Swedish former anorexic Linn Strömberg says weightlifting saved her

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Linn Strömberg, 23, was near death at the height of her battle with anorexia
Swedish woman weighed 5st 9lbs at her lowest and suffered panic attacks
Now Linn, 23, has made a full recovery thanks to weightlifting

Published: 09:14 EST, 24 November 2015 | Updated: 10:59 EST, 24 November 2015

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An anorexic woman who became so frail that she feared her heart could give out at any second has turned her life around by pumping iron.

Linn Strömberg, 23, from Kalmar, Sweden, first became ill back in 2011 when her desire to lose a little weight span out of control.

Soon the the 5ft 4in blonde shrunk to 5st 9lbs after eating only 400 calories a day, leaving her anxious she could suffer a cardiac arrest.

Linn Strömberg, 23, from Kalmar, Swede, was near death at the height of her battle with anorexia. Now Linn has made a full recovery thanks to weightlifting. Above: Linn now lifts weights in the gym to keep herself fit

Linn first became ill back in 2011 when - despite having a healthy BMI - she decided that she wanted to lose some weight. At her thinnest Linn weighed 5st 9lbs, right. Left: Linn after taking up body building

Linn weighed all of her food - including salad - and the sight of her frail frame reduced some of her family and friends to tears.

She said: 'I remember my heart fighting for every beat, and I remember thinking that it would give up at any second. Despite this I kept going.'

Linn has made a full recovery and has credited weightlifting for helping her gain weight and recover from crippling anorexia.

She is now using her blog to share her recovery story - posting candid photos of her body before and after the life-changing illness.

Before her new approach to health, above, Linn lost a lot of hair and she suffered from irregular periods and panic attacks frequently. Now she says she was so fixated by her weight that she was never satisfied

When Linn was at her skinniest she suffered panic attacks and was always cold even when wrapped up in several jumpers

Linn first became seriously ill in 2011 when - despite having a healthy BMI - she decided that she wanted to lose some weight.

She began downsizing meals and doing hours of cardio - swimming and running regularly.

However she became so weak that she had to switch from jogging to walking and was constantly freezing cold, even when wrapped up in several jumpers.

During this time, a lot of her hair also fell out and she suffered from irregular periods and frequent panic attacks.

Speaking about her illness, Linn said: 'I can't believe I tortured my body like this. I was so fixated and driven by my obsessions. I was never satisfied.

At her lowest, Linn weighed just 5st 9lb. Even though she threw out her scales during recovery she estimates that she is now a healthy nine stone

With support from her mother and long-term boyfriend, Timmy, left, Linn turned her life around and forced herself to overhaul her diet and lifestyle completely. She tried weightlifting and became hooked instantly

'At one point, it was anxiety and anguish from morning to evening. Over a year of my life disappeared in total anxiety. It's scary that you can lose your mind to a sickness like that'

At her lowest, Linn weighed just 5st 9lb. Even though she threw out her scales during recovery, she believes she is now a healthy nine stone.

In 2013, she finally began her road to recovery. The turning point was realising how sick she was after family members who she hadn't seen for a while burst out crying at the sight of her body.

With support from her mother and long-term boyfriend, Timmy, Linn turned her life around and forced herself to overhaul her diet and lifestyle completely.

Linn began downsizing meals and doing hours of cardio, like swimming and running. She became so frail that she had to switch from jogging to walking

Linn admits that during her illness she was consumed by thoughts about her own weight. She says everything in her life circled around food. She would go to bed hungry every night and had to force herself to sleep

The biggest catalyst for change, she says, was discovering weight training. After encouragement from Timmy, Linn gave lifting pumping iron a go and found she was hooked instantly.

Today Linn works out five or six times a week. However she completely avoids any cardiovascular training as it reminds her of her troubled past.

She also admits she had a breast augmentation as it was something she'd always wanted.

She said: 'Everything in my life circled around the food, the calories and my weight. I went to bed hungry every night and had to force myself to sleep with the faint sound of my heart echoing in my ears.

'I've always been a person who goes wholehearted for whatever I set my mind to and I really enjoyed watching my determination pay off.

Now Linn eats because she feels compelled to build more muscle, thanks to her new hobby. She also admits she had a breast augmentation as it was something she'd always wanted

Now Linn now eats a nutritious diet and typically consumes chicken, ground beef, egg, salads, almond milk, cottage cheese, oatmeal, whey protein, nut butter and cocoa. She says she often enjoys pizza, cakes or candy

'I continued for one more week, then another, and another, and another.

'Until the day came when I reached my goal weight. Those magical numbers.

'But the joy didn't last very long, a couple of minutes later I stood in front of the mirror and viewed my body head to toe. I wasn't pleased, not pleased at all. '

Linn now eats a nutritious diet and typically consumes chicken, ground beef, egg, salads, almond milk, cottage cheese, oatmeal, whey protein, nut butter and cocoa.

She said: 'You can't build muscle if you don't give your body the energy to do so.

'I have no trouble eating unhealthy. I always eat what I want and if I crave something sweet, I eat it. At weekends, I often eat pizza, cakes or candy.'