowed her to become more comfortable in her own skin.
"I am less self-conscious and more inclined to do activities and live a balanced life more so than I did before," she told news.com.au.
"It also sparked a new-found passion for health and fitness and acquired a job opportunity in the field."
The 27-year-old is now one of Equalution's meal creator's and nutritional coaches.
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"I feel so much better than I did before I started my journey. I feel really proud of how far I've come but also look forward to continuing to progress."
Breakfast:
Yoghurt bowl with cereal, berries and honey
Snack: Snack bar and fruit
Lunch: Massaman beef curry
Snack: Ham, cheese and tomato toastie
Dinner: Homemade pizza
Dessert: Ice-cream bowl with a flake and M&Ms
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