Lucy Hale reflects on eating disorder battle and decade-long sobriety journey

Lucy Hale is sharing the details of her personal battles for the first time.

The Pretty Little Liars alum—who recently celebrated one year of sobriety—got candid about her struggles over the years, including an eating disorder that began when she was a teen and had to log exercise hours for physical education while being homeschooled.

"That's the only thing I could think of that started this obsession with movement," Hale said during the Feb. 23 episode of the Diary of a CEO with Steven Barlett podcast. "And then I saw my body kind of change and then I started restricting eating, and then it became...it slowly just grew and grew to something that I could not enjoy life. I could not have a conversation. I could not focus on anything."

Hale noted that she was surprised she was able to build her career amid a tough time in her personal life.

"It's a miracle that I even started working and could focus on acting," she continued. "Because when I mean it was a constant loop, I don't know how I got out of it. The thing with eating disorders is it can always creep back up on you. There are days when I don't feel like my best self, but I love myself enough now to nourish my body."