'I dropped 5 dress sizes on weight loss jabs but there was one big problem'

Irish Daily Mirror

08-05-2025

A young mother has candidly shared her weight loss journey, which took a scary turn when she was surviving on a mere 900 calories per day.
Miranda Edmonds found herself in a bleak situation. The 30 year old, who struggled with low self-esteem, began to hide behind oversized clothing and avoid social events.
However, it wasn't until her health started to decline that she realised the severity of her situation. "I was pre-diabetic, constantly exhausted, and inflamed. My doctor warned me I was on the path to fatty liver disease," Miranda said.
"As a mum, that was terrifying. I knew I had to change - for me, and for my family."
At 15st (95kg), Miranda started exploring GLP-1 medications, a new type of injectable drug that suppresses appetite and helps regulate blood sugar levels. After trying everything else, she decided to give them a shot, reports the Mirror US. Miranda with her husband (Image: Miranda Edmonds/Cover Images)
"I was nervous," she admitted. "It was expensive, and I wasn't sure it would work. But I was desperate. I'd tried everything - counting calories, gym memberships, restrictive diets-and nothing lasted."
At first, it seemed like a miracle. Her meal portions were small, the weight was dropping off, and she felt content.
But soon, she started experiencing some unforeseen symptoms.
"I started feeling weak and irritable," Miranda said. "I was nauseous, drained, and in bed by 7pm every night. My hair began thinning. I knew something wasn't right."
The real shocker for Miranda came when she recorded a "What I Eat in a Day" video for TikTok and realised her daily calorie intake was alarmingly low. "I was eating about 900 calories a day-less than my toddlers," she revealed.
Despite feeling full, she recognised that her body was in starvation mode, especially as an active mum who's always on the go. Mum Miranda with her husband and two children (Image: Miranda Edmonds/Cover Images)
Determined to shed light on the risks of undereating while using GLP-1s, Miranda started to share her experience transparently. "I talk about everything now-the progress, the setbacks, the hard days, because I know someone out there needs to hear it."
To recover, she began incorporating structured meals and snacks rich in protein into her diet.
Protein became the cornerstone of her nutritional plan. "Protein is my foundation," she said.
She relies on protein shakes, beef sticks, and bars to sustain her energy levels, even when she doesn't feel hungry, setting reminders to eat out of necessity rather than obsession.
Though she's made strides in her health journey, Miranda has stopped obsessing over calories, which had taken a toll on her mental well-being. "Counting calories wrecked my mental health," she admits, recalling the stress of not knowing the macros of a meal or the yo-yo effect of her weight.
Now, seven months in, Miranda boasts a 46lb (20.8kg) weight loss, going from 15st down to 11st 7lb (74kg), and transitioning from a US size 18 to a size 8. However, her transformation extends beyond physical appearance.
"Mentally, I'm the healthiest I've ever been," she shares with pride. Her newfound love for working out, building muscle, and embracing her body marks a significant milestone in her life. Mirands says this is the healthiest she has ever felt (Image: Miranda Edmonds/Cover Images)
She's come to cherish the stretch marks and loose skin, seeing them not as flaws but as emblems of her resilience. "This body grew two children," she says with pride.
"It's strong. It's powerful. And now, it's finally nourished."
Miranda's open journey has garnered her an online community filled with individuals on similar quests. However, she hasn't always encountered positivity.
"Some say using a GLP-1 is cheating, that I didn't earn it," she says. "But there's nothing easy about this. The medication is just one tool - it's not a magic wand. I still had to do the work."
At the heart of her dedication are her partner Caleb and her two young lads, seven and five years old. She's set her eyes on a target weight, but above all, she yearns for liberty: to eat without remorse, to adventure with her kids free from the anxiety of fitting into seats or loathing photographs.
Her ultimate desire is to live uninhibited by the shadow of her weight.
And Miranda has words of encouragement for her past self, the version of her who wept in fitting rooms and faced shopping with dread: "It wasn't your fault. You weren't lazy or weak. You just needed help. And there's no shame in that."