From Obese to Healthy: My Experience With Mounjaro

My Experience with Weight Loss Drugs

When we moved back to the UK earlier this summer, I didn’t expect one of the big changes to be this: starting on a weight loss drug.

After our Caribbean sailing trip, I was at the heaviest I’ve ever been. I’d tried to shift the weight myself between summer 2024 and summer 2025 — exercise, home cooking, doing the “right” things — but it wouldn’t budge. I could feel something was out of balance. My back hurt. My asthma was worse. And while I didn’t feel obese, the numbers told a different story: BMI just over 30. Technically obese.

That’s when I started researching.

The Start

It’s a strange feeling, voluntarily injecting yourself with something. Honestly, it felt wrong. I’d read the side effects, weighed the risks of being overweight against the risks of the drug, and even then, I wasn’t sure. Social pressure didn’t help. There’s this idea that it’s the “easy way out.”

But the truth? I didn’t care. What mattered to me was health. I wanted to give my body a chance for a longer, healthier life. Looks weren’t the priority.

The book Magic Pill by Johann Hari helped me a lot during that stage. It gave context, perspective, and reassurance that I wasn’t alone in wrestling with these questions.

I set a target: 75kg. That meant losing about 15kg — enough to bring me back into a healthy BMI range.

The First Steps

The process was straightforward but not free. Because of my BMI and health issues, I was eligible to buy the treatment legally in the UK, but not on the NHS. I paid around £100–200 for the first pen, had a consultation with a doctor, and went for it.

I watched the video. Re-watched it. Then jabbed myself.

It felt wrong at first. But it worked.

Within days, I noticed I was full after a single sandwich. No need for seconds or thirds. That’s how these drugs work — they help with portion control, so you naturally run a calorie deficit.

But it isn’t magic. You could eat junk food all day and still lose weight. I wanted more than that. So I focused on making the food I did eat fresh, balanced, and healthy. My hope was not just to lose weight, but to reset my habits enough to eventually stop the drug and maintain the change.

The Journey

The dose increases gradually: 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10.

For me, the effects started at the lowest dose, but wore off after a few days. By 10, the side effects were harder. After each injection, I felt nauseous for a day or two — like seasickness. Eating was difficult. I had no appetite, but I forced myself to eat enough to function.

I was lucky though. For the most part, the side effects were manageable — some light-headedness, and the occasional crash if I exercised too long without food. Nothing more serious.

Over four months, the weight came off. Slowly, steadily. 15kg gone. I’m now 1kg above my target. Officially no longer obese, now into the healthy weight range. None of my clothes fit. Shopping will be required.

But here’s the most important part: the health benefits. The back pain that used to nag me daily has gone. And my asthma — which meant using an inhaler twice a day — has disappeared. I haven’t needed the inhaler for months. That feels like a bigger win than the number on the scale.

The drug did its job.

What I Learned

One of the most surprising parts was around snacking. I’ve never been a daytime snacker, but evenings — especially in front of the TV — I’d crave chocolate, biscuits, cake. I always thought it was emotional. Comfort eating. Filling a gap.

But when the cravings disappeared on the drug, I didn’t feel empty. There was no hole left behind. My body just wasn’t asking for it anymore. That was a revelation.

It makes me hopeful that, now I know this, I can resist those urges more strongly going forward.

The Next Step

I’ve decided this is enough. It’s time to start coming off. There aren’t many reports yet of people who’ve managed to stop and maintain the weight loss, but I’m going to try.

I don’t feel ashamed anymore. These drugs carry stigma, but they shouldn’t. If they help people live healthier lives, that’s a good thing.

For me, they’ve been a tool — not the whole solution. They gave me a push, and now it’s up to me to keep going.

My experience was a good one. Not easy. But worthwhile. And I’ll keep sharing openly, in case it helps someone else weigh up their own choices.