I spent £20k on MY DREAM BODY

Fearing she wouldn’t live to see her daughter grow up, Simonne Rawe knew she had to take drastic action

- VERONIQUE HAWKSWORTH, TIFFANY WALLIS

As I stand in front of the mirror, in my underwear, I finally feel proud of the woman staring back at me. After spending years hiding away from my reflection, I often don’t recognise the body and the self-confidence I see now.

It cost me thousands of pounds to look like this, but it was never just about my appearance – it was always about saving my life so I could fulfil my role as a mother.

Before I began to make changes in my life, I was living through a daily battle with my weight in a struggle that had started when I was just a little girl. I’d weighed 12st by the age of 12 and, every year after that, I’d gained a stone.

Things didn’t improve in adulthood, and I ate as much out of habit and boredom as I did out of hunger. I slathered Nutella on toast for breakfast, ate sausage sandwiches for lunch and had takeaway pizza for tea. Then there were the cakes and chocolates I’d scoff between meals at my job in office admin.

I tried different diets, but nothing seemed to work. So, feeling desperate and weighing 18th, at the age of 21, I had a gastric band operation.

But the operation failed, and the procedure left me with severe acid reflux which burned my oesophagus. I was terribly unwell and I felt so ugly, I was ready to give up on ever becoming the woman I wanted to be.

Perilous pregnancy