Anorexic Girl Claims Bodybuilding Saved Her Life
A teenage girl who was in depths of anorexia has credited bodybuilding for saving her life, giving her a new focus on how to eat and exercise in a healthy way.
The Daily Mail reported how 20-year-old Emily Brand became wheelchair-bound after developing anorexia at the age of 11.
For several years, she suffered so badly with the eating disorder – with her weight plummeting to just 5 st 3lbs – that she was institutionalised twice during her teens.
Surviving on just an apple a day if anything at all, Emily continued to exercise even though she knew she was “trying to run on nothing”.
After her second stint in a rehabilitation centre where home visits were restricted, she became more determined to beat her demons to avoid returning.
Her solution was to join the gym, telling the news provider: “I started weightlifting and I did a few bikini competitions but I was still trying to function on way too few calories.”
She then went on to train with bodybuilding coach Rob Reinaldo, who “put his foot down when it came to my eating”.
In order to build muscle mass, bodybuilders need to stick to a strict high-protein diet across six meals a day and consume plenty of slow-releasing carbohydrates and steamed vegetables.
Emily now eats 3,000 calories a day, a far cry from the limited diet she once survived on and has gained three stone of muscle.
She said she is now much “stronger and happier”, adding: “Bodybuilding has given me a way to stay in control of my body but in a healthy way.”
Those who would like to change their body and get fitter should consider using an online fitness coach who can give them the advice and guidance they need to start their journey.