LEECIE was a burgeoning model on Sydney's tattoo modelling scene when an accident at work in 2016 left her with a spinal injury. Suddenly, she was faced with a "revolving door of problems", as her injury affected her mobility and she turned to food as a coping mechanism. The vicious cycle Leecie found herself in led to her rapidly gaining weight, reaching over 300lbs at her heaviest. However, brands started noticing her on social media and, before she knew it, she was making a name for herself as a plus-size model. Leecie never quite felt comfortable though - "Coming into the spotlight in a body that didn't feel like my own was quite jarring" - and when she went on holiday with her mum and saw herself in the photos from their trip, that was the wake-up call that motivated her to make wholesale lifestyle changes when she got home. Leecie immediately went to see her GP, who agreed that she needed to lose weight for the sake of her health and she was referred to a bariatric surgeon. After having surgery, she joined a gym and developed a healthy exercise and food routine with expert help from a PT and nutritionist. Incredibly, she cut her weight in half, dropping from 140kg to 70kg. Since then, she's received judgement from many in the plus-size community, who felt betrayed by her weight loss - and while she understands their rejection of her, that hasn't stopped her showcasing her new look to inspire others whilst also just enjoying her new lease of life: "It's given me a whole sense of confidence, I realise how strong I am as a person now."
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