At age 13 she tipped the scales at more than 80kg. At school, everyone stared at her and bombarded her with nasty words. 'Anything from ‘Emily Walrus' to a beached whale,” says Tauranga teenager Emily Wallis.

Emily felt ashamed. She felt like she wasn't good enough. But food was her comfort. 'I'd just eat and eat until I wasn't bored,” says Emily.

Tauranga teenager Emily Wallis was 174cm tall and 122kg last September. Today she has lost 30kg – equivalent to 60 packs of butter.

But this is a story of a young woman's triumph.

The 18-year-old remembers always being a chubby child. It didn't faze her until the weight started piling on in her early teens.

Things didn't help when she got a job at a bakery in 2013. The temptation of doughnuts, cakes and pies was easy to give in to.

'That's when it got even harder,” says Emily. 'I was kind of out of control, no exercise – nothing. I was just eating all of the time.”

But last year Emily had had enough and opted for a lifestyle change. 'It was September 1, 2014,” she remembers precisely.

'I was 174cm tall and 122kg.” All Black prop Tony Woodcock checked in at 184cm tall and 120kg. 'That was very, very upsetting. I was disgusted with myself.”

She cut out sugary foods and invited lean meats, fresh fruit and vegetables into her diet. 'No processed crap basically,” says Emily.

For exercise, Emily walks up the Mount two, sometimes three, times a week and uses a skipping rope. She's slowly building up confidence to sign up to the gym where she'll start toning up.

It's been five months and Emily's lost 30kg – equivalent to 60 packs of butter.

Her goal is to look down at the scales and see 70kg – a healthy weight for her age and height. 'I've got 22kg to go,” says Emily. And she's on the home straight.

'I feel so proud of what I've accomplished at my age,” says Emily. And she should. 'I feel so much healthier.”

Emily's using her weight-loss success to encourage other teenagers who are struggling with their weight, to follow in her footsteps.

'I know how it feels to be an obese teen – it sucks,” says Emily. 'I want people to know that it is hard. But if I can do it, anyone can do it.”

To follow Emily's weight-loss journey, visit Emily's Journey NZ on Facebook.