Jacob Roloff’s fiancée, Isabel Rock, is bravely opening up about her battle with an eating disorder. The 22-year-old took to Instagram on Wednesday, Oct. 24, to share a side-by-side photo and reveal she used to starve herself as a teen.

“The girl on the left was fifteen, miserable, starving herself, and saw herself as ‘fat’ in that photo,” she began her lengthy post. “This lasted about two years. After facing terrible loss, and suffering from anxiety, I felt as though my weight was something easy to ‘control’ and starving myself was also an easy form of self-destruction. The girl on the left hated herself completely. I spent so many years being incredibly mean to her. 😭”

Although the former Little People, Big World star didn’t go into detail about her “loss,” Izzy’s mother tragically passed away from breast cancer in 2014. Last October, she posted a sweet tribute about her “best friend” on Instagram. She wrote: “She was my best friend. I know everybody says that about their mom, but I mean, we did everything together. Friends would ask me to hang out and almost always I would’ve rather hung out with her. Now I know why; I didn’t have much time.”

View this post on Instagram

TW: ED TALK The girl on the left was fifteen, miserable, starving herself, and saw herself as “fat” in that photo. This lasted about two years. After facing terrible loss, and suffering from anxiety, I felt as though my weight was something easy to “control” and starving myself was also an easy form of self-destruction. The girl on the left hated herself completely. I spent so many years being incredibly mean to her. 😭 Fast forward to now, and I still struggle daily with my body image. I don’t recognize that girl because I am so far away from her now. Today, I love myself and that is genuinely something I didn’t think I was capable of for a long time. I used the photo on the right as the transformation because I feel as though it showcases true happiness that I felt from loving myself in that moment. The dress I’m wearing is an extra large, and I didn’t care because I felt beautiful in it. This is true transformation for me, this is growth, this is something I’m proud of and I’ve never really publicly shared. Suffering from an eating disorder in private for years and nobody knowing really made me a stronger person. It was a battle I was fighting alone. I’m sharing this with you today because I want YOU to know that if you EVER feel alone, to reach out to me or somebody you trust about what you are struggling with or going through. You do not have to go through anything alone, because that is the most devastating place to be. Although my weight is something I do not have full control over, going vegan and realizing my eating habits are doing less harm to myself, animals and the planet has really helped. Refocusing my attention to art or music so that I’m not always worried about my weight helps. Not surrounding myself around people who are very obsessed with losing weight is helpful. I’m not where I want to be yet (working on getting physically stronger every day!), but I still feel proud of myself for getting to where I am now. I’m proud that even though I don’t love the reflection in the mirror all the time, I still LOVE ME. And the girl on the left, too. For choosing not to give up. And I hope you choose not to give up either. ❤️

A post shared by Isabel Sofia Rock 🌿 (@isabelsofiarock) on

Today, Izzy admits she still “struggles daily” with her body image but that she is in a much better place. “I love myself and that is genuinely something I didn’t think I was capable of for a long time. I used the photo on the right as the transformation because I feel as though it showcases true happiness that I felt from loving myself in that moment. The dress I’m wearing is an extra large, and I didn’t care because I felt beautiful in it.” She continued, “This is true transformation for me, this is growth, this is something I’m proud of and I’ve never really publicly shared. Suffering from an eating disorder in private for years and nobody knowing really made me a stronger person. It was a battle I was fighting alone.”

Now, she’s hoping her story will help others feel less alone if they, too, are struggling. “I’m sharing this with you today because I want YOU to know that if you EVER feel alone, to reach out to me or somebody you trust about what you are struggling with or going through. You do not have to go through anything alone because that is the most devastating place to be.”

The former reality star credits friends, art, music, and veganism for her more positive outlook. “I’m not where I want to be yet (working on getting physically stronger every day!), but I still feel proud of myself for getting to where I am now. I’m proud that even though I don’t love the reflection in the mirror all the time, I still LOVE ME. And the girl on the left, too. For choosing not to give up. And I hope you choose not to give up either.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, call the National Eating Disorders Association Helpline at 1-800-931-2237.

Have a tip? Send it to us! Email In Touch at contact@intouchweekly.com.