‘I was killing myself doing workouts’: Shaughna Phillips admits crying to the Love Island therapist over her ‘big legs’ ahead of lipoedema diagnosis as she showcases results of liposuction
Love Island star Shaughna Phillips has admitted she was ‘killing herself’ doing workouts six times a week while on the reality show and felt like the token ‘fat girl.’
She said: ‘I’d be going to the gym six times a week, and even though I got down to 9st 6lb and a size six on the top half, my legs would stay at a size 14.’
And the beauty told The Sun she would cry to the therapist over the size of the legs and would feel insecure alongside the other female Islanders after being bullied for years over her pins.
‘I was killing myself doing workouts’: Shaughna Phillips admitted crying to the Love Island therapist over her ‘big legs’ ahead of her lipoedema diagnosis
The 26-year-old said that water retention from the flight and the heat caused her legs to swell so much she couldn’t put her shoes on and she was worried about what she looked like.
It was only when Shaughna left the show that she was diagnosed with lipoedema, a an abnormal accumulation of fat in the legs.
She said she would get constant bruising on my legs, and they would be so painful but I had no idea what it was.
The results! She had two litres of fat drained from her legs and while it will take six months for the swelling to go down, Shaughna revealed she’s gone from a trouser size 14 to 10 and showed off the results on The Full Monty On Ice on Tuesday
‘When I came off the show I had all these messages asking if I had been diagnosed with lipoedema…
‘It’s scary to think that had I not found out about my condition, and intervened when I did, I would’ve just been getting progressively worse, and in pain as well.’
She even admitted she blocked the word ‘legs’ from appearing on her social media before entering Love Island due to her fear of being trolled for the size of her calves.
Surgery: The reality star, 26, was diagnosed with lipoedema – an abnormal build-up of fat in the legs- earlier this year and recently had liposuction to combat the condition
Shaughna paid for private liposuction to shrink her legs in October as the procedure is not available on the NHS.
She had two litres of fat drained from her calves and revealed the results when she appeared on The Real Full Monty On Ice.
While recovery can take up to six months, Shaughna has already dropped from a trouser size 14 to a size ten.
Now feeling much more confident about her shape, Shaughna said that she is so relieved she got the right treatment for her.
She said that when she was rehearsing for The Full Monty, she had blood dripping down her legs following the procedure.
But she said she’s happy to talk about what she’s had done, because she’s ‘not ashamed or embarrassed.’
She previously told MailOnline: ‘I paid for all of my surgery; I haven’t done any ad or collaboration. Anything I put up now is the wholehearted truth – I didn’t want to sugarcoat anything for anyone that might be thinking about getting surgery.
‘I’ve been offered gifted surgery since I came out the villa and you kind of think – I’m in the position now where I can pay for it.
Trolls: She explained: ‘When I weighed 14 stone, I’d lost 4 stone and then posted a picture of before and after and I looked no different’
‘Surgery swag’: Shaughna underwent surgery to have fat removed from her calves and shared this snap from her hospital bed
‘They’re baggy around the ankle’: Last month, Shaughna revealed her size 12 skinny jeans are now too big after undergoing the operation
‘I don’t want to advertise surgery to women that could get themselves in debt for something I got for free.
‘It is completely different to changing your hair colour. It sounds a bit over the top but surgery can be life or death.’
Shaughna appeared on the show in memory of her father Eddie who sadly died four years ago.
The black cab driver died aged 50 following an 18-month battle with pancreatic cancer.
‘I am bandaged up and sore’: She told MailOnline she’s ‘relieved’ after having the liposuction done earlier in October, following years of feeling ‘self-conscious’ about her legs
Harsh reality: The Love Island star aims to be transparent with her 1.5million Instagram followers and has not held back in sharing the reality of going under the knife