Kiwi weight loss star Simone Anderson unveils Brazilian butt lift journey

Publish Date: Tuesday, 8 May 2018, 10:00AM

Warning: This article contains images that may disturb

Auckland woman Simone Anderson has taken her weight loss journey to a new level after sharing details of her latest surgery in the US to remove excess lower body skin and undergo a Brazilian butt lift.

The 27-year-old makeup artist made international news in 2015 after gastric sleeve surgery saw her drop 92kg in a year and she was flown to LA to appear on the Tyra Banks show.

Once tipping the scales at 169kg, Anderson has since found fame documenting her "Journey to Health" on Instagram, amassing 265, 000 followers on the platform alone.

Self acceptance and self improvement do not have to be mutually exclusive or contradict each other - you can love yourself, love the way you look and your body and still want to strive for improvements in all aspects of life. Just because I was overweight in the first photo does not mean I wasn't as happy or didn't love myself. So many people instantly jump to the conclusion that now I'm thinner I must be so much happier and live a more fulfilled life. You can and should be happy at any weight, and embrace the body you have! While still being able to strive for improvements in your health. Happiness doesn't have a shape or size, this comes from within. Happiness will never be at a certain weight or pant size.

A post shared by Journey To Health (@simone_anderson) on Mar 13, 2017 at 8:07pm PDT

Describing herself as "perfectly imperfect" she has candidly detailed her journey since her first round of skin removal surgery and breast augmentation among posts about fitness and healthy eating.

I honestly can't believe it's been two years since I had my skin removal surgeries and breast augmentation with @drrepta_plasticsurgery! Where have these two years gone, it has flown by. I can remember my excitement and nerves like it was yesterday, leaving my friends and family and jumping on a plane to head to the other side of the world! I had no idea what to expect and I was blown away by my care treatment while in Phoenix, Arizona. My recovery was text book, and my results speak for themselves. I was blessed enough to be in a situation to be able to have these surgeries, and I am still thankful everyday. I know so many men and woman around the world dream of this and not for a single second do I take it for granted. So many of my amazing followers helped make this happen and I will be forever in your debt, thank you all again. We don't grow when things are easy. We grow when we face challenges.

A post shared by Journey To Health (@simone_anderson) on Sep 19, 2017 at 4:37pm PDT

Ahead of her surgery, she uploaded footage of the excess skin on her thighs and "pockets" around her hips as she tearfully explained how while she had learned to love it, she couldn't wait "to see muscle definition ... I can't wait to see a bottom that's not covered in loose skin."

Last week Anderson shared that carrying around "handfuls of sagging skin" after losing 92kg has been hard to live with, and not just "from a cosmetic point of view".

She described it as "heavy and painful, it gets in the way when exercising and doing day to day tasks."

People will try and fault you for anything you do in life whether your intention is only to help and uplift they will find a reason to try and tear you down and question your morals and values. “You shouldn’t be able to promote self love and body positivity because you have had skin removal surgery and fillers” Carry around handfuls of sagging skin from losing 92kg is difficult to live with and I don’t mean from a cosmetic point of view (which yes many struggle with to) it’s heavy and painful, it gets in the way when exercising and doing day to day tasks. I haven’t had surgery to “fit into society’s vision” I have had to make myself feel more comfortable. I am so far from “perfect” and this is and never will be my dream or vision, I am me, flawed as hell covered head to toe in stretch marks, lose skin and so many lumps and bumps. My message is that no matter what size, age, body shape (even at 169kg this rang true to me) it’s important to try and turn our negative thoughts about our selves into positive ones. If you have made enhancements to your looks whether it be via hairdye, pluck your brows or shave your legs, wear nail colour, have lip fillers wear makeup or fake tan which are all temporary or more permanent changes like a tummy tuck after child birth, weight loss or any other reason you still have every right to love yourself and try and show others who may be struggling with the exact same issues that it is possible to love ourselves and our “flaws”. Being comfortable in a body that doesn’t fit society’s expectation of beauty makes others uncomfortable because they can’t imagine how you can be happy in your body if they are not happy in theirs. Younger Simone used to wonder and dream about what it would be like to look in the mirror and feel comfortable and at ease with my looks and being in love with myself. Over time I decided to turn this wonder into action. I actioned these thoughts and became a woman obsessed with being comfortable in my own skin. You don’t need to be accepted by others in society you just need to accept yourself. This is me, perfectly imperfect, loving myself.

A post shared by Journey To Health (@simone_anderson) on Apr 27, 2018 at 8:13pm PDT

And after holidaying in the US with her partner, Trent Forsyth, Anderson has documented her surgery in Arizona over the weekend where she believes she has had 1680cc of fat from her thighs injected into each of her butt cheeks and excess skin removed from those areas.

What was intended to be a seven to eight-hour surgery ended up being 10 on the operating table.

Over on her YouTube channel, Anderson has vlogged daily, leaving nothing undisclosed, including the impact of anaesthetic on her bowel movements, the extent of bleeding from the procedure and how rough it was not being able to shower for six days.

Vlogging as she goes to the toilet while giving her pro-tips on post-surgery peeing, she says the feedback from documenting her experience has been "awesome".

For the first time since starting my page three years and nine months ago I have started sharing the online bullying and hate I receive daily via a highlight real I call “Trolls” on my Instagram - my aim is to expose these people who think they are faceless in the hope to make them think about their actions. My worry isn’t for me and my feelings as I am a confident and self aware young lady my fear is these messages are reaching our younger generation who may not have the skills or life lessons to know how to brush off these nasty words. Each year thousands of young beautiful people around the globe commit suicide due to online bullying. It is not ok and I’m not letting them get away with this anymore. Watch my latest vlog (link in bio) for an update and my thoughts on this subject which I hold dear to my heart. Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits. they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny. Dr @drrepta_plasticsurgery

A post shared by Journey To Health (@simone_anderson) on May 6, 2018 at 4:59pm PDT

Followers have commented on her posts calling her new "booty" "fabulous" and praising her decision to have the surgery as "brave" and "strong".

However, she says while it's something she doesn't want to give airtime to, she has received hurtful messages too - around 10 to 20 a day.

"My concern with it is, I'm 27, I am a very confident, grown woman and I can deal with these nasty little horrible comments. But what if these comments went to a 14-year-old girl who was super insecure ... about the way she looked.

A journey that started in August 29th 2014. A 23 year old girl who decided that she no longer wanted to live a half life, no longer wanted to turn down simple activities with her friends like beach walks. So found a comercial scale (because no household scale went to high enough) - staring back at me was 169kg. I knew this was it I knew I had to make a change, I couldn’t lie to myself or my friends or family anymore. I had a food addiction and it needed to change, or I would be bed bound by 30 and have no life at all. How was I going to keep myself self accountable this time, how was I going to make this a life long change? I created a Facebook page and Instagram purely for my friends and family to follow so I could keep myself accountable and on track. I started with simple changes like cutting out processed foods and adding in an hour walk or swim everyday. Then a few months in I was doing everything I could but hunger still controlled my world so I investigated weight loss surgery options and decided upon Gastric Sleeve surgery. Fast forward a year and I had lost half my body weight, then in the year following even more from 169kg-77kg. I was covered in loose skin and started to investigate doctors and choose @drrepta_plasticsurgery where i underwent abdominalplasty, breast lift, brest augmentation and a braline back lift. 2.8 years later I am now back in USA four days post lower body skin removal on my thighs, butt and fat transfer to my butt. Each and every decision I made for me, I put myself first and I will continue to do so no matter what critique I receive. Do you know why? Because not a single other person has walked in my shoes, experienced what I have been through and knows what each step along the way has felt like. I am covered in “flaws” and love and have ALWAYS loved myself and that is the most important of all. To finish reading this post head to my Facebook page - link in bio! (Wouldn’t fit all in instagram)

A post shared by Journey To Health (@simone_anderson) on May 5, 2018 at 11:29am PDT

"I get told at least 10 times a week that I need a nose job. I get told ... how ugly and fat I am."

She says while she can handle it, she worries about kids who have to grow up with it and says she's "absolutely sick of it".

Please watch my YouTube videos (link in bio) before asking questions!?Day of Surgery VS today two days post opp from butt and thigh lift and BBL with @drrepta_plasticsurgery. Today’s appointment pushed me a bit, I had to stop and lie done and didn’t even get to look at my thighs because I got so light headed. This photo I screen shorted from Dr Reptas snap chat story so it’s the best I have right now! I could not be more pleased with the results from the little peak I have got so far. I will be going back in Monday for a final check up before I fly home Tuesday morning. Hopefully at that appointment I’ll be be up to taking some after photos! Have you been enjoying my daily vlogs over on YouTube? New link in my bio!

A post shared by Journey To Health (@simone_anderson) on May 3, 2018 at 6:20pm PDT

So much so that she's started calling people out publicly: "I'm showing their names now. I'm sick of these people feeling they can get away with just being absolutely nasty online because they think they're faceless. You're not faceless. I'm going to prove you're not faceless," she says in one of her recent vlogs.

Due back home from Arizona this week, Anderson says watching her latest operation on her surgeon's Snapchat story left her with "such an overflow of emotions. I truly still can't believe the "after" is my body I am so blown away!"

Today I had my final post opp appointment with @drrepta_plasticsurgery before I fly back home tomorrow! It’s been six days since I underwent a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL), Excisional Butt Lift & Thigh Lift. I’m still extremely swollen, the lumps and bumbs will settle down over time (my scabby fake tan will also not be there forever haha). Unfortunately the drive to the Gilbert office where we originally took the first photos was to much for me to handle today so I went to the Scottsdale office instead which did mean we didn’t have the same lighting and back drop but we tried to get as close to possible so you can see then truest results! Even wore the same bra and undies for you guys 🤭 Have filmed a Vlog on today’s progress and it’s super informative with lots of the answers to questions you all had and also chatting about an exciting round 3 we have planned in the future! Link for Vlog in my bio!

A post shared by Journey To Health (@simone_anderson) on May 7, 2018 at 1:35pm PDT

This article was first published on NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.

Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you