From eating disorders and endometriosis to extreme fitness model! How one woman used BODY BUILDING to fight her demons

After a seven-year battle with anorexia and bulimia, starving herself some days and making herself sick up to three times on others, Kelly Sephton decided she'd had enough.
But after deciding to regain control of her life, the 23-year-old from Chelmsford, Essex, was told by doctors that her road to recovery would be more difficult than anticipated.
Kelly, now 31, was told that her behaviour had left her at serious risk of a heart attack and infertility. On top of which she was diagnosed with endometriosis, a painful gynecological condition which can cause infertility, and told that she could even be left bed-bound some days.
Determining she would prove the doctors wrong, Kelly took up the most gruelling form of physical exercise she could think of: body building.

Kelly Sephton during her struggle with eating disorders, left, and in 2012 competing in a Las Vegas body building competition, right

Speaking to MailOnline, Kelly said: 'All through my teens I suffered with eating disorders, switching between binging on food and making myself sick, to not eating much but strawberry lace sweets to keep me going for days at a time.
'My face would swell up from the binging, then go down and I would look skinny, then puff up again.
'I was always very active, going to dance classes every day of the week and playing sports, so the fluctuating in my weight was put down to my exercise levels and my eating disorder went undetected for years. My eating was what I feel I had control over - it was my little dark secret.'

   

When she finally visited the doctor, Kelly admits his diagnosis that her life and fertility were at risk 'scared the life out of me'.

'I was told the extent that I had the endometriosis would leave me bed bound some days, and certainly unable to train. With regards to children, I was told to have a hysterectomy as there was no chance of me having any.
'I didn't feel anger or sadness, I was totally numb. Thankfully I ignored this advice.'

Kelly had suffered a miscarriage during her eating disorder but didn't tell anyone, not even her partner

Kelly continued: 'During this stage in my life I was in a serious four-year relationship, and believing I would never be able to conceive left me feeling I wasn't a proper woman
'I had already miscarried a baby at the beginning of our relationship but had been too ashamed to tell anyone, even my partner. I think about my unborn baby everyday of my life.
'I left my partner, feeling it was the best thing for everyone.'

Kelly said: 'One of my aims is to educate people who may be suffering in the same way about the positive effects proper nutrition, training and an optimistic attitude can have'

Kelly fell into a deep depression, slipping back into her old disordered eating patterns, until one day she leapt out of bed and decided to 'make something' of her life.
She said: 'The mind is a powerful thing - and the magic of positive thinking should not be underestimated. So I decided I wanted to participate in bodybuilding competitions!
'This was the ultimate test of focus and hard training, and would ensure I gave my body the exact fuel it needed.'

KELLY'S OLD DIET

Kelly's old diet was a ramshackle mix of binging and starvation:
'My old diet is difficult to determine because some days all I ate were a few strawberry lace sweets to curb my hunger.
'On other days I would buy huge amounts of crisps and chocolate and devouring them all throughout the day and then purging later.
'I didn't even like the taste of them.'

KELLY'S CURRENT DIET

Kelly now follows a strict, protein-rich eating plan:

Breakfast: Protein shake and oats
Snack: Chicken and fish with green apples
Lunch: Grilled fish or chicken with green beans and almonds
Pre-training: Protein shake
Post-training: Protein shake
Dinner: Grilled fish, turkey or chicken with green beans
Before bed: Tin of tuna, protein shake or raw egg whites

Kelly said: 'I was crowned number one fitness model in Europe, and fifth the world! In the same month as Vegas I married the man of my dreams in a beautiful beach wedding'

In April 2012 Kelly won her first body building competition, eight years after deciding to cure herself of her eating problems, and was thrilled when LA Muscle And LA Tone decided to take her on as one of their sponsored athletes.

'One of my aims is to educate people who may be suffering in the same way about the positive effects proper nutrition, training and an optimistic attitude can have'

She soon appeared in LA Muscle's brochures and website, and even presented on The Active Channel. She ended 2012 having competed six times, including once in Las Vegas in the largest all natural bodybuilding andfitness competition.
Kelly said: 'I was crowned number one fitness model in Europe, and fifth the world! In the same month as Vegas I married the man of my dreams in a beautiful beach wedding, and I truly believe that one day we will be blessed with children.
'From my experiences I now devise online personalised food and training plans for individuals whatever their needs might be, and often take part in charity events for Endometriosis UK and B-eat, to help raise awareness of these organisations.
'One of my aims is to educate people who may be suffering in the same way about the positive effects proper nutrition, training and an optimistic attitude can have.'

In April 2012 Kelly won her first body building competition and was thrilled when LA Muscle decided to take her on as one of their sponsored athletes