Married At First Sight’s Sara Mesa has opened up about her past struggles with body dysmorphia in a candid video posted to social media.
Sara, who is a nutrition and fitness coach, took to her Instagram stories to share an experience that eventually led to her losing her hair.
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“A few years back I was in a very restrictive mindset. I was very obsessive with counting calories and I would be constantly dieting just to get to a better physique,” Sara said.
“I was always trying to improve and look a certain way and I had extreme body dysmorphia and I did not think I looked the way that I looked.”
You can hear everything Sara had to say in the video at the top of this article.
“I would say ‘no’ to so many things, I stopped drinking for a long period of time I became a shell of myself. I became a different person all to look a certain way,” Sara said.
“I would say no to pastries, to drinking and I would stay in most nights.
Sara recalled her experience with extreme dieting and exercise as “such a stressful time in [her] life”.
“I ended up losing my hair and having extreme hormonal acne and going through a depressive state,” the 29-year-old detailed.
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Sara added that at the time she began binge eating and self-sabotaging.
“When all of this stuff started happening to me I would beat myself up and emotionally eat and it was an outer body experience.
“I was never ever content with the way that I looked.”
Sara said having lived both extremes, she has now found her happy medium and is happy to show other woman not to be fearful of food.
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The 29-year-old’s message came after an online troll criticised Sara for posting videos of her consuming pastries and wine saying she was “setting a bad example” for healthy eating.
Sara clapped back calling on people to “stop demonizing food”.
If you or someone you know needs support relating to eating disorders, please call The Butterfly Foundation on 1800 33 4673 or access their website at butterfly.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.
Stream every episode of Married At First Sight for free on 9Now.
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