Woman overcomes anorexia to become bodybuilder: ‘I felt like I was dying’

An anorexia survivor has shared her inspirational before and after photos to raise awareness for eating disorders.

At the height of her illness, Emelle Lewis’ weight plummeted to a dangerous 5st.

During this time, she heavily restricted her diet and exercised so fanatically that she refused to sit down or rest during the day.

Emelle’s unhealthy relationship with food spiralled out of control when she was 15.

As her mates started getting boyfriends, she was worried she was too “fat and ugly” to find love.

Believing that being skinny was the answer, she became obsessed with food.

Emelle remembered: “I joined the gym but after a few months I didn’t see weight loss so I began making myself sick and from then on it spiralled out of control and I ended up being hospitalised seven-times over the years."

When she wasn’t counting calories, the teen focused her attention on a relentless fitness regime.

She explained: “I would do yoga and abdominal workouts every morning. I wouldn’t sit down during the day until after 4pm.”

Even though Emelle’s weight dropped to a worrying low 5st, she didn’t believe that there was anything wrong with her.

She said: “I genuinely believed I could maintain at that weight and still live a fairly normal life. I didn’t want to get rid of my eating disorder.

“I refused to comply with treatment and was convinced that everyone was against me, lying to me and trying to ruin my life.

“I didn’t really feel that weak because my body had adapted to my low weight, however the thing that got me the most was the cold.

“I was so cold it was painful.”

Thankfully, Emelle’s mindset changed as she saw social media snaps of others who had fought off the eating disorder.

She recalled: “I remember lying in bed one day feeling like I was really dying and realising I had achieved nothing in my life and this is not the way my story is meant to end.

“This switched something in my mind and I knew I had to start fighting and show the world who I am meant to be.”

The brave anorexic decided threw herself into weight training in the hopes of gaining strength.

As well as working out at the gym in the evening-time, she began indulging in takeaways and sweet treats on the weekends.

Today, Emelle weighs in at a healthy 8st 9lbs and wears a size 8-10 clothes.

The student now hopes that her incredible recovery story will help others who are battling anorexia.

She said: “Find something you are passionate about, something you can work towards and focus all your time and energy towards achieving it.

“Life is too short and we only live once, don’t waste your life being controlled by an eating disorder.

“Love your body for what it is because one day we won’t have one.”