Anorexic woman at risk of dying after dropping to 5st looks incredible after weightlifting aids recovery

Linn Strömberg, a 23-year-old woman from Kalmar, Sweden, has shared the heartbreaking story of how anorexia nearly took her life — and how weightlifting ultimately helped save it. What began as a simple desire to lose a little weight slowly spiraled into a dangerous obsession that left her body frail, exhausted, and close to shutting down completely.

Her illness started in 2011, even though she had a healthy body weight at the time. Linn began cutting down her meals and pushing herself harder with exercise, believing she could control her body through restriction. But the weight loss quickly became extreme, and she dropped to a terrifying 5st 10lbs, a level that put her life at serious risk.

At her worst, Linn survived on only around 400 calories a day. She weighed every single thing she ate — even salad — determined to consume as little as possible. Family and friends were devastated by the sight of her shrinking frame, often left in tears as they watched her disappear in front of them.

The physical effects were severe and frightening. Linn became so weak she could no longer jog and had to force herself just to walk. She was constantly freezing, even while wearing layers, and her hair began falling out. She also suffered panic attacks, irregular periods, and overwhelming anxiety that consumed her daily life.

Linn later described how terrifying it felt to live in a body that was failing. She remembered hearing her heart struggle with every beat, convinced it could stop at any moment — yet the illness kept driving her forward. “Over a year of my life disappeared in total anxiety,” she admitted, reflecting on how deeply anorexia can distort the mind.

Her turning point came in 2013, when relatives who hadn’t seen her in a long time burst into tears at the sight of her condition. With the support of her mother and her boyfriend Timmy, Linn began the difficult journey toward recovery. She slowly forced herself to rebuild her diet, her strength, and her life.

The biggest breakthrough, she says, was discovering weight training. Encouraged by Timmy, she tried lifting weights and found a new focus — not on shrinking her body, but on making it stronger. Today, Linn trains five to six times a week, avoids cardio because it reminds her of the past, and now eats a balanced, nutritious diet. “You can’t build muscle,” she says, “if you don’t give your body the energy to live.”