I lost FOUR stone before Love Island but I wasn’t happy – now I NEVER weigh myself, says Shaughna Phillips
SHAUGHNA Phillips revealed she used to be "obsessed" with her weight before Love Island - but hasn't stepped on the scales for two years.
The reality star, 28, lost four stone before going on the ITV reality show and even though she reached her target weight of around 9.5stone, it didn't make her happy.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, she says: "Before I went into Love Island, I had a really negative relationship with food and working out.
"I was like a drill sergeant, I was very disciplined, not really happy and still very, very insecure."
Part of the blame, Shaughna believes, is due to the messaging within teen mags, encouraging girls to aspire to unrealistic body standards.
"I've kind of been a normal sized girl my whole life," she says. "Girls have these teen mags from such a young age that teach them to try and stay full on the bare minimum. We've had that subconsciously, consuming it from a very young age.
"I lost a lot of weight. I realised I still wasn't very happy, I also had the added pressure of 'oh my god, if you eat this you might put weight on again'.
"I still felt fat, I knew I was skinny. It was such a toxic mess, and then when I went into Love Island, obviously the girls in there were stunning, I was very aware, I thought I was the biggest girl in there."
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Shaughna regrets clouding her time on Love Island with worries about her body image, and says leaving the villa to a supportive fan-base helped her accept herself.
She is now using the experience as fuel for her new lifestyle and fitness app Be You With Shaughna, which aims to put the fun back into exercise.
The confidence-boosting app isn't about worrying what you weigh, it's about changing attitudes and mindsets by keeping active and eating well.
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"I used to be obsessed [with the scales]," says Shaughna. "Before Love Island, if I was between 9.5st and 10.5st, that was my happy bracket.
"I haven't weighed myself in about two years. I try and go by how my clothes look on me. As long as I feel comfortable and happy, that's the scale I use now.
"Exercise should not be about punishment. You shouldn't go into the gym absolutely dreading it, you should be looking forward to it, which is definitely a mindset I used to have.
"This is not about trying to become the perfect person, this is about making sure you are healthy from your mind and body."
And it's not just the fitness world that Shaughna wants to shine a light on, she also has ambitions of becoming a documentary maker like Stacey Dooley.
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The London star wants to front hard-hitting programmes exploring youth crime and the criminal justice system for young offenders.
She said: "I grew up in South London, Elephant and Castle, so I've lived in it. I went to an all girls school.
"I think at least one girl every year lost a brother to knife crime or going to prison because of it.
"I've had a knife pulled out on me before. It's something I've been around my entire life."
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