Chanelle Hayes has spoken candidly of her huge weight loss, after shedding eight stone following gastric sleeve surgery.
The former Big Brother star, 33, recently revealed she spent years ‘hating herself for being too big’ and championing body confidence in a new Instagram post on Thursday, she revealed she’s now ‘the most content’ she has ever felt.
Chanelle posed underneath a sign that read ‘hot stuff’ and encouraged fans to embrace their bodies while crediting a change in attitude for helping her to realise she is ‘good enough’.
Content: Chanelle Hayes has revealed she’s the ‘most content she’s ever been’ with her body after shedding eight stone following gastric sleeve surgery
In her post, Chanelle shared a series of snaps of her posing in front of a plant wall that was dressed up with colourful leaves and a neon ‘hot stuff’ sign.
She looked gorgeous in patterned tie-up shorts and a low-cut black cami top.
Chanelle also shared a selfie of her wearing minimal make-up and flaunting her natural beauty.
She shared a lengthy and inspiring caption to go alongside her post, as she opened up on previously feeling like she was ‘disgusting’, ‘not worthy’ and ‘ugly’.
Weight loss: The reality star, 33, opted to have the procedure in August last year and dropped from a size 18 to a size 8-10 (pictured on This Morning in 2017)
Happy: Chanelle, championed body confidence as she posed underneath a ‘hot stuff’ sign
Explaining how a change in mindset helped her to practice self-love and see herself differently, Chanelle revealed: ‘I’ve realised over the past few years that I am what I tell myself I am. When I was bigger, I thought of myself as “ugly”, “the funny, fat friend”, “not worthy”, “disgusting”.
‘But even when I was a size 6, weighing under 7 stone I still felt not good enough and was constantly comparing myself to others who were that bit prettier or thinner, smarter or more popular.’
She continued: ‘I don’t confess to be magically “fixed” and to hold the secrets to learning to being happy all of the time. But every single day since 1st August 2020 I have told myself I am good enough, I am smart enough, I am pretty enough, I am HOT STUFF. I don’t care whether anybody agrees, I compete only with myself and achieve only for myself.’
Admitting she can still struggle with self-acceptance, Chanelle added:’ I’m not happy everyday, I have bad moods and negative days but I am the most content with myself I have ever been in my life.
Honest: Chanelle told fans that she’s changed her mindset when it comes to her body and is practicing self-love after previously telling herself she was ‘ugly’ and ‘not worthy’
Body positive: Since embarking on her weight loss journey, Chanelle has become known for her body positive posts that encourage fans to embrace the way they look
‘I hate these kind of posts preaching to people and I’m not bragging, I am just so grateful that I feel like I’ve got my life back again.’
She shared the hashtags: ‘#selflove #loveyourself #happy #content #weightloss #weightlosstransformation #bariatrics #femaleempowerment #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #bodyconfidence #iamenough #selfempowerment #selfbelief #selfhelp.’
Since embarking on her weight loss journey, Chanelle has become known for her body positivity posts and was recently seen encouraging her followers to embrace their bikini bodies, while revealing her ‘saggy skin’ as she posed in her swimwear.
‘After years of hating my body for being too big, it’s now small enough that my skin looks saggy and baggy. I have four boobs because my implants are in one place and my actual skin and breast tissue are in another,’ Chanelle explained alongside her bikini photos.
‘I have stretch marks on practically every area of my body, cellulite is my constant companion no matter how big or small I may be at any given time. I didn’t love the look of my body then and I don’t love the look of my body now, but I DO love taking care of my body and the confidence that comes with being healthy.
Opening up: She shared snaps of herself with ‘saggy skin’ and stretch marks in her bikini as she spoke open and honestly about body confidence and what it means to her to be healthy
‘I’m never going to look like the airbrushed images of people online, but does that mean I don’t have a bikini body? No. So I wanted to share my tips with you guys on how to get a ‘bikini body’: 1. Get a body. 2. Put a bikini on it
‘Voila! You have yourself a bikini body. Without waffling too much, I just wanted to mix up your Instagram feeds from the perfect online edited shots you’ll be viewing with a saggy pair of boobs and baggy belly taken by myself in my garden while being splashed by my son and avoiding stepping on dog treats. We are in this together ladies.’
Chanelle decided to have gastric sleeve surgery in August last year and has since dropped from a size 18 to a size 8-10.
The procedure dramatically reduces the capacity of the stomach in order to aid substantial long-term weight loss.
Reality star Chanelle says that getting the operation was ‘the best thing ever’ as not only did it help her to shed around eight stone, but it allowed her to spend time with her children in a way she couldn’t previously, like trampolining with them.
Chanelle is mum to son Blakely, 11, and son Frankie, three.
‘Best decision’: Chanelle has credited having gastric sleeve surgery as the ‘best thing ever’ as it’s helped her to lose weight and allowed her to be more active around her children