Shaughna Phillips has revealed her dramatic weight loss and explained that she was motivated to start her fitness journey after being told she was clinically obese.
The Love Island star, 30, has dropped five dress sizes after starting on a fitness and diet plan more than a year go and is now a healthier nine stone 10lbs.
In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, the influencer explained that hearing she was at a dangerous weight was the motivation she need to change her lifestyle.
She explained that after going for a full body scan, she was told she had concerning amounts of visceral fat around her vital organs.
The star added that it was the thought of not being around for her daughter, Lucia, 20 months, that scared her and forced her to cut down on her unhealthy eating.
She said: ‘I knew if I carried on [eating unhealthily] it wasn’t going to happen, I wasn’t going to be there for Lucia.’
Shaughna Phillips, 30, has revealed her dramatic six stone weight loss and explained that she was motivated to start her fitness journey after being told she was clinically obese
The Love Island star, 30, has dropped five dress sizes after starting on a fitness and diet plan more than a year go and is now a healthier nine stone 10lbs (pictured before)
The influencer explained that after going for a full body scan, she was told she had dangerous amounts of visceral fat around her vital organs (pictured in January 2020)
The star gave birth to her first baby, daughter, whose father Billy Webb has recently been released from prison after serving 12 months of a nine-year sentence for drug offences, last year.
And with her little girl in mind, Shaughna started on a new diet and cut out her unhealthy habits, dramatically dropping from a size 18 to a size 8.
She switched out packets of biscuits and snacks consisting of cakes and sugary teas and has started eating more fruit and vegetables.
But she said it’s about finding a balance and hasn’t cut out sweet treats entirely, occasionally indulging in a chocolate bar and a glass of Prosecco.
The blonde beauty explained that she’s now less focused on losing weight and being ‘skinny’ .
She explained that when she was younger she was focused on how she looked and if people ‘fancied 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 skinny, I was trying to be healthy because I needed to address the visceral fat.
‘There’s no point being skinny if you’re fat on the inside.
The star revealed she was motivated her to change her lifestyle to make sure she was around for her daughter Lucia, 20 months (pictured)
With her little girl in mind, Shaughna started on a new diet and cut out her unhealthy habits, dramatically dropping from a size 18 to a size 8
She explained that when she was younger she was focused on how she looked and if people ‘fancied her’ but now she says that’s the furthest thing from her mind and she’s focusing on her little girl
‘I’ve got an uncle and he’s always been skinny but he eats like a dustbin but he’s always been skinny and it’s not the same as being healthy.
‘And for me it’s not about how much I weigh, before I started on this I didn’t know how much I weighed.’
Despite her determination, Shaughna revealed that she found changing her lifestyle really difficult and confessed she found it harder to give up junk food than it was to stop smoking.
She said: ‘When I smoked when I was much younger, ages ago, I found that hard but it was definitely harder than giving up smoking because you have to go outside and it’s £20 a pop whereas I can just get through a packet of biscuits in my own home and then get on with the day.’
The reality star went on to explain that she has previously struggled with emotional eating and would use food as a comfort but has now changed her habits.
Shaughna confessed she was a ‘reactive eater’ and if she was struggling with anything stressful she would turn to food.
But now she is putting her daughter at the forefront of her mind when she makes decisions.
She told MailOnline: ‘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 would let her.
‘I’ve always go to think of Lucia, she’s like the angel on my shoulder.’
Shaughna also discussed how trolls commenting no her social media posts was upsetting but she knew she needed to make a change, explaining that they didn’t tell her anything she didn’t already know.
She said: ‘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 went on to say that she did feel an added pressure to look good because of her job as an influencer and having been on Love Island.
Despite her determination, Shaughna revealed that she found changing her lifestyle really difficult and confessed she found it harder to give up junk food than it was to stop smoking
The reality star went on to explain that she has previously struggled with emotional eating and would use food as a comfort but has now changed her habits
Shaughna also discussed how trolls commenting no her social media posts was upsetting but she knew she needed to make a change, explaining that they didn’t tell her anything she didn’t already know
‘People knew me from Love Island and I think seeing me after that with extra weight I was always worried they would say “Wow she’s let herself go” while I was just there trying to make it through the day.’ she said.
The reality star confessed that her her heaviest, weighing 15stone and 4lbs, she would dread summer because it would mean shorter dresses, swimsuits and generally being less covered up.
She explained: ‘When I was at my biggest I was scared of heat waves because it would mean skin out, sweating.
‘I couldn’t think of anything worse.’
But the star has had a change of mindset, explaining she is more in love with her body now despite her ‘saggy skin’ because she’s focused on health rather than being skinny.
She told MailOnline: ‘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.’
She went on to say that it was easier for her to be thinner at 25 when she entered the Love Island villa because she didn’t have a baby or a boyfriend and she was just looking after herself.
But in an interview with Closer magazine in May she revealed she felt sorry for her younger self.
The reality star confessed that her her heaviest, weighing 15stone and 4lbs, she would dread summer because it would mean shorter dresses, swimsuits and generally being less covered up but is now much happier in her body
She said: ‘I was a size 6-8, yet I thought I was the ‘fat girl’ in the villa.
‘It shows the level of body dysmorphia I had. I was consumed with the way I looked, breathing in and getting the right angles.
‘When they gave me the outfit to wear for the Dirty Dancing challenge, I thought, “God must really hate me!” I felt some girls knew I was insecure and would strut past me.
‘I’d think, “How do they have this confidence?” I look back and feel sorry for myself.’
But following the birth of her daughter in April 2023, the Love Island star explained she didn’t want to put pressure on herself to lose weight as she confessed that having a baby makes it harder to look after yourself.
But now she’s using Lucia as a role model for herself revealing that if she wouldn’t let her little girl eat it, then she won’t either.
She revealed that she makes sure her toddler always eats organic fruit and vegetables and doesn’t let her daughter snack on unhealthy foods and that has helped her stay on track as well explaining they mainly eat the same things now.
The blonde beauty added that she is happier in herself now because she knows she’s healthy and is less focused on her weight.
The reality star previously revealed she felt sorry for her younger self on Love Island because she was so obsessed with making sure she looked slim (pictured in 2020)
‘I’m trying not to focus on how I look.
‘I am happy but I’m trying to tell people that happiness doesn’t depend on how you look.
‘I don’t want people to see my life as perfect, I just want to feel fit enough to run around the park [with Lucia].’
Shaughna has credited TV dietitian Jo Travers with her transformation.
The presenter told the reality star that she needed to reset her metabolism and eat proper meals alongside exercise.
And now Shaughna wants to share how her combination of diet and exercise worked for her and is launching her Shred-It Plan which includes short workouts and a meal plan to help people lose weight.
Her website launched on Boxing Day and plans start at £49.99.
