Sydney woman opens up about her crippling battle with food

Growing up, Stefanie Jung was always a slender, active child.

The 24-year-old, who now lives in Sydney but was originally based in Dubai, had no issues with food, loved exercise and the outdoors.

However, that all changed when she turned 17 and started taking some strong medication for her acne. Gaining weight quickly, Stef told FEMAIL that she felt ‘worried’ about her weight for the first time in her entire life.

This begun a spiral into anorexia, bulimia and binge eating and saw her plummet to around 43 or 44kgs. This only improved when she hit rock bottom and started writing her feelings down in a journal.

These days, the 24-year-old is back from the brink of ‘self-destruction’ – blogging and sharing her story on Wholesome Stef, having totally overhauled her attitude towards her health.

Stef shared her story with FEMAIL.

Stefanie Jung (pictured left, when she started to initiate change, and after) spiralled into anorexia and bulimia after acne meditation made her gain weight 

Stef (pictured) shared her story with FEMAIL, and how she has embraced life as a health and wellness coach - blogging online

Stef (pictured) shared her story with FEMAIL, and how she has embraced life as a health and wellness coach – blogging online

When Stef (pictured now) was anorexic, she would starve herself for up to two days - she lost her period and her weight plummeted to around 43 or 44kgs

When Stef (pictured now) was anorexic, she would starve herself for up to two days – she lost her period and her weight plummeted to around 43 or 44kgs

According to Stef, she fell into anorexia shortly after she started on some acne medication at age 17:

‘I went on the first diet I’d ever been on, I started losing weight that I’d put on through the medication and so I took up more and more exercise,’ she explained to Daily Mail Australia.

‘I started severely under-eating and then I lost my period. At the beginning, before I moved into the binge eating period, I wouldn’t eat for two days and would faint.’

Before she knew it, the then-17-year-old’s weight had plummeted to around 43 or 44 kilograms. 

‘The bad thing was that people didn’t really notice,’ she said. ‘I was always super light before the medication, but I had to really starve myself to get back there.

‘When you’re struggling with an eating disorder, you kind of live a double life – there’s so much secrecy and lies become easy.’

'When you're struggling with an eating disorder, you kind of live a double life - there's so much secrecy and lies become easy,' Stef told FEMAIL

‘When you’re struggling with an eating disorder, you kind of live a double life – there’s so much secrecy and lies become easy,’ Stef told FEMAIL

It wasn't until Stef met her boyfriend and later moved in with him at age 19 that she realised ow much she was hiding from the people in her life - then, she resolved to change (pictured now)

It wasn't until Stef met her boyfriend and later moved in with him at age 19 that she realised ow much she was hiding from the people in her life - then, she resolved to change (pictured now)

It wasn’t until Stef met her boyfriend and later moved in with him at age 19 that she realised ow much she was hiding from the people in her life – then, she resolved to change (pictured now)

It wasn’t until Stef met her boyfriend and later moved in with him at age 19 that she realised just how much she was hiding from the people in her life:

‘That was the biggest catalyst to change,’ she admitted. ‘I realised just how much harm I was causing to myself and those around me.’ 

Stef recalled the day after the pair moved in together – 11 March, 2011 – she bought a journal:

Stef has now embraced a balanced approach to diet and what she eats (pictured)

Stef has now embraced a balanced approach to diet and what she eats (pictured)

‘I truly now think that saved me,’ she said. 

From that point on, the now 24-year-old began to write down a ‘day-by-day diary of how I was feeling and how the day went’:

‘It helped me to confront my feelings,’ Stef said, adding that she recently counted her journals and found she has more than 12, detailing her progression:

‘It’s crazy to look at them,’ she said. ‘To see how much I wanted to get healthy, but how much I cared about my weight.’

Stef said she really turned a corner when she started working with a health coach, which is something she has gone into as a profession now.

‘My health coach made me realise how destructive my habits were,’ she said. ‘I couldn’t do anything around food without dreading it. The grocery shop, seeing friends… it was all difficult.

‘She made me throw away my scales straight away. I still had a focus on how I looked, but I just needed to stop that day by day stepping on the scales and focusing on numbers. 

‘I had to understand I wasn’t doing my body favours by weighing myself.’

After working with a health coach, Stef (pictured) threw out her scales and tried to stop obsessing about calories and numbers

After working with a health coach, Stef (pictured) threw out her scales and tried to stop obsessing about calories and numbers

Around 2013, Stef got into Instagram and blogging, which she originally used as a means to help herself - she now has more than 20,000 followers

Around 2013, Stef got into Instagram and blogging, which she originally used as a means to help herself – she now has more than 20,000 followers

Around 2013, Stef got into Instagram and blogging, which she originally used as a means to help herself:

'Bringing the joy back into food has been huge,' she said (pictured)

‘Bringing the joy back into food has been huge,’ she said (pictured)

‘My following grew really organically,’ she said. ‘I had girls messaging me when I figured out so many women and men don’t have a 100 per cent healthy attitude around food.’

These days, Stef has around 21,000 followers on Instagram – who come to her page daily for advice and healthy eating inspiration. 

Meanwhile, she eats a balanced and healthy diet – and doesn’t deny herself the odd treat here and there.

‘Bringing the joy back into food has been huge,’ she said. ‘As has getting back into exercise.

‘Before, I was obsessed with cardio – and a treadmill junkie. Now, I’ve got into weights and love how powerful they make me feel.’

The 24-year-old has also re-embraced something which she always loved - exercise - whereas previously she was a 'treadmill junkie', now she incorporates a range of training

The 24-year-old has also re-embraced something which she always loved – exercise – whereas previously she was a ‘treadmill junkie’, now she incorporates a range of training

Speaking about what she would tell her younger self - or any young woman or man going through an eating disorder - Stef said you need to 'talk about it' - you need to be open

Speaking about what she would tell her younger self – or any young woman or man going through an eating disorder – Stef said you need to ‘talk about it’ – you need to be open

Speaking about what she would tell her younger self – or any young woman or man going through an eating disorder – Stef said you need to ‘talk about it’.

‘Once I opened up, that took so much of the pressure off,’ she explained. 

‘I think for a lot of young women, they think they are the only ones. But one of the biggest shifts started when I began sharing and talking about it.’

These days, Stef is a much more healthy weight, having put on more than 10kgs, and shares positive inspirational messages online.

To read more from her blog, please click here. You can also follow her on Instagram here

For support with eating disorders, visit the Butterfly Foundation. 

 



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