"Grateful I did it" — Love Is Blind alum Chelsea Blackwell opens up about her tummy tuck surgery

Love Is Blind alum Chelsea Blackwell opened up about her lifelong struggle with her weight in an interview with E! News, published on October 20, 2024, admitting she often felt "crappy" about it. Reacting to how the surgery went, she said:

"I'm so happy with it. I'm very, very grateful I did it."

Blackwell appeared in season 6 of the reality show, where she got engaged to Jimmy Presnell after developing a strong connection in the pods. However, the couple ended their relationship during the show and ultimately decided against going through with their wedding ceremony.

Following her time on the Netflix series, the reality TV star opened up about her weight loss journey and shared tips on achieving similar goals.

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Love Is Blind alum Chelsea Blackwell candidly talks about her tummy tuck surgery

In her interview with E! News, Love Is Blind alum Chelsea Blackwell shared that she was "really open and honest" about her weight and how she struggled with it her whole life. She further added that having her tummy tuck surgery was "a big leap of faith."

Blackwell had never undergone surgery like this before. She explained that she struggled with the issue at the age of 30, and when she went through with the surgery, she was happy and grateful that she did it. The flight attendant also shared that if someone is struggling or is in the same mindset as she was, she wants them to feel a connection with her and know they are not alone.

Blackwell wanted to be fully transparent about her weight loss journey. She said she got her current physique by not "working out and eating healthy" but through a surgical procedure.

"If someone is struggling or in the same mindset I was, I want them to feel a connection with me and know that they're not alone. I don't ever want to be like, 'I got this body by working out and eating healthy.' No, I went and I got something done. I don't want to lie to people. I want to be honest and raw," Blackwell said.

The Love Is Blind contestant shared that she adjusted her diet and included more vegetables, fruits, and proteins. She added that she included walking into her fitness routine and called it the "main key" to shedding pounds.

Blackwell plans to elaborate further on the topic and discuss why she got the surgery on her YouTube channel and podcast, Rugged & Radiant Podcast. She is passionate about her mental and physical health and might talk about them on her platform.

"Taking care of yourself and feeling good about yourself—not only physically, but mentally as well—it's something I'm really passionate about. Mental health is definitely the base of everything. Therapy, I'm preaching it!" Blackwell added.

In an interview with Business Insider, published on July 20, 2024, Blackwell shared three tips for getting in shape: long walks outside, drinking more water, and increasing her protein intake.

Each day, she has been meeting her hydration goals by drinking water from three Stanley cups. After discussing her primary form of exercise—walking outdoors—she revealed that her ex-fiancé from Love Is Blind, Jimmy Presnell, occasionally joins her for these walks. She added:

"We actually are neighbors. He's the building next to me. We were going on walks there for a minute. We keep in touch. I'll give him a pulse check."

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Blackwell and Presnell on season 6

In Love is Blind season 6, Blackwell and Presnell bonded in the pods over their love of travel. The relationship took a hit when Presnell revealed to Blackwell that he was intimate with one of the women he introduced her to.

While he assumed it was a one-time thing and took place years ago, it blindsided Blackwell and made her insecure. This eventually led to their break up.

Presnell was the one to break things between the couple. Chelsea expressed shock and disappointment in the reunion episode, saying she was "really, really blindsided" by the decision.

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Episodes 1-11 of Love is Blind season 7 are available for streaming on Netflix.