A woman who was once forking out £250 a month on takeaways has unveiled her remarkable 7st weight loss transformation, having ditched her pricey habit in favour of "skinny jabs". Natalie Strange found herself feeling "disgusted" with how she looked. The 36 year old had tried various diets, such as Weight Watchers, Slimming World, and a calorie deficit diet, but nothing seemed to work.
Her battle to escape the clutches of her costly "takeaway addiction" left her stuck in a vicious cycle without an end in sight. However, everything changed following a doctor's appointment where she learned she was pre-diabetic and suffering from "dangerous" high blood pressure levels.
Concerned about her health, Natalie turned to Mounjaro and chose to invest her takeaway budget into the injections, which come with a price tag of £200 per month. Mounjaro, known scientifically as Tirzepatide and recognised by the NHS, is designed to treat diabetes and can aid in weight reduction by increasing feelings of fullness and reducing hunger, reports the Manchester Evening News.
In less than twelve months, she has astonishingly dropped seven stone and has even managed to boost her savings - now she encourages others to 'just do it'.
"I didn't even really enjoy eating takeaways," admitted the stay-at-home mum. It just left me feeling guilty and bloated. [Cutting this addiction] has essentially funded my medication.
"I had been trying my whole adult life to lose weight. I'd avoid travelling with my husband because I felt like an embarrassment. It made me miserable, anxious and depressed. People used to tell me I looked unhealthy, or severely bloated. It really got me down and I was desperate to find a way out of this never-ending cycle. When doctors told me how poor my physical health was, though, that was the moment I knew something had to change."
Previously, her diet included pastries or a full English breakfast, and for lunch, she'd indulge in a large Big Mac meal complete with a milkshake and apple pie. Come dinner time, it would usually be takeaways like kebabs or Chinese meals. Natalie, burdened by exhaustion, lacked the energy to fit any form of exercise into her routine, resulting in her peak weight of 19st.
However, the tides turned in March 2024 when she began using Mounjaro and saw immediate outcomes.
She shared: "In the first week, I lost 10lbs and then in less than a month, I went down by two-stone. I never felt full before and was constantly craving junk food; but not anymore. Now I feel like a new person. I take pride in my appearance and better care of my hair, skin and nails. I'm struggling to find my new style though, as I'm unsure what to wear now since none of my clothes fit me."
Her transformation is remarkable: Natalie has slimmed down from a UK dress size 22 to 10.
Incorporating regular yoga, strength training, and running into her lifestyle, she's made new acquaintances and experienced a significant boost in confidence. She's currently on a 5mg maintenance dose of Mounjaro and intends to stop the injections entirely within the year.
Despite suffering from side effects such as nausea, stomach cramps, and headaches, she doesn't look back at her decision with any regret. She further advised: "My only advice is to do it. It's changed my life – and only for the better – you won't regret it. I think there is a general thinking that using medication for weight loss is cheating. I feel like it's just levelling the playing field. My desperate need to overindulge was a health problem, not a willpower issue. The skinny jabs have just made me normal."
DIET BREAKDOWN:
Before:
Breakfast: Pastries and other baked goods, three bowls of cereal or a full English
Lunch: Big Mac, large fries, milkshake, cheeseburger and apple pie
Dinner: Chinese or kebab takeaway
Snack: Chocolate or sweets
After:
Breakfast: Protein shake or berries with Greek yogurt
Lunch: Jacket potato with baked beans or protein bagel with ham and cream cheese
Dinner: Chicken and vegetables or high protein low-calorie ready meal
Snack: Fruit, but usually nothing
