Alexandra Cane has shared a candid bikini snap from when she was ‘deep into restrictive eating and over-exercising.’
The former Love Island star, 29, took to Instagram Stories admitting she wanted to ‘hug’ her old self after battling with a ‘warped’ image of her appearance.
It comes after Alexandra revealed she had been diagnosed with hypothalamic amenorrhea after her periods stopped, telling fans it was mainly caused by her strict diet and exercise regime.
Moving: Alexandra Cane, 29, has shared a candid bikini snap from when she was ‘deep into restrictive eating and over-exercising’
The snap showed Alexandra wearing a black and white bikini holding a large plank of wood during a workout.
In a moving caption she wrote: ‘I’m actually scared to share this but this was when I was deep into my restrictive eating and over-exercising. I genuinely thought I was fat and had the most warped image of myself.’
Alexandra has openly documented her weight struggles on social media, and last week revealed she
Tough: The former Love Island star took to Instagram Stories admitting she wanted to ‘hug’ her old self after battling with a ‘warped’ image of her appearance
It came after Alexandra admitted it was ‘extremely scary’ learning of her hypothalamic amenorrhea diagnosis as she detailed her recovery in an Instagram Q and A.
Asked whether she was in denial about her diagnosis, Alexandra said: ‘No I didn’t deny it. It was just extremely scary to know and I wanted to take correct action as to know how to get it back.’
The star admitted it wasn’t something that had happened to her before, as she wrote: ‘This has never happened to me before, no. I always had regular cycles so I knew straight away something was not right.
‘For me it was a combination of over-exercising, not fuelling my body correctly & extreme amounts of mental stress.
‘Lockdown happened & I experienced some serious pressures and grief in my own personal life along with extremely low self esteem and poor body image.’
Concerning: It came after Alexandra admitted it was ‘extremely scary’ learning of her hypothalamic amenorrhea diagnosis as she detailed her recovery in an Instagram Q and A
Explanation: The star said she realised something was wrong when her periods stopped for three months, and sought medical attention
Alexandra reminded her followers that the condition can be linked to weight loss, having documented her diet and fitness regime on social media.
Replying to a fan’s question she wrote: ‘It is linked to under-eating and over-exercising but I’m aware that it can also happen to anyone at any size. You don’t have to be an athlete/super lean to experience HA.
‘It can be caused just as much by someone’s emotional/mental state as it can the physical.’
Alexandra went onto offer further details about the changes she made mentally in a bid to overcome the condition.
Explanation: Alexandra reminded her followers that the condition can be linked to weight loss, having documented her diet and fitness regime on social media
She said: ‘I’ve noticed patterns since I was in my early twenties, I’ve used multiple types of ‘coping mechanisms’ over the years and this was the last straw.
‘I didn’t really realised how low my self esteem was & I was just trying to numb the pain and wanted to feel empty inside.
‘This girl came to me and said she thought she could help & I was so desperate to get out of my thoughts that I had nothing to lose.
‘I’ve tried to stay too strong for too long and put on a front like everything is OK when it really hasn’t at all.
‘She had absolutely transformed my life and helped me get through one of my darkest times I think I’ll ever encounter in my life.
‘All of it has stemmed from lacking in self worth and low self esteen. I approached it all with negative intentions.
‘I won’t lie… this had been one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to deal with. When battling an eating disorder, loss of menstrual cycles, loss of self purpose, grieving and pressures of social media… I’ve been at rock bottom.
Progress: She went onto offer further details about the changes she made mentally in a bid to overcome the condition
‘The fear of gaining weight, the fear of not being accepted by others in a larger body. It’s all crazy because it’s just your eating disorder talking. None of it is truths.
‘It is extremely scary but these are all thoughts that people go through when experiencing this ”But I worked so hard to get there”… right, but clearly it’s not working.
‘This is why working on my mental/emotional health has been KEY and unravelling all my limiting beliefs and emotional trauma because I’ve had to re-frame my opinion of myself and start working on loving and accepting myself FULLY in however my body presents itself. We are more than just a body/clothing size.
‘It’s also crazy because people think it’s just about wanting to be skinny and yes, there is a part of that because ‘diet culture’ likes to shrink us women. But it’s also about control. Being in control of a situation because your reality is so uncertain and shaken.
‘The best thing you can ever do is surrender. This is by no means easy, it’s one of the scariest things to do but you have to remember why you want to recover. Your reasons have to really be important for you to stay focused on getting better.
‘For me, I want to be able to have a family in the future & I don’t want osteoporosis, so I had to get rid of the fear of gaining weight & fully commit to my healing.’
Recovering: Alexandra spoke candidly about her condition after revealing on Sunday her menstrual cycle had finally ‘come back’
Alexandra spoke candidly about her condition after revealing on Sunday her menstrual cycle had finally ‘come back.’
The hypothalamus is the part of the brain which is responsible for reproduction and releasing hormones to balance the body.
Speaking to her Instagram followers, Alexandra penned: ‘I can’t believe it… I just got my menstrual cycle back on a day that is all about the divine feminine.
‘I’ve been putting in the work behind the scenes to take care of my health, resting and putting myself as a priority… and it has PAID OFF!!!
‘This is by no means the end as I’ve still got a long way to go in terms of recovery.
Healing: She previously revealed that her hormones were out of balance and that she had stopping having periods after losing weight and managing grief
‘BUT this is the huge confidence boost that I needed that I’m going in the right direction.
‘I’m so f****ng happy. If you know, you know. To all my ladies doing the work… keep going. It is so so worth it,’ alongside the caption: ‘hypothalamicamenorrhearecovery’. (sic)
Hypothalamic amenorrhea can be caused by various factors including food restriction, weight loss, exercise, genetics, and an energy imbalance.
The condition results in energy conservation, which switches off non-essential bodily processes such as menstruation.
There are a variety of symptoms, which include infertility, lack of libido, poor temperature regulation, disturbed sleep, decreased bone mineral density and greater risk of bone fracture.
Candid: She subsequently disclosed she was suffering from functional hypothalamic amenorrhea, a medical condition which causes menstruation to stop for multiple months due to a problem involving the hypothalamus
In a candid post on her Instagram Story in January, Alexandra shared a screenshot of her hormone results as she was asked by a fan: ‘Have your periods returned since eating more/exercising less?’
She responded: ‘Not yet no, I’ve been told it can be a process and I just have to be patient. These were my test results – one of my hormones was totally out of balance…
‘Your health should come first above any aesthetic goal or other reasons for restricting food/over exercising.
‘Whether you want to lose weight/gain weight just make sure you’re doing it for health reasons and for better quality of life, not from pain.’
Focused: In a candid post in January, Alexandra shared a screenshot of her hormone results as she was asked by a fan: ‘Have your periods returned since eating more/exercising less?’
Practicing what she preaches, she revealed that she reduced her workouts and is now eating bigger, well-balanced portions to nourish her body.
She shared a stunning selfie in gymwear and penned on top of the image: ‘Exercising less. Literally just doing 10k steps a day.
‘Some Pilates/yoga/LISS whatever feels good for my body right now. I’m injured & no access to a gym- HIIT is a no go for a number of reasons: my knee injury & minimising stress on the body. & yes I am eating more!!!’ (sic)
HIIT exercise is a form of high-intensity interval training and focuses on short bursts of anaerobic exercise.
Earlier this year, she also shared a tearful video as she discussed coping with grief.
Health: Practicing what she preaches, she confirmed she reduced her workouts and is now eating more as she advised her fans to prioritise health over eating less and exercising more
The former Love Island star declared that she ‘holds the power to heal,’ and ‘will get through this’, as she shared words of encouragement with her followers who are also struggling with loss.
She looked past her camera lens before closing her eyes in the poignant clip, but didn’t specify what experience had caused her heartache.
In a separate Instagram Story, she advised a fan who asked: ‘Going through a tough time at the min with grieving. Any strategies?’
‘I am no professional’ she responded. ‘But from my experience what I have learnt is whatever emotion is coming up… Let it come through, welcome it, hold it.
Sharing: Earlier this year, she also shared a tearful video as she discussed coping with grief and detailed her experience in a lengthy Instagram post
‘Try and identify what emotion it is… is it pain? Grief? Anger? Sadness? Being able to identify your emotions makes them easier to manage.
‘Let it out in whichever way feels best, cry, scream, wave your arms around, fall to your knees.’
She added: ‘Just let it pass otherwise suppressing it will keep it as stagnant energy and it will just come up at another time in your life. Hold space to FEEL.
‘Emotions aren’t good or bad, they’re just waves of energy flowing through your body. Make friends with them as best as you can.’ (sic)