@leahhopehealth: I knew I wanted to capture this moment. This is the last time I’ll be in public showing the loose skin on my legs like this before surgery. Not just to document the “before”… but to celebrate the present version of me. The version of me that finally feels brave enough to show up as the person I’ve always wanted to be, instead of just thinking about being her. I’m excited for my upcoming surgery. And also nervous. And grateful. And scared. Feeling all the things. This is the last big step (at least, that I currently have planned) in my surgery journey
and moving toward living in a body without large amounts of loose skin. Not because I’m ashamed of it, but because I want to continue to feel free in my body. And for me, I feel more free without the loose skin, even if that means living with noticable scars. But there’s also a part of me that just wants to honor this version of my body. The one that carried me through losing over 200 lbs. The one that walked 10,000 steps a day for over a year. The one that tried new forms of movement. The one that realized nourishing foods make me feel better. The one that changed my life. The one I had to learn to accept, even when it felt uncomfortable to be seen. Showing up like this in public hasn’t always been easy. I avoided it for as long as I could. Until I realized I didn’t want to hide anymore. I’m proud of my growth. And this body represents that. I don’t see this surgery as fixing a flaw. I see it as continuing to take care of myself. 💜

Leah Hope

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Tuesday 24 March 2026 14:09:37 GMT