I used Wegovy and Mounjaro. One of them saved my life

Yahoo

21-05-2025

I've always been overweight, even as a child. Growing up in the 90s and early 2000s, I was surrounded by images of ultra-thin pop stars in low-rise jeans and crop tops. I remember being told, "That kind of outfit isn't for you". At 12, I was dressed more like a 40-year-old librarian than a teenager, thanks to my well-meaning dad shopping in Laura Ashley.
The messaging was always the same: being thin meant being desirable, successful, lovable. And because I wasn't, I felt I didn't deserve those things. At sleepovers, friends would swap style magazines, and I'd sit quietly, knowing nothing in them applied to me. I was the 'funny' friend who made people laugh – because that's what you do when you feel invisible.
My body image and confidence were already low before I hit my twenties. Then I developed a rare autoimmune condition that attacked my body every time I ovulated. I'd end up in hospital, unable to move from the pain.
Eventually, I had a hysterectomy in 2017. But during the surgery, my bowel was perforated, leading to what's called a rectovaginal fistula – an abnormal passage, or opening between the rectum and vagina. I ended up with an ileostomy bag for over a year.
I started binge eating for emotional comfort – ordering huge amounts of food, eating in secret, hiding the evidence… I had completely lost myself.
It was isolating, distressing and humiliating. I felt unlovable.
I'm an actor but I reached a point in my work where I just didn't want to be seen on camera. It was like, can you really call yourself a performer if you're hiding from every opportunity? But I just felt so fat and disgusting, I thought, nobody's going to hire me anyway. I was only being considered for roles where the character had to be overweight. You couldn't just be a person in a larger body living their life.
By 2023, I was approaching 16 stone. At 5ft 6in, that gave me a BMI of 36, putting me in the clinically obese range and close to morbid obesity. I was exhausted, both mentally and physically. I remember one evening I couldn't physically pull myself up off the bed without getting into a particular position, and I just thought, 'what are you doing Jade?'
I knew I needed help. I needed support. My GP, who has supported me through everything, agreed that I was a good candidate for weight-loss medication, and I started on Wegovy late in 2023, paying around £150 per month – I was told it wasn't available on the NHS at that time, so I went via Boots.
The first week felt manageable. But by week two, I was vomiting yellow bile and had severe, uncontrollable diarrhoea. I lost two stone in three months, but I was scared to leave the house. I had multiple accidents in public, including in the back of cabs, and constantly feared losing control. It felt like Russian roulette every day — am I going to fart or am I going to s*** myself? That was my genuine fear leaving the house.
It felt like Russian roulette every day — am I going to fart or am I going to s*** myself? That was my genuine fear leaving the house.
Hosting events, performing, or even commuting became stressful and unpredictable. I couldn't trust my body.
I took a break after three months, hoping to feel normal again. But almost immediately, the withdrawal was horrendous. Soon, the food obsession returned. I was back to bingeing in secret, hiding what I was eating, and obsessing over the next meal. It felt like all the progress I'd made had vanished overnight.
In December 2024, I switched to Mounjaro. The experience was completely different. Mounjaro still suppressed my appetite, but without the chaos. I felt calm. There was no nausea, no diarrhoea, and no fear of accidents. The 'food noise' disappeared – the constant mental chatter about what I'd eat next, whether I should binge, or how to make up for it.
I started saying things like, 'You don't need to eat that, Jade,' and listening to myself. I could eat a few squares of chocolate and feel done. I could order pizza and freeze the rest instead of inhaling the whole thing in one go. It felt like the first time I had real control without punishing myself. Mounjaro has saved my life — not just physically, but the trajectory my life was headed down because my food addiction was completely out of control.
Mounjaro has saved my life — not just physically, but the trajectory my life was headed down because my food addiction was completely out of control.
Over six months, I lost more than four stone – going from nearly 16 stone to 11st 7lb. My BMI dropped from 36.2 to 26.2. I still aim to lose another stone or two, but the transformation isn't just physical. For the first time in years, I saw someone in the mirror who didn't make me flinch.
I did have side effects with Mounjaro, but they were manageable. A bit of nausea here and there, some constipation – I took sugar-free mints and mild laxatives when needed.
Financially, it wasn't cheap. I paid just over £1,000 across six months, but it was worth every penny for me. I wasn't just paying to lose weight. What it gave me wasn't just a smaller body; it was a chance to feel human again. I was investing in my quality of life, in my ability to function, perform, and show up for myself.
What it gave me wasn't just a smaller body; it was a chance to feel human again.
I started going to SoulCycle – an indoor cycling studio – regularly in early 2024. The classes are dark, with no mirrors and no one watching – just you and the bike. Even when I was still heavier, I kept going. I was often the biggest in the room, but was moving, sweating, and showing up for myself. Now I go three or four times a week. For the first time, exercise isn't punishment. It's a release. It's joy.
There's peace now. I still want to lose about two more stone to reach a healthy BMI, but I'm not rushing. I'm acting again. I'm dating. I'm visible. I'm taking up space without shame. The compliments are nice, but what's better is that I trust myself again. I'm not afraid of myself anymore, and that's the biggest change of all.
Read more about weight:
8 ways you can manage your child's weight as obesity rates soar in the UK (Yahoo Life, 5-min read)
Weight loss jabs sent through the post 'could help 15 million people and boost economic growth' (The Independent, 3-min read)
What to know about weight-loss jabs as leading brands tested in head-to-head trial (Yahoo Life, 7-min read)