'I'd crave fried food from the moment I woke up': Nurse who secretly binged on 8400kj worth of KFC daily sheds a staggering 66 kilos in a YEAR after giving up her dangerous habit

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A formerly obese self-confessed 'KFC addict' who once tipped the scales at 131kg has shed half her body weight in a bid to 'live her best life' and travel the world with confidence.

Until two years ago, Aisyah Machfud, a 30-year-old registered nurse from Melbourne, would secretly gorge on 2,000 calorie junk meals from the 'safe haven' of her car to feed her unrelenting fast food addiction.

A slave to emotional eating, Ms Machfud admitted she could never drive past KFC without ordering a meal and binged on chips, chocolates and doughnuts, but tried to maintain a 'health facade' by choosing nutritious meals in front of friends, family and work colleagues.

Food addiction caused her weight to skyrocket, while her wardrobe was overflowing with frumpy size 26 clothes - but now she feels more confident than ever flaunting her new 65kg, svelte size 10 physique.

Aisyah Machfud (pictured) was a self-confessed KFC addict who tipped the scales at 131kg just two years ago

She has since shed half her body weight (66kg) and regained a passion for life, work and travel

Bullied from childhood because of her weight, Ms Machfud's size ballooned further in her early twenties due to the death of her father and two consecutive toxic relationships.

'My father passed away in 2008 after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. For two years before he died, he couldn't remember who I was - it was heartbreaking,' she said, adding that food was her 'way of coping'.

'I was on autopilot when I ate. I didn't even like the taste, it was like cardboard to me. I just used it to numb my emotions.'

From an outside perspective, it appeared Ms Machfud was a healthy eater, with the nurse being careful to cook healthy meals in front of her family and partner and opting for salads in front of her colleagues at work.

Then and now: Ms Machfud changed her life by cutting out daily fast food binges from the secrecy of her car - today, she weighs 65kg

'What they didn't see was the amount of food I was gorging when I was by myself in my car, or in my bedroom when home alone. It was my secret shame.

'I was always thinking about everything I could eat that day. Food controlled my thoughts, but I felt as though I had no control over my body reaching for it.

'Sometimes I'd crave fried food from the moment I woke up. I would grab what was in reach, usually a hidden bag of chips, a block of chocolate or some doughnuts.'

Ms Machfud ate KFC 'every single day', her meal of choice being a calorific double crunch burger with large fries, potato and gravy, three wicked wings and a can of Pepsi.

'Sometimes I'd crave fried food from the moment I woke up. I would grab what was in reach, usually a hidden bag of chips, a block of chocolate or some doughnuts'

'I would eat it all in the car, which was like my safe haven, and destroy the evidence before I went inside.

'It was an emotional release. But it never made me feel any better. It was totally mindless.'

Chronic obesity made it difficult for Ms Machfud to perform her duties as a nurse, and led to her losing confidence in giving patients health advice because of her size.

She also revealed that while she loved travelling, she became anxious while flying due to the 'humiliation' of squeezing into her seat.

The catalyst for Ms Machfud's weight loss came when her mother passed away from a neurological disease in 2016

'I could see everyone was praying I didn't sit next to them. Then I would bump into everyone when going up and down the aisles.

'I would always need to ask for a seat belt extender as well, and everyone would look at me.

'My existence just seemed to make people very angry. In those moments, I just wanted to disappear.'

The catalyst for her dramatic weight loss came in 2016 when her mother passed away after years of battling a neurological disease.

After trying 'all the diets out there', Ms Machfud made the decision to have gastric sleeve surgery after which she managed to lose an incredible 65kg in just one year. 

She now goes to the gym three times a week with a focus on weight training, and observes a low-carb, high protein diet full of fresh vegetables and lean meat.

'The world has opened up to me. My weight doesn't hold me back anymore and I feel healthier than I have in my entire life'

She now workouts out three times a week and follows a low-carb, high protein diet rich with vegetables

Ms Machfud's new slender physique allows her to travel freely and with confidence, to far flung corners of the earth including Sri Lanka, Mexico and Colombia

Her new 66kg physique has given Ms Machfud a new lease of life and a renewed passion for travelling - so much so, she has embarked on a European-wide adventure and visited far flung corners of the earth from Indonesia to Bolivia.

'Now I can actually be active and explore nature whereas before I wasn't able to do any of that due to my size.

'I've climbed pyramids, explored caves and ancient ruin, and even skydived in Mexico. I've been snorkeling around Thailand, abseiled down waterfalls in Sri Lanka and hiked in Colombia. 

'The world has opened up to me. My weight doesn't hold me back anymore and I feel healthier than I have in my entire life.'