What happens when you finally change the body you've spent years wanting to change… but your mind doesn't catch up?

In Part Two of my conversation with Rachel Flynn, we talk honestly about the reality of weight loss surgery — and why losing the weight didn't automatically mean losing the struggles that came with it.

Rachel shares what happened as her body changed dramatically, while her sense of identity struggled to keep pace.

We talk about body image, excess skin, expectations, confidence and the difficult realisation that changing what you see in the mirror doesn't necessarily change how you see yourself.

Because sometimes achieving the thing you thought would fix everything simply reveals another layer of the story.

🎙️ Rachel Flynn — Part Two Hidden in Plain Sight

Real people. Real stories. The things we don't always see.

#HiddenInPlainSight #WeightLossSurgery #BodyImage #Identity #RealStories

PART 1-What happens when you finally change your body — but realise that was never the whole story?

In this episode of Hidden in Plain Sight, I sit down with Rachel Flynn for an incredibly open conversation about weight loss, body image, identity, neurodiversity and learning who you are when the person staring back at you has completely changed.

Rachel shares her experience of having a gastric band, losing a significant amount of weight and later undergoing skin removal surgery.

But reaching the goal she had worked towards didn't suddenly make everything else fall into place.

We talk about the emotional reality of dramatic weight loss, the challenges that surfaced afterwards, and the process of having to rediscover who Rachel was without her weight defining so much of her identity.

Rachel also speaks openly about ADHD, rejection sensitivity and receiving a diagnosis later in life — and how finally understanding the way her brain worked helped her make sense of experiences she'd carried for years.

It's a conversation about the part of transformation we don't talk about enough.

Because changing what we see on the outside doesn't automatically heal what's happening underneath.

Hidden in Plain Sight — real people, real stories, and the things we don't always see.

🎥 Prefer to watch? Hidden in Plain Sight is also available on YouTube:

https://youtube.com/@abigailsanders_hips?si=yxS76p48LLJxLd7l

⚠️ Content note: This episode includes discussion of weight, weight-loss surgery, body image, eating behaviours, ADHD and mental health. Some listeners may find these subjects difficult or triggering.

James Roffey returns for Part Two of Hidden in Plain Sight.

In Part One, James shared his journey from professional football into anorexia and bulimia, and the devastating impact losing the future he'd imagined had on his identity.

But his story didn't end there.

In Part Two, our conversation moves into another chapter of James's life — relationships, infidelity, fertility struggles, injury and the emotional impact of experiencing setback after setback.

We talk openly about betrayal, loss, identity and what happens when the things you thought your life would be built around don't work out as planned.

And perhaps most importantly, we explore what it takes to keep rebuilding.

Because resilience isn't about never being knocked down. Sometimes it's simply about finding a way to get back up when life looks nothing like you thought it would.

Another honest, unfiltered conversation about the experiences we don't always see behind the person standing in front of us.

Hidden in Plain Sight — real people, real stories, and the things we don't always see.

🎥 Prefer to watch? Hidden in Plain Sight is also available on YouTube:

https://youtube.com/@abigailsanders_hips?si=yxS76p48LLJxLd7l

⚠️ Content note: This episode contains discussion of eating disorders, infertility, infidelity, relationship difficulties and mental health, which some listeners may find difficult or triggering.

What happens when the future you thought you had disappears overnight?

In Part One of Hidden in Plain Sight, I sit down with James Roffey for an open and honest conversation about identity, control, eating disorders and what happens when life suddenly takes you in a direction you never expected.

After being released from professional football at just 17, James found himself struggling with who he was without the identity that had shaped so much of his young life.

We talk about his subsequent battle with anorexia and bulimia, the realities behind what others could see on the outside, and the experiences that ultimately became part of his journey towards recovery and rebuilding his life.

This is a conversation about far more than an eating disorder. It's about identity, loss, control, resilience and finding yourself again when the life you imagined no longer exists.

Part Two coming soon.

⚠️ This episode contains discussion of eating disorders and mental health and may be difficult or triggering for some listeners.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please seek appropriate professional support.

Hidden in Plain Sight — real people, real stories, and the things we don't always see.

Welcome to Hidden in Plain Sight.

A series of honest, unfiltered conversations with people who have lived through some of life's most difficult challenges — from mental health struggles and eating disorders to body image, identity, addiction, loss and everything that can sit quietly beneath the surface.

These are conversations with people who have struggled, survived, rebuilt and come out the other side with a story worth telling.

Because we can look at someone and think we know who they are.

We see the body. The career. The confidence. The smile. The life they show the world.

But we don't always see what it took to get there.

Hidden in Plain Sight is about the story behind what we see.

Real people. Real experiences. Real conversations.

And a reminder that there is always more to somebody's story than meets the eye.

Prefer to watch? Hidden in Plain Sight is also available on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@abigailsanders_hips?si=yxS76p48LLJxLd7l

People often assumed I was confident.

I could walk into a room, hold a conversation and keep going, even when life felt incredibly difficult. But what looked like confidence on the outside was often survival on the inside.

In this episode, I explore the difference between confidence and self-esteem, why they're not the same thing, and how living in survival mode can shape the way we see ourselves. I also share parts of my own journey and why having choices—not just coping—is what truly helped me begin to build genuine self-worth.

If you've ever looked like you've got it all together while secretly struggling underneath, this episode is for you.

Because sometimes, the strongest people aren't the most confident... they're the ones who've simply learned how to survive.

fter a two-and-a-half-year break, I'm back.

So much has changed—not just in my life, but in the way I see people, behaviour and lasting change.

In this episode, I share where I've been, what I've learned, and why this podcast is evolving into something much bigger than my own sobriety story. We'll explore the psychology behind why we do what we do, covering topics like confidence, mental health, relationships, boundaries, body image, menopause, habits, identity and emotional wellbeing.

I'm now over four years alcohol-free, I've quit vaping, built a business helping people create lasting change, and discovered that understanding ourselves is where real transformation begins.

Whether you've been here since Series One or you're joining me for the first time, welcome. I'm so glad you're here.

In this final episode of series one of this personal journey through my life and sobriety, I talk about how i feel about age, milestones, menapause and reflecting on my younger self.

In todays episode i talk about why i believe i have been prone to addiction. And ask the question "are we all addicted to something"?

Welcome back to the sober looks great on you podcast. In todays episode i am going to be sharing my struggles with mental health and how it impacted me throughout my life. This is based on my own experience and my examples from my own personal journey.