Shaughna Phillips has revealed the emotional battles that led to her drastic weight gain as she candidly confesses she tipped the scales at 15 stone at her heaviest.
The Love Island star, 30, delved into the difficulties she has faced since welcoming her daughter Lucia in April last year.
The blonde beauty, who has been showing off her drastic weight loss on social media, recently opened up about how she had changed her lifestyle after her doctor told her she was “severely overweight.”
In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Shaughna explained that she has struggled with comfort eating and used it to cope with stressful episodes in her life.
She said: “I’m a reactive eater and I look at food as a comfort.”
“If there’s something stressful in my life, that’s how I deal with it, anything sweet and cookies.”
Shaughna Phillips, 30, has revealed the emotional battles that led to her drastic weight gain as she candidly confesses she tipped the scales at 15kg at her heaviest (pictured last year).
The Love Island star has lost six stone (pictured) but has delved into the difficulties she has faced since welcoming daughter Lucia in April last year and how she took up comfort eating.
It’s been a difficult time for the star: following the birth of her daughter, Shaughna’s boyfriend Billy Webb, 29 (pictured), was sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply 4.5 kg of cocaine worth at least £360,000.
The star even confessed that she had sometimes eaten an entire packet of cookies and would often snack on chocolate treats instead of eating healthily.
She said: “It’s very easy to get a whole packet of custards.”
Before changing her lifestyle, the influencer regularly ate sweets for lunch and indulged in sugary drinks, but she has now switched to a cleaner diet.
And Shaughna’s weight gain comes after a very difficult year for the reality star in which she became a single mother while juggling a difficult relationship and her career.
Following the birth of their daughter Lucia in April 2023, Shaughna’s boyfriend of four years, Billy Webb, 29, was sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply 4.5kg of cocaine worth at least £360,000.
The blonde bombshell has been very open with her fans throughout the entire ordeal and previously revealed it on her podcast. Oh baby with Shaughna and Holly who had struggled to accept the situation.
She said: “It’s the most heartbreaking position to be in.”
“And I mean, before I even answer this question, I want to make it clear that you can judge me all you want, but please don’t let me know, because I feel like unless you’ve been in this position, you can’t really have an opinion.” about it.
And Shaughna revealed she struggled with comfort eating, and used food to cope with stressful episodes in her life, including the birth of her 20-month-old daughter Lucia.
The blonde beauty, who has been showing off her drastic weight loss on social media, recently opened up about how she had changed her lifestyle after her doctor told her she was “severely overweight.”
‘Because before I was in this position, before I had a baby, if you had asked me if I would ever take my son to prison, the answer would be a resounding no. Anyone who does that is crazy.
And so, lo and behold, I am now in this position. And I think the thing is that we will always be co-parents.
‘And I know that my dad and I had the best relationship ever, and to me, my dad is the best person in the world.
And I don’t want Lucía to think differently from her father. I would never, ever stop him from seeing her, ever.
However, Shaughna revealed in November that her little girl’s father had been released after serving just 12 months of his sentence and that the family gathered to enjoy a Christmas grotto together.
Sharing an adorable video on her Instagram, the reality star revealed that she and her partner had taken Lucia to see Santa, adding that she never thought this day would come.
She captioned the clip: “If you had told me this time last year that Billy and I would be taking Lucia to see Santa next Christmas, I probably wouldn’t have allowed myself to believe you.”
‘The best couple of days, this Christmas is going to be very special.’
The stress of parenthood was a factor in Shaughna’s weight gain, as she admitted to simply snacking while traveling.
The Love Island star has now dropped five dress sizes after starting a diet and exercise plan over a year ago and is now a healthier nine stone 10lbs.
The star also revealed to MailOnline that she had struggled raising her daughter as a single mother.
She said: “Having a newborn baby, hormones are all over the place and I was struggling.”
“Anyone who has had children will probably say that when they are newborns it is easier because they just lie there and need to be fed, but as they get older they may respond and say no… It’s exhausting.”
And the stress of parenthood was a factor in Shaughna’s weight gain, as she admitted to simply snacking while traveling despite striving to give her little one the healthiest meals she could.
“I wasn’t eating well and I realized that if I didn’t let Lucía eat that, why am I doing it?” she confessed.
Shaughna revealed earlier this year that she was left “shaken to the core” after visiting her GP for a health check.
The television star explained that a year after giving birth to her daughter Lucía she had been told that she is now obese.
In a candid post shared on Instagram, Shaughna revealed that during a full-body MOT check she was told she had “quite a bit of visceral fat around her major organs.”
According to Health Direct, this can lead to a number of potentially serious health problems in the future, including heart attacks, diabetes and some cancers.
Shaughna revealed earlier this year that she was left “shaken to the core” after visiting her GP for a medical check-up.
The television star revealed that a year after giving birth to her daughter Lucía she was told she was obese
Speaking to her 1.4 million followers, she said: “It’s been a year since I had a baby so I wanted to see where I was at after the birth.”
‘I was told I was obese, which is no surprise, but it’s never pleasant to hear. After some checks, they said I had quite a bit of visceral fat around my organs.
‘Now, I’m not Gillian McKeith, I’m not going to tell you what that means because I don’t really know.
“It’s basically fat around the major organs, which is serious because it can cause heart attacks.”
‘I’m a mother now and it shook me to my core, because I know I’m not the picture of health, but I didn’t realize things were that bad and it’s a little scary to hear it from a medical professional.’
Shaughna vowed to improve her health because she is determined to be close to her daughter as she grows, saying, “I’m going to do this.” I need to do something. I need to lose a lot of weight. I only had one father because my dad died.
“Without going too deep, I just don’t want that to happen to Lucia and I want to do everything in my power to be here as long as possible.”
Revealing the body dysmorphia she’s struggled with her entire life, Shaughna added, “I’m not going to be too hard on myself because I’m human.” I’m raising a human on my own, that’s hard. I’m self-employed, that’s hard.
Shaughna vowed to improve her health because she is determined to be close to her daughter as she grows, saying, “I’m going to do this.” I need to do something’
“I’ve probably struggled with my body image for most of my life, which is pretty scary, and I don’t want that for Lucia.
‘I need to be a positive example for her. I don’t want him to see me struggling to put on clothes or that I’m unhappy with my appearance. I need to be the happiest, healthiest version of myself.
‘Do I know how I’m going to get there? No. But I feel like I now have the knowledge to move forward. I’m a work in progress, but I love myself anyway.’
And the Love Island star has dropped five dress sizes after starting a diet and fitness plan for over a year and is now a healthier nine stone 10lb.
But he said it’s all about finding a balance and he hasn’t cut out sweets completely, occasionally indulging in a bar of chocolate and a glass of Prosecco.
The blonde beauty told MailOnline she is now less focused on losing weight and being “skinny”.
She explained that when she was younger she focused on how she looked and whether people “liked” her, but now she says that’s the furthest thing from her mind.
She said: ‘That’s been the big difference. I wasn’t trying to look thin, I was trying to be healthy because I needed to address visceral fat.
“There’s no point in being skinny if you’re fat inside.
And Shaughna wants to share how her diet and exercise combo worked for her and is launching her Shred-It Plan, which includes short workouts and an eating plan to help people lose weight.
Their website launched on Boxing Day and plans start at £49.99.