Mrs Hinch shares photo taken before 8st weight loss and feels 'awkward'

Mrs Hinch spoke openly about her weight loss journey and how body confidence has impacted her daily life.

The cleaning influencer, whose real name is Sophie Hinchliffe, posted on Instagram with a powerful before-and-after photograph documenting her significant transformation over the years.

Looking back on her experience, the 36-year-old confessed she has wrestled with body image issues for much of her life and regrets having the weight-loss surgery at just 21 years old.

Housework whiz Sophie, who is 5ft 10in, revealed that she has found it difficult to come to terms with her height since adolescence and has experienced considerable weight changes.

She wrote: "I'm 5'10 so I'm tall and honestly, I have struggled to accept my height since I was 16. I've been a size 20 and I've been a size 6. I made a rushed decision to have a gastric band fitted when I was 21.

"And whilst it did its job, it wouldn't be something I'd do over again because of the lifelong complications I've been left with.

"Regardless of my weight, I've never felt comfortable in my own skin. I pick apart my appearance daily. I also have a complicated relationship with food And compliments? They still make me feel so incredibly awkward."

Sophie's candid message extended well beyond her struggles with weight and body confidence.

The mum-of-three also shared the profound effect of losing her father, Alan, who passed away suddenly in his sleep in April 2024 following respiratory complications.

She disclosed that bereavement has left her grappling with what she calls a "fear of time", confessing she finds herself constantly anxious about how much time loved ones have remaining.

She wrote: "I have developed a fear of time. Yes, time. Ever since losing my dad two years ago, I'm convinced my whole nervous system has changed.

"I'm constantly thinking about how long we all have left. I look at strangers and wonder how they seem so calm when none of us know what's around the corner."

The celebrated cleaning expert also discussed the guilt she continues to feel over an unfinished project she and her dad had been working on at her £1.1 million Essex farmhouse.

Prior to his passing, Sophie and Alan had converted one of the property's outbuildings into a workshop where he could pursue his love of woodworking.

Yet, she confessed she has been unable to summon the courage to step inside the space since the day he died.

She said: "Everything is exactly as we left it. Our project still sits unfinished, Dad's pen and fleece are where he left them. I don't even want the sawdust on the floor to be disturbed."

Sophie concluded her post by acknowledging that losing her father altered her irrevocably, leaving her feeling like an entirely different person to the woman she once was.

Her heartfelt post sparked an overwhelming wave of support from devoted followers, with many expressing their gratitude for her refreshing candour on grief, body image, and the enduring struggles that can accompany both.

One wrote: "I love this. Feel like I've been through so many similar things and it's nice to know people feel the same."

And another said: "And that's why I was meant to find you through your journey and so so grateful I did!"