Shaughna Phillips, 30, has gone from a size 18 to a size 8 after starting a diet and exercise plan more than a year ago – with the Love Island star now being “so much happier and confident” in her own skin.
However, it’s not been an easy journey for the reality TV star, who has previously opened up about dealing with cruel trolls, becoming a mother and living with an incurable medical condition called lipoedema, which causes an abnormal build-up of fat in her legs and sometimes arms.
Shaughna has explored many different options to alter her appearance. In 2023, the mum-of-one revealed she forked out a whopping £25,000 on surgery, with some “medically needed” to help with the fat build-up caused by lipoedema.
“I had the liposuction on my thighs and on my calves, and I had my boobs done years ago,” she told The Sun. “It is a lot of money, but this was just after Love Island, so I think I almost felt like I had to have it done.
“I felt everyone was looking at me, but if I had known how painful it was, I may not have done it.”
However, motherhood changed her mindset. Shaughna, who shares toddler Lucia with Billy Webb, said she would now rather spend money on renovating her home than “wasting it on surgery”.
Fitness is now a huge part of Shaughna’s life, and she recently opened up to MailOnline about her motivation behind shedding pounds. She said that after a full-body scan, doctors told her she had concerning amounts of visceral fat around her vital organs.
The publication reports that the thought of not being around for her daughter scared Shaughna and forced her to get in shape.
She explained: “I’ve had to revisit what I do and think, ‘What would you do if Lucia did that?’ Because why would I do it if I wouldn’t let her. I’ve always got to think of Lucia, she’s like the angel on my shoulder.”
Addressing the backlash she has received from online trolls since becoming famous, she added: “Obviously upsetting to hear those comments, but with the trolls, they weren’t telling me anything I didn’t already know. I knew I was fat.”
She used to dread summer because she’d have to show more of her body off when the warmer weather came around, but thanks to changing her lifestyle, she feels much better in her own skin.
She quipped: “I feel better now. I have saggy skin, and that’s fine. I couldn’t give a rat’s a**e if people fancy me or if no one ever fancies me again.”
The blonde beauty isn’t shy about showing off her physique on Instagram. Earlier this week, she posed up a storm wearing a red bikini and gold heels to share an update on her weight loss journey.
Shaughna penned: “Feeling so much happier and confident in a bikini compared to last year. In fact, this time last year I had already lost two stone and no one noticed. That’s fine, though; I was only ever doing it for me.”
She also shared some before-and-after pictures in a white bikini on her Instagram last week. The former Love Island star captioned the post: “I know people are absolutely sick of me posting before-and-afters, but I found this in my drafts, and it deserves to see the light of day. I’m currently sat in my PJs ordering a (healthy) toby carvery, which is my fave kind of Sunday.”
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