I lost 6st on Mounjaro - this is what I've done to keep the weight off
Ellen Ogley, a 42 year old mother of three, tipped the scales at 16st 12lbs, wearing size 18 clothing at her heaviest point.
After losing three stone on what she described as an "unsustainable diet" and achieving a "quick fix" tummy tuck, Ellen was still not satisfied with her appearance.
Read more: Entire cabin crew suspended
It was the discovery of Mounjaro that truly made a difference, quelling her incessant craving for snacks and addressing her "food noise".
The Yorkshire-based nursery manager has since regulated her weight to an impressive 10st to 10st 3lbs, slipping into a size six attire, a change she has sustained for over half a year.
What's been crucial for her progress? She swapped frequent takeaways and heavy-drinking weekends for home-made 'fakeaways' and consistent weight training - a swap that has left her feeling "amazing".
Hailing from Ilkley, Ellen stated: "I wanted to make sure I wasn't reliant on Mounjaro."
Using the medication as a temporary aid, she reflected: "I used this as a tool."
Her commitment went beyond just dietary changes, as she emphasized: "I've done so much work on damage limitation."
With her transformation, Ellen aims to inspire others with the assurance that keeping the weight off is achievable, declaring: "I want to give others hope they can keep it off.
"I feel incredible," she enthused about her current state of well-being.
Ellen confesses that she resorted to "comfort eating" during a troubling time marked by illness, which escalated until she received a dual diagnosis of cervical and ovarian cancer.
In retrospect, she laid bare her unhealthy coping mechanisms: "I had blow outs and would have takeaways and binge drinking - it was a coping mechanism."
Admitting to her prior excessive indulgences, she shared: "I'd have two to three takeaways a week. My drinking was excessive."
She recalled the times when she and her husband would go through "My husband and I would have three bottles of wine between us - it helped numb everything."
Ellen underwent a necessary hysterectomy and was warned about elevated risks associated with her BMI, which peaked at 36.5. She made a promise to herself: "I said to myself 'if I come out the other side I will try and take control of my health'."
Post-recovery in September 2023, Ellen decided to lose weight but craved a "quick fix". In her own words: "I was looking for an easy way out."
She even consulted a surgeon hoping a cosmetic procedure would deliver fast results: "I went to see a surgeon for a tummy tuck."
Yet to qualify for both a tummy tuck and liposuction, she had a goal to shed three stone: "But I needed to lose three stone in order to have a tummy tuck and liposuction to get skinny."
Ellen embarked on intermittent fasting and stringent dieting, slimming down to 13st 10lbs, although she admits: "I was doing it in not a very healthy way."
The weight loss path wasn't without its challenges, as Ellen conceded: "I was almost starving myself."
Furthermore, she realized that such measures were far from a viable long-term plan: "It was not sustainable."
By February 2024, she completed a £10k tummy tuck, content with the outcomes but still desiring further weight decrease: "I only lost 4lbs more after the tummy tuck."
Her disappointment soon led to a preoccupation with her appearance: "I was devastated."
She struggled with her self-perception, particularly regarding her arms: "I became obsessed with my body - pulling at it."
Eventually, Ellen turned to weight loss medication, starting Mounjaro in May 2024 and combining it with cardiovascular training: "I thought it was going to be another diet trend but the food noises got switched off."
She noticed significant changes in her eating habits: "Before I would raid the cupboard when my husband took his daughter to gymnastics."
Inspiringly, once on the medication, she experienced a remarkable shift: "As soon as I went on I realised 'I've not touched the snack cupboard'."
This marked the beginning of improved lifestyle decisions: "I started making better lifestyle choices."
Ellen was on the jab for just 22 weeks, easing herself off gradually, but found herself fixated on getting as "skinny as possible".
She revealed: "I lost my focus."
She also shared her ordeal with online abuse: "I got trolled - they called me Skeletor, I was being told I looked like a 60-year-old."
It wasn't until her husband, Phil Ogley, 53, a surveyor, commented that she looked unwell that Ellen realised she needed to change, leading her to embrace weight training.
Now feeling "healthy and strong", Ellen has sustained her weight loss without relying on micro-dosing Mounjaro.
She expressed her successful strategy: "I've been learning how to fuel my body."
She's developed useful tricks: "I have hacks in place - if I'm craving sweets I have Greek yoghurt, berries and granola."
Ellen still indulges in the occasional takeaway, but practices portion control.
They've swapped out regular takeaways for homemade versions: "We make chicken kebabs as fakeaways instead of ordering them as takeaways."
The results astound her: "I have abs at 42 - it blows my mind."
Previously, her diet lacked structure with no breakfast, a jacket potato, cheese and beans for lunch, and a dinner of pasta bake followed by apple pie and custard. Snacking included a packet of biscuits and cookies.
Her current diet is more balanced: she starts her day with Greek yoghurt, berries, granola or overnight oats; lunch is a chicken salad; and dinner alternates between chicken with sweet potato fries and tortilla wrap pizzas.
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