Alix Lynx has openly talked about the methods she used to try and achieve the “perfect body”. Even though she had a six pack at one point, she admitted there was a dark side to her reality
Though it doesn’t exist, many people strive to achieve the “perfect body”. However, one woman has opened up about how dark things turned for her when she placed so much focus on her image. Alix Lynx, 37, has talked candidly about the dangerous reality behind trying to look “perfect” online, and she has an important message to share.
Alix, who boasts over one million followers on Instagram, admitted she once wanted to be “as skinny as possible” as she strived to “look good from every angle”. However, there was a point when her goal became so obsessive that it eventually had a massive impact on her health.
It’s not the first time she’s opened up about something either. Previously, she talked about how she’s learnt men need a lot more than just sex.
Talking about why she wanted a six-pack, Alix, from New York, said: “It was a couple of things. The first was that I felt this need to look perfect.
“I’ve always been a very all-in or nothing type of person. I felt like, if I was going to spend all this time at the gym and go all in on this career, I wanted to make myself as perfect as possible, which was insane.
“Honestly, I also had body dysmorphia, and I would get very, very finicky looking at myself. When I started at 25, I put a lot of pressure on myself to look a certain way.
“I would see photos of myself and get really hypercritical. I’d think, ‘Oh my God, I look really fat. I’ll fix this. I’ll fix that’. I felt like being really skinny took away a lot of the criticism I was giving myself.
“Also, the camera really does add 10 pounds. I don’t know what it is, but it does. In real life, I was so skinny but, if you look at the old photos of me, I was skinny, but I looked fit.
“I don’t think I looked like a toothpick. When I look at those photos now, though, I know myself and I know my body, and I can just tell I was not healthy.”
In a bid to achieve the look, Alix would endure 20 minutes of high-intensity interval training six days a week and lift weights three or four days a week. Plus, she also had a super strict diet.
She would examine every bit of sugar, every carbohydrate and every macronutrient she consumed. Looking back, she confessed it was a “very unhealthy” way to live, and it caused her to lose a lot of weight.
Alix came to learn something was wrong when her periods stopped. It dawned on her that all the changes were really impacting her health.
When asked if she was worried when this happened, she added: “Yes and no. For a minute, I thought maybe it was problematic, but I was young and I was kind of like, ‘whatever, I’ll just let it ride for a little bit’, and a little bit turned into a year.
“It’s insanity to me now because I can’t even picture myself being in that position at this point in my life. I could never do that now, but back then I was just like ‘whatever. It stopped. Oh well. I’m skinny, I’m hot, it’s ok.’
“Eventually, I realised it was because I wasn’t eating enough. It wasn’t even really the workouts. They were consistent, but they weren’t anything crazy. I literally was not eating enough, and my body stopped giving me a period.”
In time, she realised she wasn’t acting in a healthy way. Looking back, she thinks there were reasons why things spiralled out of control.
“It made me feel like I had some semblance of control over one part of my life,” she added. “It’s interesting thinking about it now after all the therapy, life experience and self-work I’ve done.
“I look back and realise I was at such a transitional point in my life. I started doing this when I was around 24 and continued for about three years.
“It made me feel super disciplined and super in control, and honestly, it made me feel confident. I’m not going to lie. I never looked at myself and thought ‘oh my God, I look too skinny’. Not until years later.
“At the time, I was like, ‘I’m awesome because I look this way’, which is crazy to think about now.” Luckily, she has now come out the other side, as she added: “I really like my body now. I’ve learned to love myself the way I am.”
Can periods stop when you lose too much weight?
Yes. Periods can stop or become very light after significant weight loss, restrictive dieting or excessive exercise. It is commonly known as hypothalamic amenorrhea. This is not good, as it may indicate that your body is under physical stress.
If you’re worried about your period or health in any way, please contact your GP for advice. The NHS also offers guidance on what a healthy diet should involve.