Love Is Blind's Danielle Ruhl is opening up about her weight loss journey.
The Netflix star shared an inspiring message about how she's "taking control of my health" in an Instagram post on July 19. Danielle, who teamed up with Nutrisystem as a paid partner, explained how the program has helped her.
"If you know me, you know that I've struggled with weight since I was a kid," she wrote. "I get asked a lot how I lost the weight/ kept it off. Ten years ago, after trying everything I started @Nutrisystem with a coworker."
The reality TV star, who detailed her struggle with body insecurity on the second season of Love Is Blind, revealed that she's lost "70 lbs" and the weight loss program "is a huge part of the reason that I am who I am today."
Danielle's husband, Nick Thompson, whom she met on the show, celebrated her progress.
"I'm proud of you for sharing your journey and continue to be as you take control of your health everyday!" he commented. "I fell in love without ever seeing you and you're a beautiful human at any weight!"
Danielle shared more of her story in a Nutrisystem press release, noting that she's struggled with her weight for quite some time.
"When I was younger, food was almost like a crutch that I would use to distract me during times I was feeling low," she said. "The more this became a habit, the more I found myself eating and indulging in unhealthy foods. I was also bullied for being heavier than most kids. Instead of using this as jumpstarting a healthier return, I turned back to food when I was feeling sad."
"As I got older," she continued, "I started noticing even more that my weight was consistently increasing."
Danielle noted that she "lost weight in an unhealthy way" when she was in college and "ultimately gained even more than I had lost after I graduated."
Because of her experience in the past, she explained that she wanted to try a different path—one that focused more on her health and less on her appearance.
"Nutrisystem taught me about healthy eating, portion control and overall helped me crave healthier foods that ultimately lead to a lifestyle change," Danielle explained, adding, "Consistency is key."
According to Danielle, she's received an overwhelming amount of love for being transparent about her weight loss journey.
"There were times I was so insecure about my weight, I didn't even want to let people know that I was on a set diet," she admitted. "However, once I disclosed information about my weight loss journey, people were often very supportive and that helped me build up even more confidence to keep going."
She added, "Overall, I love helping others feel like they are not alone."