Time for reflection: Recovered anorexic spends a year without looking in the mirror to raise her self-esteem before her wedding day Time for reflection: Kjerstin Gruys was spending too much time obsessing over her looks and weight, so she decided to take a drastic step and cut mirrors out of her life for a year With her wedding fast approaching, Kjerstin Gruys, a former anorexic, was spending too much time obsessing over her looks and weight, so she decided to take a drastic step and cut mirrors out of her life for an entire year. Gruys, of San Francisco, went 52 weeks blindly putting on makeup in the morning, combing her hair and even avoiding her reflection in the rear-view mirror while driving. Even on her big day in 2011, the 30-year-old sociologist managed to resist the temptation of checking herself out in a mirror before marching down the aisle. The year-long experiment meant to improve her body image and boost her self-esteem became the basis of Gruys' new book called 'Mirror, Mirror Off the Wall: How I Learned to Love My Body by Not Looking at It for a Year.' The curvaceous social scientist and author, who is now a proud size 10, has been plagued by eating disorders since she was a teenager, she told USA Today in an interview this week. Although she had managed to overcome anorexia, the pressures of being a bride brought her insecurities bubbling back to the surface, and she was desperate to find a way to regain her self-confidence. The idea to cut mirrors out of her life came to Gruys when she read about an order of nuns in Renaissance Italy who were forbidden to see their reflection or even look own at their bodies. Body image: Gruys suffered from anorexia and other weight-related issues since she was a teenager Bridal anxiety: When Gruys got engaged, she once again began worrying about her body image and weight in anticipation of the wedding Adjusting to her new life without seeing her own reflection was not an easy task, at least not at first Gruys said she ended up covering up all the mirrors in her home and at work, and made a conscious effort to avoid all reflective surfaces. Inadvertently catching a glimpse of herself in a store window on the street, the 30-year-old would look away as if she ran into an acquaintance she didn't want to see. Since Gruys was unable to see herself in a mirror as she applied makeup in the morning, she ended up using less products simply to avoid embarrassing smudges. As a result, the 30-year-old bride-to-be spent less and less time thinking about her appearance and focusing on more important and rewarding aspects of her life, like her work. Drastic step: To achieve her goal, Gruys covered up all the mirrors in her home and at work Natural beauty: Because she was unable to see herself in a mirror, Gruys cut down on her use of makeup But the transformation did not come easy. Gruys has revealed that at times, she would be overcome with dread that she was putting on weight without even realizing it, which required some help from her therapist. Her biggest test came on her wedding day, when Gruys, dressed in a gorgeous strapless white gown, with her hair perfectly coifed and her makeup professionally done, could not even take a peek at herself before the ceremony. 'I think I look good,' she said with a laugh in a video recording made on her wedding day. In retrospect, however, the self-described fashionista said she was fine with not seeing her bridal look. Blushing bride: Even on her wedding day, the 30-year-old woman resisted the temptation to take a peek at herself in a mirror Big reveal: After a year of applying makeup blindly and avoiding her reflection in the rear-view mirror, Gruys finally saw herself for the first time as her friends cheered her on 'I don't really have any regrets about not seeing myself on my wedding day,' she told ABC News. I think that I was able to more fully engage in the day itself. End result: Gruys documented her year-long experiment in a new book called Mirror, Mirror Off the Wall: how I learned to Love My Body By Not Looking At It For a Year And with a last-minute once-over in the mirror out of the question, Gruys had to put her trust in others to make sure she looked perfect before saying 'I do.' 'I knew no one was going to let me go down the aisle with broccoli in my teeth,' the bubbly blonde said. When the moment came to finally see her reflection for the first time in a year, Gruys surrounded herself with family and friends, who covered a large mirror with colorful post-its with positive messages for her. Gruys admitted that she was nervous about seeing her body, but as she removed the cards, gradually uncovering the reflective surface beneath, she recalled that the first thing she saw was color: the pink of her cheeks and the yellow of her hair. And in the next moment, her focus shifted from her own reflection to her friends standing behind her and cheering her on. With the experiment behind her, Gruys, who is currently working on her PhD in sociology at UCLA, says that nowadays she does not spend much time staring at herself in the mirror, adding that the experience has left her less critical of her physique. 'At some point, I realized I'm not a size-10 woman with a size-2 woman waiting to come out,' she told the paper. Complete success: Gruys said the experience has helped her come to terms with her weight and let go of her preoccupation with looks