Having grown up in the public eye, I’ve probably developed a thicker skin than most. A little over a year ago, however, I was photographed at the beach - already an annually scarring ordeal - and some less than flattering bikini photos started appearing online.

I felt pretty terrible about myself, and promptly embarked on a diet rampage. I juiced, I did Atkins, I ate only vegetables, I hired a personal trainer and took up Bikram yoga; even tried laser liposuction. None of it worked.

Then, in January of last year, I made a discovery that changed my life. I got myself tested for food allergies and spent the next ten months re-adjusting my diet to cut out my (rather random-seeming) triggers - dairy, yeast, tuna, pecans and celery.

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Success: Upon seeing this photo of herself in 2013 (left), Sophie Simmons, 22, was determined to lose weight. After numerous fad diets, an allergy test triumphed and she lost ten pounds (right, now)

I didn’t lose an enormous amount of weight - dropping from 170lbs to 160lbs over a year - but my body shape changed drastically. My belly, love handles and butt diminished, my skin cleared up and my energy levels soared.

I was first introduced to this concept while on a health retreat at the Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona.

I was at the tail-end of my three month fad-dieting blitz and I was of the opinion - having been raised in Hollywood - that anyone could lose weight if they juiced for long enough.

Still, for whatever reason, that just wasn’t what my body wanted.

Before and after: Sophie, pictured in 2013 (left) and now (right), discovered she had minor to moderate allergies to a number of foods which was making it hard for her to lose weight

I was skeptical at first when the team at Canyon Ranch tested my blood and urine for allergies. I had never appeared to suffer any as a child; no puffy face from peanuts or angry reactions to strawberries.

I was of the opinion that anyone could lose weight if they juiced for long enough

I do, however, get eczema from time to time, and this was cause enough for the nutritionist to suggest I get tested.

Low and behold, that small red rash that I had always ignored turned out to be the result of a whole host of food allergies.

Allergens are rated on a scale from one to five, five being the most severe. At a five, you’ll see physical reactions such as hives, throat swelling and face numbness. At a ‘one’ or a ‘two’ you might see, to a varying degree, gas or excess body weight.

On this scale, I was rated a ‘one’ for celery, a ‘two’ for tuna and pecans, and a ‘three’ for yeast and dairy.

Transformation: After cutting out her allergens completely but never denying herself of other foods, Sophie noticed the shape of body change dramatically

Lifestyle shift: Sophie, pictured (left) in May 2011 and (right) in December 2014, was initially skeptical about getting tested for allergies but has since admitted it changed her life

I was advised to cut out all my allergens completely for a period of time - I went for ten months - to see how I how I did.

FOOD ALLERGIES: A NUMBERS GAME Food allergens are rated on a scale from one to five, five being the most severe At the lower end, reactions can trigger excess gas, irritability and weight gain At the higher end, symptoms include hives, throat swelling and numbness Combining different allergens on the scale can cause a more severe reaction than consuming them alone Cutting out all allergens for a period of time can result in weight loss and better health Simply experimenting by eliminating common allergens - including yeast and dairy - might enable you to avoid costly testing Advertisement

There is a science to allergens and a reason I hadn’t noticed them before. Because I only have allergies at levels ‘three’ and below, I don’t experience the physical symptoms typical of a more severe reaction. But I was gaining weight because of them.

And while consumed solo these effects are less, when I combine allergens I do react.

If I eat a ‘two’ and a ‘three’ together - tuna with cheese for example - I will break out in a rash or get tired and irritable. It’s a new numbers game I had to learn to play.

At first, I felt like I had nothing to eat. My world went from cuisine to plain chicken and veggies, excluding celery. I hadn’t realized how much of my diet contained dairy and yeast. It was staggering.

Still, I was on board and disciplined, and I learned as I went along. I was never once hungry, just eating different sorts of foods.

Stayed active: Sophie, pictured in 2013 (left) and now (right) never changed her exercise regime, which involves hiking and going the gym, but after she cut out her allergens, she started seeing real results

Within the first two months, I had lost around ten pounds. This may not have been ‘fat’ per se. Call it toxins, water weight or extra lovin’ - whatever it was, it left my body.

My goal changed. I no longer wanted to lose weight, I wanted to hone my natural figure

I didn’t lose any more weight but I kept the ten pounds off and what surprised me most what the changing shape of my figure.

My goal after that changed. I no longer wanted to lose weight, I wanted to hone my natural figure.

I’ve never been a gym freak, but I stay active, and the amount of exercise I was doing hadn’t changed - it was just having a different effect.

I hike with my dogs a few times a week for an hour and I hit the gym when I can to walk and jog on the treadmill or lift light weights.

But unlike before, I’m no longer feeding my body with foods that are toxic to it, so I’ve finally been seeing real results from my workouts.

Model: Sophie has launched two clothing lines - pictured, her New Year's Eve collection for Sophie Simmons x The Style Club - and makes it a policy never to have her photos Photoshopped

Family: Sophie (left) pictured with her mother, ex-Playboy Playmate Shannon Tweed (center left), her father, Kiss legend Gene Simmons (center right) and her brother Nick Simmons (right)

A year later, I’m slowing reintroducing some of my lower scale allergens, like celery, back into my diet. I don’t think I will ever fully embrace dairy or yeast again.

Far from being horrified by paparazzi photos of my derriere, these days I make it a policy to never have my images re-touched or Photoshopped

On every occasion I’ve slipped up on that - my belly has bloated. And there are so many other food options that keep my body happy.

If I’ve learned anything about my body over the last year, it’s that we all respond to food and exercise differently.

We can’t expect juicing and sweating it out at spin class to be a blanket fix-all.

If you don’t want to shell out for the allergy test, which I admit can be expensive, then try cutting out dairy and yeast - which are very common triggers - to start, and see how you feel. It’s all about giving your body the best tools to succeed.

I’ve launched two clothing lines in the last few months which I modeled myself, and far from being horrified by paparazzi photos of my derriere, these days I make it a policy to never have my images re-touched or Photoshopped.