Weight Loss success stories

COMIC Michael McIntyre has admitted turning to fat jabs after his doctor told him he was obese.

The 5ft 5ins star said wife Kitty ordered him to start after the medic ticked him off for being 100kg (15st 10lbs).

McIntyre, 49, said he first used Ozempic before switching to ­Mounjaro and the weight dropped off in only three weeks of injections.

The dad of two, who has long struggled with his weight, made the admission to an audience in London.

He joked: “Have you noticed how tiny I am? I have lost weight.

“Don’t applaud it because there is a little bit of cheating that has gone on.”

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McIntyre who once lost 7kg (14lbs) at a £2,000-a-week clinic, confessed that he did not want to use appetite suppressants but Kitty insisted.

He also blamed his problem on eating his kids’ leftovers.

On his trip to the GP, he told fans: “The ­doctor told me I weighed 100kg.

“He told me I was ‘obese’. How rude. He said, ‘It’s a medical term’.”

McIntyre, whose new series of The Wheel started last night on BBC One, also declared that his weight-loss success will “fall apart” if he ever eats something sweet again.

Other stars who have admitted taking fat jabs include Jeremy Clarkson, 65, James Corden, 47, and US model Chrissy Teigen, 39.

EASTENDERS star Natalie Cassidy claims she was “damaged” by doing her fitness DVD, which saw her pocket £100,000 for shedding four stone.

The actress – who quit playing soap favourite Sonia Fowler in April after 32 years – was offered a bumper pay cheque to release two weight loss DVDs in 2007.

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Speaking on Giovanna Fletcher on her Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast, Natalie, 40, opened up about the damaging effect the weight loss deal had on her. 

Host Giovanna said: “I know that in the years to come you do find yourself in a place where you are completely comfortable with your body.”

Natalie, who has been promoting her new book Happy Days, replied: “I am but I think it damaged me doing that.

“Well I still would look in the mirror and go ‘oh I could be this, could be that.’

“But I think that is just us today.

“I just think it’s what we’re seeing all the time as women and men, but as women, I think it’s a scary world when you think about what we look like all the time.”

The soap actress opened up about signing up to do the DVD at a vulnerable time – and said she regrets her decision.

She added: “I’d lost mum at 19 so all of that weight stuff was happening through all of that time.

“Silly decisions were being made, shouldn’t have done that, not the right guidance.

“It’s a silly thing to do but if someone says ‘here’s £100,000 you want to lose some weight?’ I was like ‘yeah, I’ll take that’.”

Natalie said losing weight for the DVD left her “worse off” with her body.

She explained: “It took a turn for the worse, I put loads of weight on very, very quickly afterwards, if not more.

“I think I just ate loads and then I started taking laxatives at some point.

“And you know I would never say I had an eating disorder, I’m very fortunate to say that, but you know I think if I had carried on with laxatives and this and that, who knows where I’d be.”

Natalie said that raising her daughters Eliza, 14, and Joanie, eight, helped her snap out the cycle. 

She said: “I think because you’re not the be all and end all. You have those kids and that’s it. You forget about yourself.

“All you worry about, all you focus on is if they’re well cared for, their dinner, what they’re eating, what they’re wearing, are they sleeping. that that was my focus and  the idea of worrying about what I look like kind of fell to the wayside.”

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DIET PILL RUMOURS

However, attention on her weight has not eased up over the years.

Just last year, Natalie, who has been with her BBC cameraman fiance Marc Humphrey since 2014, was forced to deny she used diet pills to lose weight.

Her fans were targeted by scams online and the actress took to her social media to clarify that she recently lost her weight by cutting out treats.

The actress previously told The Sun: “I cut out rubbish. I cut down on alcohol too, even though I love white wine.”

“Alcohol is full of hidden calories, which all add up when it comes to a person’s daily limit.”

WEIGHT LOSS JABS

On the podcast, she denied using weight loss jabs too.

Natalie explained: “I’ve never gone through any injectable route. 

“I’ve not done Botox before or lip filler. I just haven’t. So to inject something, I’m just scared of it.”

Giovanna, 40 – mum to Buzz, 11, Buddy, nine, and Max, six – gave her own views on weight loss jabs and admitted that they have come up on her radar. 

It’s a silly thing to do but if someone says ‘here’s £100,000 you want to lose some weight?’ I was like ‘yeah, I’ll take that’

Natalie Cassidy

The wife of McFly’s Tom Fletcher, explained: “Only because I’ve had people going and doing it in a way where it’s almost discussed in a way that they’re trying to encourage you to do it.

“I’m like, I don’t want to do that. No, I’m not interested.

“It feels so bizarre to go from ‘this is me’ to a ‘let’s change myself’, and for what? 

“I don’t think anyone would like me more if I’m skinny. 

“I don’t think anyone would love me more. I don’t think I’ll be happier. 

“I think it would do the opposite.”

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HER incredible figure has been the envy of women across the world for decades.

But now supermodel-turned-filmmaker Caprice Bourret has revealed she was so scared of being trolled after gaining 20lbs that she turned to weight loss drug Mounjaro.

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The 53-year-old – who was concerned about possible health issues – put on weight after easing up on her strict health regime and started indulging in sweet treats like cake and chocolate, as well her favourite tipple – red wine.

Her relaxed regime in Spring 2024 saw her jump from a size 8 to 12, bringing with it a string of worrying ailments including “heart palpitations”, difficulty walking upstairs, joint pain, severe inflammation and being unable to fit into her designer clothes.

As much as she tried, she just couldn’t shift the weight, which she blames on menopause and a refusal to go on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).

“My health was deteriorating and I was feeling really bad about myself,” Caprice, who is also an actress and filmmaker, explains while chatting to us in her gleaming white kitchen as she tucks into a pot of cottage cheese.

“Even small things like walking up the stairs left me huffing and puffing.

“I would get out of bed and my back and joints were inflamed and stiff because of the additional weight.

“I started to get sick more often, so I knew my immunity was being compromised.

“I tried to lose the weight, but I couldn’t because I wasn’t taking HRT and I’m going through the menopause.

“My normal weight is about 138lbs, but I shot up to 160. That was the same weight as when I was pregnant.

“Then I started having these weird heart palpitations. Who has that at 53? I was too young for what was going on.”

Having made her fortune through her good looks and appearing on more than 350 magazine covers, from Vogue to Playboy, Caprice was suddenly terrified of “being judged for not looking how I did in my twenties.”

She continues: “Maybe it was me being hard on myself. Maybe I thought everyone was going to judge me because I was judging myself.

“I guess people might have been more supportive and said ‘you look great’. But I manifested this craziness in my head.

“I used to put on clothes and everything looked amazing, but then nothing fit. Honestly, I thought I’d be judged.”

Dozens of celebrities have confessed to using the jabs including Oprah Winfrey, James Corden, Sharon Osbourne, and tennis player Serena Williams.

But it’s not just showbiz royalty who rely on the drugs to shed the pounds – 1.5million Brits are also hooked.

Most people will find it hard to be sympathetic to super slim Caprice – but she explains that even her doctor was worried and suggested she try the fat busting drug.

I used to put on clothes and everything looked amazing, but then nothing fit. Honestly, I thought I’d be ridiculed

Caprice

At first she was hesitant – always preferring to tackle health issues with natural methods.

But she admits that the reported health benefits of taking Mounjaro – which include reducing inflammation, improving liver health, protecting kidneys, and potentially enhancing cognitive and mental well-being – were attractive.

‘It was awful’

“My BMI was super high,” she says, “and the doctor said: ‘You need help here, you need to lose this weight. You’re borderline clinically obese.’

“But I wasn’t sure. Even when I had bronchitis I had a whole bag of vitamin C and zinc intravenously to get rid of it.

“I like to go down the natural way first but I obviously couldn’t do it this time. It was strange because you’d look at me, and even though I was a size 12 – which is totally normal – I was struggling.”

Regular check-ups ensued, with the doctor prescribing half of .25, “a microdose of a microdose.”

But after a few days Caprice was struck with severe nausea.

“It was awful,” she says, “I got sick to my stomach. I got dizzy and lightheaded but I kept persisting because I needed to lose the weight.

“I continued for two months, mainly because there was all this research about the benefits for cardiovascular health.”

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After two months she lost five pounds but the side effects continued. Battling nausea and not being able to properly enjoy food anymore, she decided to stop taking Mounjaro.

“I’d had enough,” she insists. “I couldn’t take it anymore. I also love craving food and that’s another thing with these drugs, you don’t get the cravings. I really missed that.”

Taking matters into her own hands, she decided to cut out carbs and processed sugar.

“The first month eliminating carbs and sugar was hell,” she explains, “an absolute horror. You are begging for that pasta but I stuck to it.

“Then I started exercising again. I know we go to the office and we get stuck behind the computer and think, tomorrow I’ll do it. But try to make it a part of your life.”

Now she still enjoys three meals a day but has made her portions smaller.

“Sometimes I’ll cheat,” she says, “and have some white rice or a baked potato but that’s okay.

“I only have dark chocolate and lots of honey. I also eat lots of fruit. I love pomegranate, it’s great for your gut health, as is watermelon which is super alkaline.

“At the end of the day we keep our body alkaline and we keep disease away.”

As we talk she pulls out dozens of supplements, swallowing them one by one. Then she shows me Shilajit – a black tar like paste formed from the decomposition of plant and animal matter over centuries in high-altitude regions like the Himalayas.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I also love craving food and that’s another thing with these drugs, you don’t get the cravings. I really missed that

Caprice

She puts some of the paste onto a knife and tells me to lick it off. Intrigued, I follow orders then quickly gag, as it is probably one of the most revolting things I’ve ever tasted.

But she beams. “Well done,” she says, “it’s vile. But it’s full of goodness.”

She also has filtered Kanyon water and she suggests I drink a glass of celery juice every morning if I want to get clear skin.

Talking about her weight loss, she continues: “Since losing the weight I’ve no ache in my joints. The energy levels I have are the same as when I was in my twenties.

“I sleep through the night. Everything has changed.”

Thankfully Mounjaro didn’t damage her sex life. Caprice has been married to businessman Ty Comfort since 2019. They have 12-year-old sons Jett and Jax together.

“That’s been pretty healthy,” she says, smiling, “I have to be honest. My husband is so amazing. Even when I was 20 pounds over, he was like ‘you look great Cap’.

‘Change your lifestyle’

“I actually didn’t tell him I was going on the jabs. But I told him when I finally stopped because I couldn’t stand the sickness.

“When I started to lose weight quite fast by cutting out the carbs and exercising, I’d been away for two weeks shooting a movie.

“I came back and he said: ‘What happened to my wife?’ That’s when I told him. He said: ‘No, Cap, I didn’t mind the curves, I liked the curves.’”

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She won’t be telling her kids about Mounjaro or weight loss because “they already have so much pressure from social media. I don’t want to get it in their heads at all.”

She says everyone in showbusiness is on a weight loss drug. And she recently reached out to one celebrity pal who’d lost too much weight.

She explains: “When you take Mounjaro for a long time your skin changes and loosens. I’ve seen it with my friends. You think you are going to avoid it but you don’t.

“I called up some of my friends, worried, but they are so happy to be that skinny that they don’t see it.

“I think ‘wow, look what it’s done to you.’ It’s complete body dysmorphia.”

She says many of her friends go on the jabs but when they come off they put the weight back on.

“Ultimately, is that going to be healthy?” she wonders. “People are on Ozempic because it’s easy and they are getting a result – but is it at a cost?

“You are losing weight because you are starving your body. Let’s be clear on this. Also a lot of people have been losing their hair. I’ve heard of some women having to wear wigs because of Ozempic.”

At that point she makes me touch her hair, which is extremely thick and silky.

“This is what you get from doing it naturally,” she says. “Yes, it’s more difficult and then you change your lifestyle. I want people to be educated on healthy options and think twice about doing this jab. Ultimately the healthy route is longevity.”

Caprice admits her whole life has centred on her image – and she is not ashamed of being vain.

“I am vain but I don’t care,” she says. “I come from a world of vanity, it’s instilled in me, and it makes me feel good when I look good but it makes me feel good when I feel good more than anything. Health is my number one priority.

“That I swear to you is coming from my heart.”

SCARLETT Moffatt has wowed fans after showing off her incredible weight loss – revealing she’s ditched her size 18 clothes for good.

The former Gogglebox star, 31, left viewers stunned as she unveiled her slimmer figure on Big Brother Late and Live on Sunday.

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Scarlett looked happier than ever as she wowed viewers in a dark green co-ord top and mini skirt with feather deatiling at the trims.

She oozed confidence wearing a pair of leopard print block high heels and styled her dark hair in classy loose curls.

The reality star posted her look on Instagram, with the caption: “Always been a huge fan of big brother, in fact my guilty pleasure will forever be a chicken kebab and watching reality tv!

“So glad I got to do a major tick off my bucket list and be at a launch night at @bbuk“.

Fans flooded the comments gushing over her transformation, with one saying: “You look amazing.”

Another added: “Stunning!!🔥 😍😍 need outfit drop pls!”

A third penned: “Looking beautiful gal.”

This comes after Scarlett revealed she finally feels “happier” than ever after years of yo-yo dieting, brutal bootcamps and body battles.

She admitted she once dropped to a size 8 after punishing herself with 700-calorie days and a gruelling Swiss bootcamp involving six hours of exercise – all in a bid to stay slim after releasing her controversial fitness DVD in 2016.

But despite shedding three stone, Scarlett confessed she was still miserable and wracked with body image issues.

Now, she says she’s proud to embrace her curves – and is finally comfortable in her own skin.

“The thing with being body positive and having body confidence is just celebrating everybody’s body,” Scarlett previously told The Sun.

“As long as you are healthy, being yourself and you’re being nice to people, you do you.”

The I’m A Celeb star said she regrets the years she “missed out” on life because of low self-esteem, but now urges fans to stop being so hard on themselves.

Scarlett even revealed her own trick – imagining she’s speaking to her younger self whenever negative thoughts creep in.

“Would you ever say horrible things to a six-year-old?” she said. “Of course not. So don’t say it to yourself either.”

Now proudly flying the flag as a plus-size TV presenter, Scarlett says she’s thrilled kids today get to see more diverse faces and body types on screen.

Since bursting onto Gogglebox in 2014 aged just 23, Scarlett has carved out a successful career in telly.

And now she’s moving into hard-hitting documentaries, with her latest, Britain’s Tourette’s Mystery: Scarlett Moffatt Investigates, airing soon on Channel 4.

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KATIE Price has rushed to the doctors saying she ‘doesn’t know’ why she’s ‘losing so much weight.’ 

The 47-year-old’s very slimmed-down figure in recent months left some fans more worried than ever as they reached out to express their worry for the mum-of-five.

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Katie has drastically lost weight over the past 12 months amid ongoing fears for her frail frame.

And now the former glamour model revealed that she’s been in hospital due to the worrying weight loss. 

Katie opened up to fans on Snapchat this weekend, saying: “I’ve been up early at the doctors so she could do some bloods and because my veins are so s*** they had three attempts. 

“They could only fill two tubes up, so I’ve got to go back in two weeks. 

“And I’ve got to have my stitches out then because they looked at my little stab wound that I did.

“The reason I’m going to the doctors is because I keep losing weight and I don’t know why. So that’s that.” 

As well as the weight loss, Katie attended A&E recently for another health problem as she accidentally stabbed herself in the hand. 

The former Mucky Mansion star attempted to make curry before she ended up in A&E.

The former Eurovision Song Contest hopeful needed stitches and said the deep cut had left half of her left hand numb.

She revealed the injury ripped through her ligaments and nerves, causing potential damage.

She revealed: “Last night I accidentally stabbed myself with a knife, you can see on the injury how deep it was, and I had to have stitches”.

This comes after the former I’m a Celebrity campmate sparked concern when she told her followers that she spent a night in A&E. 

She took to Snapchat to share with her fans that she’d been to hospital, but Katie didn’t reveal why.

The former glamour model posted a photo of the A&E sign at night and wrote: “Not what I had on my Bingo card for Friday night.”

Then in a second snap, the media personality was seen getting her eyebrows laminated, as she shared an additional update. 

Katie revealed: “What a day, I didn’t plan on ending up in A&E on a Friday night.”

Katie also recently revealed she is undergoing medical tests after recurring pain in the same finger where she previously had cancer.

The star said her recent symptoms have raised fears the disease could return.

Katie has also been having blood work done and discovered she has a low blood platelet count that could have the ability to cause her weight to drop.

The mum-of-five said: “I’ve had my bloods done, and I’ve got really really low platelets and I thought that was (low) iron, and it’s not.

“And that could be a reason why maybe I’ve got thinner.

“I’m tired, no energy. They [the doctors] said it can affect that and I think you might have to have a blood transfusion to get them [the platelets] back up again.

“So I’ve got to go back and have my bloods done again.”

Katie went on to speak about her previous battle with a very rare form of cancer.

Back in 2002 while she was pregnant with son Harvey, 23, she developed a rare form of soft tissue cancer on her finger, specifically a leiomyosarcoma.

Speaking to her sister Sophie on the latest episode of their podcast, Katie said: “Another thing that’s really weird, you know when I had cancer years ago.

“For some who didn’t know, when I was pregnant with Harvey I got cancer, called leiomyosarcoma.

“If you look at my finger, there is like a hole there and a scar there, I had it cut out twice. Can you see that dent? It never hurt.

“But a lump started coming up and I thought I had been riding and done something to my finger.

“But anyway cut the long story short it was leiomyosarcoma so I had to have MRI scans and all of that for six years until I was clear.”

Katie said over the past few weeks the same finger has been hurting again.

KATIE’S CANCER BATTLE

Kate had a rare soft-tissue cancer when she was 24 years old.

The former glamour model previously revealed the ordeal came came just 11 weeks after she had been told that Harvey was blind and had Prader-Willi Syndrome.

Speaking to Katherine Ryan on her What’s My Name Again? podcast, Katie said: “While I was pregnant with Harvey I got cancer. I didn’t know that until, because they couldn’t do all the scans, after.”

A manicurist initially spotted the lump on Katie’s hand.

Two doctors dismissed it as harmless, but after a biopsy was carried out, Katie was told that the lump was leiomyosarcoma.

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GEMMA Collins flaunted her three stone weight loss in stunning snaps from her holiday.

The glam reality TV star looked slimmer than ever after embarking on a health kick earlier this year.

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She jetted abroad with her fiance Rami and shared sun soaked snaps of their getaway, one showing her topping up her tan on the beach.

The Towie legend looked incredible modelling a white swimsuit as she stood with one hand resting on her hip.

Gemma, 44, later stood for a romantic snap with Rami, and wore a long pleated pink dress.

She teamed the look with a bouncy blow dry and large shades.

Earlier this year, Gemma revealed she had gone from a size 26 to a size 20 in just three months since starting weight-loss injections, describing them as “life-changing”.

GLP-1 injections such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, have had a surge in popularity in the past 12 months.

Having been used primarily as diabetes drugs, they are now prescribed to boost weight loss by suppressing your appetite.

In January, Gemma teamed up with weight loss injection company Yazen in a paid partnership to try the jabs.

Elsewhere, The Sun recently revealed Gemma will be fronting a new reality show following her IVF journey.

Titled Four Weddings And A Baby, it sees the reality star team up with Sky.

The eight-part series will depict her daily life, from domestic moments, planning her dream wedding to striving for a baby through IVF.

Gemma is engaged to her long-term fiance Rami Hawash, 50, whom she first met in 2011.

Discussing the new series, she said: “This really is the most important year of my life, and for the first time people will get to see the Gemma behind the GC.

“Over the next year I will be planning my wedding and beginning the steps into starting a family.

“I’ve always felt natural in front of the cameras, but now I want to let the world see the real raw me sharing the most intimate and personal times in my life.

“I feel ready to truly open up, not just about the present, but about my past and everything I’ve been through to become the woman I am today.

“I feel truly blessed and excited for everyone to come with me on this new chapter of my life.”

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OPENING up her bank account, Grace Parkin can hardly believe how healthy her balance is – and it’s all thanks to Mounjaro.

The mum-of-one says the weight-loss jab has not only helped her slim down to a size 12 from 26, dropping 9st – but it’s stopped her £1k-a-month “boredom spending” sprees.

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The estate manager, from Sheffield, had been looking into weight loss surgery but decided to try Mounjaro in May 2024 as a less invasive way to shed the pounds.

Grace, 34, was 17st 9lbs before starting the weekly injections and has now lost 9st 4lbs, making her a slender 10st 7lbs and a size 12.

But she credits the drug, which she is still taking, with not only helping her control her diet but also her out-of-control spending habits.

Previously, the mum-of-one was blowing up to £1,000 a month on luxuries including clothes, eating out and alcohol.

She told The Sun: “I was an impulsive spender before.

“I was spending between £600 and £1,000 a month on recreational things. I’d just be buying shoes – trainers, Uggs, boots.

“Then it would be buying loads of jumpers and holiday clothes, even when I’d not booked a holiday.”

Grace said at her worst, she could spend up to £300 while sat on the sofa.

She explains: “I wasn’t getting into debt, but if I was bored in an evening – I’d buy from Boohoo, PrettyLittleThing, Shein – any brands that did plus-sized clothes.”

Meanwhile, Grace impulsively went on shopping trips several times a week purely for the thrill.

She said: “Two or three times a week, I’d be in my local shopping centre and would come out with bags of stuff. I’d go to Primark and pick up five or six tracksuits for my son.

“I was void-filling – looking for that adrenaline. If I could spend money and it could give that rush – I’d do it.”

Despite being in a well-paid job and always paying her bills, Grace said by the end of the month her wages would be gone.

But since being on Mounjaro, Grace had cut her spending down and now saves £600 each month.

She said: “Now if I need something, I buy it, but I no longer buy things due to boredom. I’m saving in excess of £600 a month.”

“”I am sure my Uber Eats driver probs think I’ve died.

“My Evri driver asked, ‘Is everything alright?'”

My spending diet plan – and how I stay on track

SAVVY saver Karen Powell keeps her spending on a strict diet plan to save her hundreds of pounds every year.

Karen, from Surrey Hills, has budgets for different outgoings and checks her bank statements each week to make sure she’s on track with her money.

The 63-year-old, who runs the time management and organisation skills company The Organising Lady, said: “It’s so important to slim down your spending for your mental health, relationships, and family.

“There’s nothing worse than worrying about money.

“Spending can be addictive if you’re not careful – it’s a dopamine hit going shopping.”

To keep her finances on track, Karen limits her spending.

“I try and stick to £100 a week on food.

“We’re careful with holidays, and will only have two ‘splurge meals’ out while we’re away.

“Me and my sister set a £20 limit on birthday and Christmas presents.

“And me and my husband don’t buy gifts for each other.”

She makes sure to never throw away any food by bulk cooking and freezing – which she reckons saves her £600 a year at least.

She also puts time in her diary each week to monitor her finances.

“Once a week, I’ll look at my bank account to make sure I haven’t splurged and so I can keep track of what I’ve spent.”

She also has “treat” days where she’ll buy affordable things for herself to avoid overspending on big shopping trips.

“I’m human and I love clothes – I just make sure I choose well now, and stick to the rule of one in, one out and sell my unwanted clothes on sites like Vinted.”

Some users of the weight-loss jab have reported a secondary side effect that has helped them to curb impulsive spending.

It’s thought the drug – and other GLP-1 medicines – can not only help to intercept brain signals associated with food cravings but for shopping splurges as well.

We previously revealed how the drug helped another user who was struggling with a cocaine and gambling addiction.

Binge drink and gorge on takeaways

Grace has struggled with her weight for years.

She previously got a gastric balloon in 2009 – when she was just aged 18  – but she only lost three stone and found it didn’t help with her eating habits.

She was never a “big eater” but would find herself gorging during the weekend.

Grace would stick to a strict healthy diet during the week, but it would all go out the window at the weekend when she would binge drink and gorge on takeaways and bacon butties.

She said: “I’d think, ‘It’s the weekend – I can treat myself to a takeaway’.”

She would often go out drinking on a Friday or a Saturday and eat a pizza on her way home.

To mop up her hangover the next day, she would tuck into a bacon sandwich and a takeaway.

She says: “By Monday, I’d hate myself and be back on the diet.”

But when she realised her diet wasn’t working she started to look into surgery options, before trying Mounjaro as a last ditch attempt to shift the pounds.

Grace said: “It’s been incredible. It turns the food noise off.”

She added it has stopped her cravings to gorge on fast food and while she might still occasionally have a takeaway, she’ll opt for a smaller meal.

She explained: “It removes the guilt from food.”

The only bad side effects she has experienced are feeling cold and nauseous and stomach discomfort.

She said: “I had sulphur burps for one day, but I’d take that every day.”

Grace has also seen the mindset shift help with other aspects of her life – including her spending habits.

How you can slim down your spending

ANDREW Hagger, founder of MoneyComms, shares his top tips to slash your spend and avoid piling on the pounds.

Slim down your direct debits

Check your last few bank statements to see if there are any regular payments or subscriptions you can do without.

Cancel any non-essential direct debits to give your bank balance a breather.

Slash your lunchtime spend

Take a few minutes to make sandwiches for the next day to save a packet compared to shop bought lunches.

Dine out on switching bonuses

Switching your bank account could help you to bag a cash lump sum.

You could earn £100 or more by swapping banks, which can give your balance a big boost.

Shed costly credit card balances

You may be able to save hundreds of pounds by switching to a 0% credit card if your credit score is good.

You can transfer your balance to a 0% credit card for up to 34 months without needing to pay interest.

Drop your overdraft

You could save money by ditching your overdraft and paying with a credit card instead.

Doing so could slash your interest rate from 40% to 24.9%.

But if you pay off your card in full each month then it won’t cost you a penny.

Previously, she would splash out on clothes, holidays, eating out and alcohol without so much as a second thought.

But now she only buys what she needs – and credits the control the drug has given her.

“I didn’t try to curb my spending – it just naturally happened,” she said.

“I had money left after the first month on Mounjaro and thought I’d missed a bill.”

Grace doesn’t usually do a weekly food shop but estimates that if she did it would have been £160 before and now would be around £50.

“Before I’d go looking for tea and pick up 20 other things. Without realising I’d spend £50,” she said.

“Now I don’t go in and look at crisps and puddings.”

Grace says she has seen some harsh comments about those choosing to take the jabs.

But she said: “Why would you want to be miserable?

“When I say I have battled obesity and used medication people say ‘you’ve cheated’.

“I’ve tried it the hard way. This has been life-changing. It’s saved my life.”

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HAVING struggled to lose weight for years, it was a simple diet change that finally helped Emma Dennison to shed the pounds.

But with her huge weight loss came a big surprise – hiding under her loose skin.

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Emma had tried to lose weight for years without success.

And after a catastrophic knee injury left her unable to exercise, she decided it was time to give up.

The 42-year-old weighed more than 20 stone, and as her size grew, her self-esteem shrank.

“I wasn’t always big. I was a bit heavier in school, but I stayed active through university,” she said.

“Then in 2006, I completely blew out my knee. I was in a full cast for eight months. That’s when the weight started creeping on.

“It wasn’t that I was eating junk all day – I just ate too much. And food became my comfort when life felt overwhelming.

“I didn’t recognise myself in the mirror. I’d stopped shopping for clothes I liked. I always had to go to the ‘fat shop,’ and even then, I hated everything. I stopped being in photos. I’d take a thousand of my kids and husband, but I’d avoid the camera.”

Emma is a full-time sheep farmer and mum to Henry, now ten, and Thomas, 8.

Her life never slowed down and she struggled with emotional eating and portion control.

When Emma and her husband Mervyn, from Tipperary, Ireland, began trying for a third baby, she didn’t suspect her weight might be a factor.

She said: “All my hormone levels were fine, but we tried for two years and nothing happened. Eventually, I just said, ‘That’s it. We’ve got two beautiful boys. It’s not meant to be.’”

With the baby dream put to rest, Emma decided it was finally time to focus on her health and gave the 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan a go, a programme that mixes meal replacements and normal food with consultant support.

Starting the plan in September 2021, Emma steadily lost weight.

She said: “By May, I was down nearly six stone. Then the scales stopped moving. I was confused. Until that point, I had been consistently losing weight.”

THEN CAME A SURPRISE…

“One night, just for the craic, I took a pregnancy test. I was sure it would be negative… but it wasn’t,” she recalled.

“I was sitting on the toilet at half eleven at night, staring at it thinking, ‘Oh my God. I’m pregnant.’ I didn’t want to wake Mervyn so I lay awake half the night thinking about how I would tell him.”

When she saw the doctor the next day, the news got even more shocking.

“He said, ‘Emma, you’re not just pregnant – you’re already 15 weeks along.’ The weight loss had hidden my bump under loose skin”, she says. Her third pregnancy, Emma says, was worlds apart from her previous two.

“I had no Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction. I was active right up to the end. Two days before my C-section, I was shearing sheep. I honestly believe losing weight made the difference. I felt strong and capable for the first time in years.”

After giving birth to her miracle baby Alistair two years ago, Emma focused on expressing milk, a goal she hadn’t achieved with her older sons.

“I was constantly hungry while expressing. A lot of the weight went back on, but I didn’t panic. I knew I had a plan,” she said.

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She returned to the 1:1 Diet in May 2023, and by December had lost the additional weight, reaching a total loss of eight stone.

Emma now fluctuates comfortably between a size 12 and 14.

She said: “Size 10 doesn’t suit me. I’m curvy and that’s okay. I’m in my 40s now, not my 20s. I want to be healthy, strong, and confident.”

One of the biggest changes came when she began to love fashion again.

She said: “I remember walking into a shop and picking up a top, knowing it would fit. I sat in the car afterwards and cried. That was a freedom I hadn’t felt in years.”

Since then, Emma has become a 1:1 consultant herself, training up while on maternity leave so she can help others see a similar transformation.

And her proudest moment came when she completed Couch to 5k – something her 14-year-old self never imagined.

She said: “I was forced to run a 1,500m race in school. I came dead last – and I mean a long way last. People laughed. When I hit 5k, I thought, ‘Up yours’ to every single one of them.

“Losing weight gave me back my fertility, my health, my confidence and my identity. And I no longer hide from the camera.” 

A WOMAN in her 50s has been flooded with praise online after showing off her massive “glow up” – and people are calling it “legendary.”

The brunette beauty named Kristina told how she achieved her flawless skin and youthful appearance without surgery or any invasive procedures.

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So it’s little surprise people have been begging the brunette beauty to reveal her anti-ageing secrets.

Taking to TikTok (@kristina.maay), she penned: “When you’re a good-looking 50, but you were very ugly in your early 40s.”

In the clip, she shared a stunning video of herself revealing her flawless skin now – and there’s not a wrinkle in sight.

She then posted a series of photos from in her 40s to show just how much she believes she has changed.

In response to one person who commented that she must’ve had a change in money to achieve her new look, Kristina confirms: “No change in finances.

“I spent more before on my face tbh.”

Kristina also shared a second post shared to TikTok and went on to reveal some of the changes she made in just six years that she believes have helped to turn back the clock.

Firstly, she explains how she started using glycolic acid,
microcurrent, gua-sha and doing facial yoga.

Next, she made changes in her eating and started focusing on consuming a high protein diet.

Kristina also says she stopped eating gluten and started ditching alcohol and sugar.

As for exercise, she took up weight training and shed a whopping 5kgs.

“Weight loss is absolutely a massive glow up isn’t it?! Body composition changes are an even bigger glow up,” she wrote, in response to one social media user.

She notes that ditching the “ugly fake lashes” also helped to make a huge difference and says she also let her feather touch brows fade.

Along with having 2 pre-cancerous moles removes, Kristina also started her supplement regime.

It wasn’t long before the post went viral, racking up a whopping 408k views and several comments from very impressed social media users.

“Wow we who, what, where, when and HOW!!!” wrote one.

A second commented: “We are sat for lessons!”

A third wrote: “You are beautiful no matter what. Looking more sophisticated now and natural so well done.”

Meanwhile, a fourth added: “You were beautiful before, but the glow up is legendary!!!!”

Another praised: “You look so good now.”

A further noted: “You’re 50!?! You look amazing.”

And another pleaded: “So what’s the secret?”

IT was 1984 and newly qualified doctor Daniel Drucker was excited to dive into the world of ­scientific research.

Fresh out of the University of Toronto Medical School, the 28-year-old was working at a lab in Boston in the US when his supervisor asked him to carry out a routine experiment — which proved to be anything but.

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For it led to Dr Drucker’s discovery of a previously unknown hormone, sparking a new era in medicine.

What he modestly calls a “happy accident” then kick-started a series of ­discoveries that made today’s game-changing weight loss jabs a reality.

The hormone was called glucagon-like peptide 1 — or GLP-1, as the world now knows it.

And the drugs that have resulted from its discovery have produced amazing effects — with users losing up to a fifth of their body weight.

So far around 50,000 of us have been prescribed jabs on the NHS for weight loss, but it is ­estimated around 1.5million people here are buying them privately — a figure that is expected to rise sharply.

Dr Drucker, now 69, tells The Sun: “I never felt like I was on the brink of something huge.

“It was just a fantastic stroke of luck to be in the right place at the right time and to be part of an ­innovation that could improve the health of hundreds of millions of people all over the world.”

The drugs are now being hailed as a possible cure for a range of other conditions too, including dementia and migraine.

But Dr Drucker warns: “We need to be cautious, respect what we don’t know, and not rush into thinking these medicines are right for everyone.

‘Full of hope’

“There could be side-effects we haven’t seen yet, especially in groups we haven’t properly studied.”

Some studies have also raised concerns about gallbladder problems and in rare cases, even ­suicidal thoughts.

GLP-1 was found to play a key role in regulating the appetite and blood sugar levels, by slowing digestion and signalling a feeling of fullness to the brain.

Fat jabs such as Mounjaro and Wegovy contain synthetic versions of GLP-1, tirzepatide and semaglutide, which mimic the natural hormone with astonishing, fat-busting results.

Originally these drugs — known as GLP-1 agonists — were licensed to treat Type 2 diabetes, due to their ability to stimulate the body’s production of insulin, which cuts high blood glucose levels.

But over the past 15 years, after studies ­confirmed the potential to tackle obesity, pharmaceutical firms have reapplied to have the drugs approved as weight loss treatments.

And now evidence is emerging almost daily to suggest these drugs could help treat and even prevent other chronic and degenerative diseases.

Hundreds of scientific trials are under way, and Dr Drucker is “full of hope”, adding that he would consider taking the drugs himself, to ward off ­Alzheimer’s disease.

He says: “I think the next five years is going to be massive. These drugs won’t fix everything, but if they help even half the ­conditions we are testing them for, we could finally find ­treatments for conditions once thought untreatable.”

Decades after his discovery, Dr Drucker is now a professor of ­medicine at the University of Toronto, and a senior investigator at the affiliated Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, where GLP-1 research now fills his life.

He says: “Every morning I turn on my phone and check what’s happened overnight — what new ­discovery has been made, what could this hormone cure or treat.”

Even so, in May UK health chiefs warned that the jabs must not be taken during pregnancy or in the two months before conception, after studies of animals found that semaglutide can cause ­pregnancy loss and birth defects.

But with human use, no such ­danger has been ­confirmed, Dr Drucker says, and dozens of women have ­conceived while taking them.

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Some scientists even believe GLP-1 drugs may boost ­fertility, and could become a go-to for infertility treatment.

Dr Drucker, listed in Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2024, says: “It wouldn’t surprise me if five years from now, once we have more clinical trial evidence, if we start recommending these medicines to help people get pregnant, and have safer pregnancies.”

It is exciting stuff, but Dr Drucker admits he also worries about people using the drugs for the wrong ­reasons — such as slim, young women in pursuit of unrealistic beauty ideals on social media.

He says: “If I’ve got a 17-year-old who wants to lose another five per cent of her body weight to look like some celebrity, that’s a real concern.

“We haven’t studied 10,000 teenage girls on these drugs over five years. We don’t know how they affect bones, fertility, mental health or development in the long term.”

Last year model Lottie Moss, sister of supermodel Kate, revealed she had ended up in hospital after a seizure linked to high doses of weight loss drug Ozempic.

I think the next five years will be massive. These drugs won’t fix everything, but if they help even half the conditions we are testing for, we could find treatments for conditions thought untreatable

Dr Daniel Drucker

A nurse told her the dose she had been injecting was meant for someone twice her size.

Dr Drucker warned that older adults, people with eating disorders and those with mental health ­conditions may respond differently to the drugs.

He says: “We’re still ­learning, and just because a medicine works well in one group doesn’t mean it is safe for everyone.”

One of the biggest risks is dehydration, which OnlyFans star Lottie blamed for her seizure.

Dr Drucker says: “Some people experience nausea and vomiting, which can lead to dehydration, and that in itself can be dangerous.”
He also warns that losing weight too quickly can reduce muscle mass and bone density, which is especially risky for older people.

He adds: “This is why it is important people only take these drugs when being monitored by medical professionals, so they can be properly assessed for side-effects and receive the safest, most effective care.”

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So far at least 85 people in the UK have died after taking weight loss jabs, according to reports sent to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency watchdog.

While none of the deaths has been definitively linked to the drugs, health bodies noted a “suspicion” that they may have played a role.

Dr Drucker says: “Reports like these can raise flags, but without proper comparison groups they don’t tell the full story.

‘Drugs aren’t candy’

“In fact, large trials show GLP-1 drugs actually reduce death rates in people with Type 2 diabetes and those with obesity and heart disease.

“So far, the evidence looks solid and reassuring.”

With millions of patients treated over the years, GLP-1s have a well-established safety record for diabetes and obesity.

But Dr Drucker warns that for newer uses, such as ­Alzheimer’s, fatty liver disease or sleep apnoea, we need more data.

He says: “I don’t think there are any hidden, terrifying side-effects waiting to be uncovered.

“But that doesn’t mean people should take them lightly. We don’t yet have 20 years of experience ­treating some of these ­conditions.

“We need to approach each new indication with appropriate caution, to really understand the benefits ­versus the potential risks.

“These drugs aren’t candy, they won’t fix everything — and like all medicines they have side-effects.

“I don’t think we should abandon our focus on safety. We need to move carefully and thoughtfully as this field evolves.”

I’m not struggling with Type 2 diabetes or obesity, but I do have a family history of ­Alzheimer’s. I’m watching the trials closely and, depending on the results, I wouldn’t rule out taking them in the future

Dr Daniel Drucker

He continues: “I’m not struggling with Type 2 diabetes or obesity, but I do have a family history of ­Alzheimer’s. I’m watching the trials closely and, depending on the results, I wouldn’t rule out taking them in the future.

“I have friends from college who are already showing early signs of cognitive decline, and there’s hope that in some cases, ­semaglutide might help to slow it.”

Several studies over the years ­support that theory.

A recent study by a US university found that the jabs could prevent Alzheimer’s-related changes in people with Type 2 diabetes.

Separate research from Taiwan found that people on GLP-1 agonist drugs appeared to have a 37 per cent lower risk of dementia.

Dr Drucker now regularly receives messages from people around the world whose lives have been changed by the drugs his lab helped to create.

He says: “I get tons of stories. ­People send me emails and photos, not just showing their weight loss, but how their health has changed in other ways too.”

Some say the jabs have helped their chronic pain, cleared brain fog or improved long-standing health conditions such as ulcerative colitis or arthritis.

Dr Drucker adds: “It’s incredibly heartwarming and I never get tired of hearing these stories.”

But for him there is even deeper meaning attached to his discovery.

His 97-year-old mother Cila, ­originally from Poland, survived the Holocaust, spending months as a child hiding in the family’s attic before they were captured and held in a ghetto, where her mother and sister were later shot dead.

At the end of the war in 1945 she became a refugee in Palestine, then in 1953 she emigrated to Canada, first settling in Montreal then making Toronto her home in the 1990s.

Dr Drucker says his work has helped to ease Cila’s survivor’s guilt which had consumed her for decades.

He says: “She looks at my work and she’s so proud of how many people it could potentially help.”

WHETHER it’s fish and chips, a fry-up or afternoon tea and cake, British diets are pretty calorific.

And all that fat, sugar and salt is having a serious impact on our waistlines, with almost one in three of us considered obese.

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That might seem pretty high, but it’s actually considerably lower than the 43 per cent obesity rate in the United States.

Even Australia trumps the UK at 32 per cent, and these figures don’t even account for the people who are simply overweight. 

Around the world, each country has its own way of eating; some contain lots of processed foods, while others enjoy more vegetables or have a focus on fish and meat. 

Often, these diets have a huge influence on the population’s body mass index (BMI) – a way of measuring if you’re a healthy weight. 

A score between 18.5 and 24.9 is healthy, 25 to 29.9 is overweight, and 30-plus is obese. 

Many of us think of obesity as just being fat, but it’s actually increasingly being recognised as a chronic, complex disease. 

It can have a huge, negative impact on your health, increasing your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and even some types of cancer. 

Thankfully, you can tailor your diet to help keep the number on the scales down. 

But which one is best?

Follow in the footsteps of these countries, which all have a lower obesity rate than the UK…

If you can’t face giving up cheese… eat like the French 

Obesity rate: 11 per cent 

CHEESE is big business in France. In fact, the French consume an average of 60lbs (27kg) of the stuff per person every year, according to Statistica. 

Instead of turning to low fat cheeses and spreads to stay slim, eat like the French and go for full fat.

“Fat is what gives a sense of fullness in a meal,” says Lucia Stansbie, registered nutritional therapist.

“When we eat fat, hormones telling the brain to stop eating are released, making a full fat yogurt more satisfying that a zero per cent one, so you end up needing to eat less. 

“Many low fat foods have added sugars and emulsifiers to recreate the same texture of full fat foods, making them ultra processed foods (UPFS).”

Research published in the journal Current Nutrition Reports identified UPFs as being a key driver of obesity.

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In France, all-day grazing is a no-no – so much so, that snack products often contain a warning on the packet which says, “for your health, avoid snacking between meals”. 

“Snacks can be the downfall of all diets as they can be very calorie-dense,” says Lucia.

“And if they’re sugar-rich, they can lead to a sugar high followed by a crash so more snacks are needed to pick yourself up.

“Eating a proper meal that fills you up until your next one is the best strategy.”

Instead of having a plain, low-carb, low-calorie vegetable salad for lunch to manage your weight, enjoy a meal with a source of protein, some carbs and healthy fats to keep you full until dinner time.

“This is better than being really hungry a few hours after lunch and craving a high calorie snack,” says Jess Hillard, nutritionist at Warrior. 

Try some spicy chicken with sweet potato mash, avocado and a vinaigrette.

If you like wine… eat like the Italians

Obesity rate: 22 per cent 

ALTHOUGH alcohol can pack in some serious calories, you don’t have to go teetotal to lose weight. 

Instead, go for quality booze, in moderation, alongside food. 

“In Italy, people don’t drink on an empty stomach,” says Lucia.

“Doing so leads to sugar spikes and then sugar crashes, so we eat quick-release carbs such as crisps or sweets to get our energy back.”

One way to flatten this spike is eating a decent meal. 

The size of serving plates in Italy are also smaller than the standard UK plates so smaller portions are eaten

Lucia StansbieNutritional therapist

Lucia adds: “In Italy, there is a big focus on quality and taste. 

“People don’t drink a cheap bottle of wine to get drunk. Instead, they match a nice glass of wine with the meal they are having. 

“Culturally, getting drunk and excessive drinking are frowned upon. 

“This makes a massive difference in the amount of alcohol that is consumed.”

Italian mealtimes are also leisurely. Rather than wolfing down lunch at a desk while frantically working on a deadline, Italians eat mindfully. 

“Mindful eating leads to eating slower and feeling fuller sooner, while eating while distracted – such as while working or watching TV – will lead to less satisfaction and mindlessly eating bigger amounts of foods or looking for snacks,” says Lucia.

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Don’t forget to add olive oil – the main fat used in Italy – to your meals too.

A study published in the European Journal of Nutrition found that fat loss was approximately 80 per cent higher for participants who included 25ml of extra virgin olive oil in their diet compared to those who didn’t. 

Lucia adds: “The size of serving plates in Italy are also smaller than the standard UK serving plates, so smaller portions are eaten.”

Why not try swapping your dinner plates for side plates or pasta bowls? You’ll be forced to reduce your portion!

If you love carbs… eat like the Japanese 

Obesity rate: 5 per cent 

DESPITE popular belief, carbohydrates are certainly not the devil when it comes to weight loss. 

Not only could they actually help you slim down, they could even help you live longer.

Japan is home to Okinawa – a ‘blue zone’, where many people live to 100 and beyond. 

Their diet? An estimated 10:1 carbohydrate-to-protein ratio, according to a study in the journal Age and Ageing – yes, that’s 10 times as much carbs as protein!

While you definitely shouldn’t turn your back on protein, you shouldn’t fear carbs. 

But Lucia says the type of carbs you choose will make a huge difference.

“Wholegrains have a higher fibre content, which means that the sugar spike won’t be so high, while white carbs are devoid of all fibre,” she adds.

“The body can manage a maximum of 4g of sugar in the blood at a time; the excess will be stored either in the liver as glycogen or as abdominal fat.

“Eat slow release carbs – such as wholegrains – and pair them with fibre (such as vegetables), proteins (such as meat, fish and eggs) and fats (such as avocado, olive oil and nuts) to ensure a slow release of sugar in the blood system for sustained energy and weight management.”

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Tuck into seafood and cut back on red meat.

“Fish and seafood are excellent sources of protein,” says Lucia.

“Just 100g of fish has, on average, the same amount of protein as 100g of meat but fewer calories.

“Oysters are the richest source of zinc. People with diabetes, which is often linked to obesity, tend to have lower zinc levels.  

“Plus, fish and shellfish are sources of iodine, a mineral essential for thyroid function, and suboptimal function can lead to increased weight and fatigue.” 

If you love chocolate… eat like the Swiss

Obesity rate: 14 per cent 

LINDT, Toblerone, Nestlé – some of the best chocolate in the world comes from Switzerland. 

So how can such a chocolate-filled nation remain so slim?

Along with an active lifestyle, Jess says that listening to your body is key. 

“Ignoring cravings makes you want them even more and binge on them eventually,” she says.

“Have a balanced meal before the chocolate you’re craving. 

“If you still want some chocolate, break off a few squares and put the rest of the bar away.” 

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Depriving yourself will only make you want it more and make you more likely to scoff the whole bar! 

The Swiss also love their oily fish.

“Oily fish contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA,” Jess says.

“These are excellent for brain health and they’ve been found to reduce the risk of heart disease.

“Aim for two portions of fish per week. One of these should be oily, such as salmon, mackerel or sardines.”

Aim for two fists of vegetables, one palm full of carbohydrates and one palm of protein. Any fats should be thumb-size

Jess HillardNutritionist

Omega-3s have been found to potentially help with fat loss.

In a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, adults given 4g of fish oil per day lost 0.5kg of body fat and built more muscle than those who were not given fish oil.

Plus, research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that incorporating fish into one meal a day as part of a weight loss regime was more effective than the regime on its own. 

“Fish’s high oil content keeps you fuller for longer as well as helping to decrease inflammation in the body,” says Jess.

Inflammation can lead to health problems, including chronic inflammation, which can even cause the body to hold onto fat, especially visceral fat which sits around your organs.

If you struggle to eat your five-a-day… eat like the Vietnamese 

Obesity rate: 2 per cent 

NOODLE soups, grilled meats, broths and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables are the order of the day in Vietnam, which boasts an incredibly low obesity rate.

Most dishes are delicious, yet nutritious – so you don’t even notice how much veg you’ve eaten.

“Vegetables are filled with fibre which will keep you fuller for longer,” says Jess.

“They also contain few calories as well as high levels of vitamins and minerals, particularly non-starchy vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, peas and leafy greens.

“Having a nutrient rich diet won’t just ‘stop cravings’ for high fat and/sugary foods.

“You will feel fuller after meals, meaning you won’t feel the need for these foods as much.”

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She recommends filling half your plate with veg at every meal, and to make sure your veggies retain their nutrients, choose steaming over boiling or frying.

Research published in the journal Nutrition & Food Science found that when steamed, vegetables such as broccoli, spinach and lettuce lose nine to 15 per cent of their vitamin C content.

The Vietnamese way of eating is an easier way to get these veggies into meals – you can buy noodle soup kits in supermarkets to try at home.

Compared to many western countries, Vietnam’s portions are also fairly moderate. 

Practising portion control is simple and can be done using just your hands. 

“Aim for two fists of vegetables, one palm full of carbohydrates and one palm of protein,” says Jess.

“Any fats, such as oils, butter and cheese, should be thumb-size.”

SHE’S lost a staggering 10 stone.

And Karina’s transformation is so impressive – leaving her completely unrecognisable – that people have even accused her of using AI to alter her appearance online.

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She’s been documenting her weight loss journey on her TikTok page, and is now no stranger to confidently flaunting her new figure in skintight ensembles.

But it was a different story two years ago, when Karina was a whopping 10 stone (65kg) heavier.

In a slideshow of pictures on TikTok, she showed how she looked before losing the weight – soundtracked by Michael Bublé’s cover of Nina Simone’s Feeling Good.

In the final picture, at the culmination of the song, she showed how she looks now – with her figure perfectly highlighted by her bodycon dress.

“The journey is worth it. This is your sign to start,” she captioned the TikTok.

Unsurprisingly, people were gobsmacked by Karina’s new look, with some even alleging her glow up was AI.

“Feelinggggg… AI,” one laughed.

“Convince me that’s not AI!” another said.

While a third wrote a simple “AI”, to which Karina responded: “I’ll take this as a compliment!”

And others praised Karina for her dedication to her weight loss and transformation.

“My jaw just dropped at your last picture,” one wrote.

“Wow girl! You owned it!”

“This is a glow upp for real,” another said.

“You look like sofia vergara,” a third added.

“Biggest glow up,” someone else said.

“Wowwwww big respect, you look gorgeous,” another wrote.

“Ultimate glow up- inspiration!” someone else gushed.

As another said Karina looks “stunning”, and added: “Wow deffo glow up, well done!”

In a separate video on TikTok, Karina responded to the AI allegations as she captioned it: “Am I AI? That’s the question!”

Alongside it, she shared shots of herself in 2019 and then this year.

“You have nothing to prove to anyone but yourself; I’d take it as a compliment!” one person commented on that clip.

“The best best beeeeest weight loss transformation I have seen and I have seen many,” another praised.

Karina went on to reveal that her new look was sparked by the breakdown of her marriage.

“The breakup glow up needs to be studied,” she wrote over the top of a TikTok.

Before adding in the caption: “You don’t realise how much a situation drains you until you’re out of it.”

She added hashtags including “#divorce” and “#transformation”.

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A WOMAN has revealed how Mounjaro didn’t just help her shed weight, it also saved her son’s life.

Shell Giles took to social media to share her transformation after admitting she had tried countless diets in the past that didn’t work.

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She said: “A year ago I was 110kg (17.3st).”

Shell then shared a picture of herself before her weight loss as she explained: “After many diets and gym sessions and swimming, nothing was working (I am 42, everything slows down).”

But the mum revealed that she wasn’t just losing weight for herself, she also needed to do it to save her son’s life.

She revealed that her 17-year-old needed a new kidney and while she was a match, she needed to lose weight to go through with the operation.

Shell said she needed to get down to 80kg (12.5st) so decided to give Mounjaro a go.

In just seven months, she was able to lose 5.5st and go down to 11.8st.

Shell explained that she stopped taking in Mounjaro in March and donated her kidney in April.

Now, the mum has been off the drug for six months and says she has only put on 3kg.

“My body seems to have stabilised at this weight and I’m more than happy as I look great, and saved my son’s life,” she added.

She also updated those who commented, saying: “My son and me have recovered well to those who asked and my kidney has bedded into his body well! It was all worth it!”

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Shell shared her story on the Facebook group, mounjaro ozempic wegovy weight loss support.

The post soon went viral and many congratulated the mum and her son in the comments.

One person wrote: “What a woman, what a mother, you gave life to your son twice.”

Another commented: “Best story I’ve read to lose weight. Well done you.”

“Aww that’s a wonderful story! So happy to hear both are doing well,” penned a third.

Meanwhile a fourth said: “How amazing are you! You should be immensely proud of yourself not just because of your weight loss (and you look amazing) but because of saving your son.”

“Wow what a fantastic story,” claimed a fifth

Someone else added: “You look incredible and what an amazing gift to give your son.”

A WOMAN who was left with a “turkey neck” after losing three stone on weight loss jabs is finally comfortable in her own skin after getting a £10,000 ‘mummy makeover’ abroad.

Victoria Vigors decided to have a tummy tuck, liposuction, breast lift, face lift and neck lift after using Mounjaro – a prescription injection used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity – to slim down.

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The 40-year-old initially felt “misshapen” after losing so much weight.

But now she’s never been happier – and says she looks better today than she did aged 20.

“I was very self-conscious about my fupa,” the mum, who is a content creator with 270,000 followers, revealed.

“My tummy overhung because I had a caesarean with my daughter, so it left a scar that my stomach would fall over.

“It was really obvious – I would wear tight-fitting clothing, and you could just see I had a really unnatural-looking belly. I hated it.

“My boobs felt misshapen, and one was much bigger than the other.

“And where I had lost weight on Mounjaro – the skin around my neck was like a turkey.

“It was all saggy, and I hated my jowls.

“I just felt old and unattractive.”

Victoria, from Kent, said people used to stare at her stomach and even make comments.

She said: “I’ve been called ‘flabby belly’ online.

“People would say I looked more like 50.

“My side profile would show my sagging neck, and people would point it out.

“As much as my daughter would joke, she would also call me ‘jelly belly’ and poke my stomach.

“I’d been on Mounjaro for ages and eating really healthily, so I felt fantastic on the inside.

“But on the outside, my confidence was at an all-time low.”

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After speaking to friends and getting recommendations, Victoria found Revitalize in Turkey.

She spoke to the clinic and was told about a £10,000 ‘mummy makeover’.

The mum booked in for surgery and flew out just 10 days later.

She said: “Weirdly enough, I didn’t feel anxious at all about going in.

“I was just so excited.

“I was already staying at the villa with loads of people who’d already had surgery and were recovering.

“They were all looking great already, so I wasn’t nervous.

“I was a bit more stressed going into having my face done because obviously that’s my face, and if that goes wrong, then I’m stuck with it.

“But I’d seen other people’s results, which looked great.”

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DAY OF THE SURGERY

Victoria’s first surgery was for her tummy tuck, liposuction and breast lift.

She said: “I woke up feeling very groggy, and the pain in my stomach was unreal.

“It’d hurt even more when I moved or coughed.

“I was in and out of sleep for a while, so I was a bit confused at times, but the next day they encouraged me to get up and see if I could start walking.

“I didn’t feel any pain in my boobs whatsoever – it was all in my belly.

“I had drains in to collect any blood that was still coming out, and then they showed me a bit of my stomach that they cut away.

“It looked like a slab of fatty pork – I asked them to bin it!”

Five days later, she was taken in for the second surgery for her face and neck lift.

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She said: “Waking up, my face felt really painful and tight.

“I had massive quilting stitches all over my face and neck, which looked like bicycle tyre tracks.

“I was told they were to help direct the blood flow and drain any excess, but they were really uncomfortable and itchy.

“The first 24 hours were really painful, but then after that it eased off and just felt tight and numb.”

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SURGERY RECOVERY

Victoria had a check-up two days later and was allowed to go home five days later.

She said: “I was really nervous to see the results of my facelift as I had to keep the support on for four weeks, as well as the compression garments on my abdomen.

“I also had to keep my boobs strapped for six weeks.

“But once I could take them off, I was over the moon.

“My tummy had gone down and was so flat.

“My boobs looked great, and my face even better.

“I was like, wow, this is my body now!”

The mummy makeover would have cost £10,000 – but Tracy paid a discounted rate.

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BOOSTED CONFIDENCE

She is overjoyed with her new look, and her friends and family have been “super supportive”.

Victoria said: “They just can’t believe how great I look.

“I went to a baby shower a couple of weeks ago, where I hadn’t seen some of the girls there for a long time.

“And one of them walked straight past me, didn’t even realise it was me, and then she was like, ‘Oh my god, look at you now – the glow-up is real.’

“Now I can wear little belly tops, cocktail dresses, tight clothing, and not feel self-conscious anymore.

“I’m super happy.

“There is a lot of pressure for you to be perfect.

“Of course, nobody can be, but this is my idea of perfect to me.”

In May, Victoria re-visited the clinic to have laser eye surgery and turkey teeth fitted.

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She said: “I had 20 porcelain crowns and my eyes done.

“My vision is incredible, and my teeth are perfect.

“My face looks lovely.”

MORE SURGERY

Victoria plans on visiting for the final time in September to have breast implants and a labiaplasty.

She said: “I was supposed to have breast implants when I was there in March, but they said doing that, as well as a lift, was a no-go.

“My blood count was too low when I went for blood tests, so the surgeon said he couldn’t do my implants at the same time.

Now I can wear little belly tops, cocktail dresses, tight clothing, and not feel self-conscious anymore

Victoria Vigors

“Now I’ve given my boobs some time to rest – then I’ll be going back.

“I’m super excited for my labiaplasty.

“After having two children, one of my labia appears bigger than the other one.

“I want it to be more levelled out and neat.

“Now, my face is done, my body looks great, it is just those final things.”

A MUM halved her weight without the help of fat jabs and now men are racing to take her out.

Laura Taylor was a heavy size 24 before she embarked on her weight loss journey in March 2024, after struggling with her weight since she was a teenager.

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The mum claims fellas would flee dates because ‘they didn’t realise’ her size, but now blokes try to woo her with drinks.

The 35-year-old says the battle with her weight began when she was bullied for being ‘fat’ and branded ‘tree trunk legs’ by cruel bullies at high school.

As a result, the mum-of-five didn’t wear a skirt for decades and was reluctant to leave the house due to her size 24 figure.

The self-conscious cleaning business owner would only share pictures of her face, not of her body, on her dating profiles.

Laura says when she did meet up for dates, men would sheepishly admit they ‘didn’t realise how big she was’ before slinking off just an hour after meeting her.

After trying and failing to lose the weight naturally, Laura underwent a ‘life-changing’ gastric sleeve operation in Turkey in March 2024.

Since then, she has switched her old diet of McDonald’s breakfasts, pub lunches, takeaway dinners, and five cans of Coca-Cola per day for protein coffees, fruit and chicken salads.

As a result, Laura has shed a whopping 10 stone in 16 months, initially tipping the scales at 20st 1lb and dropping down to 9st 13lbs and a slinky size eight.

Following her incredible weight loss, Laura says men now race to the bar to buy her drinks – and she’s finally confident enough to share full body images on her dating profile.

Laura, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, said: “When men tell me that I look beautiful and sexy because I’ve lost all of my weight I do feel it.

“When I was really big I used to go on dates and then an hour later they would say that they had to go and then I’d get blocked.

“They used to say that they didn’t realise how big I was or that my pictures looked different because they couldn’t see my body.

“I never used to show my body [on my dating profile], I just used to show my face.

“I include pictures of my body now. All of my profile pictures are of my full body because I feel more confident in myself now I’ve lost weight.

“I think I look a lot better, but I think I still have the mindset of when I was fat.

“I go out and I’ve got men coming up to me asking to buy me a drink and I’m like ‘what do you see in me really?’ Sometimes it’s quite hard to take in.”

Problems with Laura’s weight first began when she received cruel comments from bullies at high school.

Laura said: “I’ve had an issue with my weight all my life, really since I was a teenager.

“I got a lot of bullying at school because when I used to wear skirts I’d get called ‘tree trunk legs’ and fat.

“After a couple times of wearing skirts I never wore them again.

“I never wanted to go to school with a skirt on because I used to get called that all the time.

“Food was a comfort for me. I used to sit at home and eat food because I got bullied and I felt like nobody fancied me.”

After struggling with her weight since she was a teen, Laura decided to commit to having gastric sleeve surgery.

Laura said: “I went to the doctors and asked to be put on the waiting list for a gastric sleeve in the UK but they told me I wasn’t big enough.

“I looked at the prices in the UK but it was £10,500 and I didn’t have the money.

“When I was pricing it up it was so much cheaper in Turkey than it was over here.

“It was £2,400 and then the flights were £600, so about £3,000 in total.

“The NHS was a six-year waiting list and I couldn’t wait that long because I didn’t leave the house.

“I didn’t see my friends or anything like that because they were all quite skinny and I was the fat one of the bunch.”

Since having the £3,000 op, Laura says she gets told she looks younger and some of her friends don’t even recognise her when they see her in the street.

Laura said: “I get told I look younger because I have lost a lot of weight in my face.

“I feel good in myself and people say that I look amazing.

“I do need to start taking those compliments in because I’ve been fat all of my life it’s hard for me to say I do actually look good.

“A lot of friends haven’t seen me in the past 18 months and when I’ve been out they’ve walked past me.

“I’ve had to tap them on the shoulder and say ‘do you not recognise me?’.”

Laura says she now finally has the confidence to wear skirts and dresses again and will even be wearing a bikini when she goes on holiday in August.

Laura said: “I never used to wear the stuff I wear now, there’s no way I would be putting on a dress on above my knees.

“I don’t go out in jeans now, I only wear skirts or dresses.”

Laura says the operation ‘saved her life’ and has had a positive impact on her socially.

Laura said: “I’ve always been the one [in my friend group] that’s sat in the corner and not really danced because I didn’t want to.

“I’m on the dance floor before anyone else now because I’ve got so much energy I want to dance.

“The operation saved my life. I’d still be sat in the house now not going out, so it has changed my life completely.”

Here’s what Laura would eat in a day.

TYPICAL FOOD DIARY BEFORE WEIGHTLOSS

Breakfast – McDonalds breakfast

Lunch – Pub lunch mixed grill or English breakfast

Dinner – Takeaway or chips and sausages

Snacks – Chocolate, sweets, crisps and five cans of Coca-Cola per day

TYPICAL FOOD DIARY AFTER WEIGHTLOSS

Breakfast – Protein coffee

Lunch – None

Dinner – Chicken salad, chilli or chicken and rice

Snacks – Apples, cheese strings, decaf coffee

The 5 best exercises to lose weight

By Lucy Gornall, personal trainer and health journalist

EXERCISE can be intimidating and hard to devote yourself to. So how do you find the right workout for you?

As a PT and fitness journalist, I’ve tried everything.

I’ve taken part in endless fitness competitions, marathons and I maintain a regime of runs, strength training and Pilates.

Fitness is so entrenched in my life, I stick to it even at Christmas!

The key is finding an activity you love that can become a habit.

My top five forms of exercise, especially if you’re trying to lose weight, are:

1. Walking
2. Running
3. Pilates
4. High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
5. Strength training

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EVERYONE’S talking about fat jabs – the ‘miracle’ injections trimming inches off waistlines, and helping turn the tide on the obesity epidemic.

But what if there was an even easier – and cheaper – way than Ozempic-like injections, Wegovy and Mounjaro?

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Science sits still for no slimmer and already, the next big thing is looming large on the horizon – and it could be as simple as popping a pill.

Slimming tablets have been around for decades, but now scientists want to harness the new momentum in obesity medicine – and use the billions being made from the jabs – to bring pills back with a bang.

Professor Jason Halford, of the European Association for the Study of Obesity, tells Sun Health: “I think pills will eventually replace injections.

“People don’t particularly like them and they’re a bit afraid of injecting themselves.

“You’ve got to have the device, the needle, the sharps bin, it’s got to be refrigerated, there are all sorts of challenges.

“If you can move it all to a tablet you can increase acceptance and hopefully it will be cheaper and become more widely available.”

Professor Richard Donnelly, editor of the medical journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, and clinical adviser at online weight loss clinic Juniper, agrees.

“Thirty years ago weight loss tablets had a terrible reputation and nobody really wanted to prescribe them,” he adds.

“They had rare but severe side effects and weren’t particularly effective.

“Now there is a whole flood of development and a lot to be optimistic about.

“There is a big hope that developing pills will improve accessibility and cost less.”

There are several pills in development – some stimulate the same hormones as jabs to make us feel full, while others mimic bariatric surgery.

The end goal is the same – to do what willpower alone fails to achieve and stop us eating so much.

While some are yet to even be trialled in humans, one has already been submitted for approval in the US, meaning they could be available before the end of the year.

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The most advanced pills being made are by the same companies behind the fat jabs.

Novo Nordisk, creator of Wegovy and Ozempic, has developed a tablet version of semaglutide, the active drug in those injections.

It applied for approval from the US Food and Drugs Administration last month.

Trials showed patients lost an average of 15 per cent of their bodyweight over 17 months on a 50mg daily dose, compared with eight per cent over 12 months on Wegovy.

Participants were three times more likely to achieve “meaningful” weight loss when they were taking the pill, compared to those not taking the tablet.

Rival company Eli Lilly, which makes Mounjaro (tirzepatide) announced the results of its pill orforglipron in April.

The two drugs both work by stimulating GLP-1 hormones that make you feel full.

Patients taking 36mg of orforglipron lost eight per cent of their bodyweight in 10 months, equating to 1st 2lbs from an average starting weight of 14st 3lbs – while participants taking a placebo lost just 3lbs.

It compares with 15 per cent weight loss in a year on Mounjaro.

Lilly said their pill “could be readily manufactured and launched at scale for use around the world”.

But injections and pills have not been compared head-to-head yet.
Studies are ongoing and taking the science behind these game-changing jabs and applying it to tablets, does not guarantee success.

Pfizer abandoned the development of its drug lotiglipron in 2023 when a trial indicated potential liver damage as a side effect.

Drugs tend to be more easily absorbed by the body when they are injected directly into the bloodstream, compared to being digested through the gut.

And that’s another key consideration – what the potential side effects of these new pills could be.

Unpleasant side effects were the downfall of the old generation of slimming pills.

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The NHS has prescribed a pill called orlistat for years, dishing out £12million worth of it in England last year.

It works by preventing the gut from absorbing fat from food – but it means fat must be passed out in poo instead of digested.

This can lead to flatulence, more regular bowel movements and diarrhoea.

It can also cause bladder pains and breathing troubles – and weight loss doesn’t match up to the jabs.

About eight in 10 patients suffer at least one side effect when using injections, most commonly tummy upset, according to trials.

Early data suggests pills might have similar rates.

Around six per cent of people taking any of Lilly or Novo Nordisk’s pills or injections quit the medicines because of side effects.

Dr Leyla Hannbeck, of the Independent Pharmacies Association, says: “The old generation drugs tended to be uncomfortable for a lot of people whereas these new ones are much more effective.

“All medicines will have side effects but the fact that the results are much better now means people are more willing to endure them.”
Prof Donnelly said he still does not expect new tablets to be as strong as jabs, adding: “I don’t think anybody believes these will cause the same level of weight loss that you might be reporting with Mounjaro.

“The flipside of that is that major weight loss might not all be good.

“Some of that might be muscle and if you lose 30 per cent of your body weight that is a fairly major transformation.

“Having an oral agent that reduces your weight by, say, 10 or 15 per cent, might actually be more sustainable, better tolerated and medically safer in some respects.”

While the GLP-1 tablets are likely to be first to market, inventors are also working on a daily pill that mimics the effects of gastric bypass surgery.

‘GASTRIC BYPASS’ PILL

US company Syntis Bio’s offering, named Synt-101 creates a 24-hour lining in the gut that means food cannot be absorbed in the top six inches of the small intestine.

Rather, digestion is redirected to the lower areas of the gut, where hormones that tell the brain we are full, are triggered faster.

Working in a similar vein to surgery, it means patients feel fuller faster – and the lining is passed when the patient goes to the loo the next day.

Synt-101 has passed its first human safety tests and is expected to enter a full-scale clinical trial next year.

Another pill in development, Sirona, is made by UK-based Oxford Medical Products, and contains a “dual polymer hydrogel” that expands in the stomach when it comes into contact with water.

It works like a gastric balloon, filling the patient’s tummy making them feel full for hours, but is passed in their stools “several days” later.

Early data from an NHS trial found patients lost 10 to 12 per cent in a year of treatment and there were no serious side effects.

Experts believe weight loss pills will serve a variety of purposes – as a follow-on treatment after stopping fat jabs, as an option for those who can’t or don’t want to use jabs and for people with less severe obesity, and less weight to lose.

There are hopes they will be less toxic than injections, which often cause side effects like stomach aches, vomiting or diarrhoea.

Weight regain after treatment is also an emerging issue with the jabs, which can currently only be prescribed for up to two years in the UK.

Rahul Dhanda, chief executive of Syntis Bio, said: “Patients don’t want to be stuck on a revolving door of injections and their side effects; they want to be on a manageable and sustainable weight loss path.

“Oral drugs that are simple, tolerable and safe will be the rational choice for maintenance therapy.”

DOES it feel like you’ve tried everything in your quest to lose those final pounds?

While the world is obsessed with Ozempic-like fat jabs, not everyone wants to resort to injecting drugs to shed weight. But what’s the answer when all the fad diets have failed?

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As a nutritionist with over a decade of experience, I’ve seen it all from quick fixes to restrictive plans that rarely deliver long-lasting results. I’m not alone – most professionals in this space would agree that rigid diets don’t work long-term.

But here’s what does…. Rethinking your approach to weight loss and health by focusing on sustainable habits known as diet ‘anchors’.

Anchors are a common concept that many wellness experts (myself included) use with our clients. Think of them as an antidote to fad diets that don’t hold up over time. 

Like the name suggests, these fundamental vows help keep you grounded and consistent. They are easy to weave into your daily routine, making them sustainable, unlike rigid rules that come with most diets. They become so ingrained that they become natural, which is the key to success.

Many of my clients come in thinking they need to overhaul their diet overnight, but when it comes to health, it’s actually the small, steady shifts that have the biggest impact. 

So if you’re fed up of complicated calorie counting, are struggling with flagging energy levels or can’t seem to stick to the new gym routine, try implementing these tried and tested non-negotiable rules to flip the weight loss switch… 

1. BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS

It may be the first thing you eat, but breakfast sets the tone for the whole day. The food choices you make have an impact on your blood sugar levels.

Slurping a bowl of milky cereal or a chowing a syrupy stack of pancakes might hit your sweet spot, but sugary breakfasts send your blood sugar levels on a rollercoaster.

What this means, is that after they spike your blood sugar, you soon experience a crash. It results in a mid-morning energy dip and cravings for the biscuit tin come 10am.

Make sure your breakfast choices lean more towards savoury, protein-rich meals to feel fuller for longer with no nasty blood glucose crashes. 

Protein takes more energy to digest than fat or carbohydrates, which means it slightly increases calorie burn, whilst keeping you feeling fuller for longer.

Panfried mushrooms with melted cheese on toast, anchovy and tomato bruschetta or eggs cooked shakshuka style are a protein-fuelled start to the day.

But if you’re limited on time, or on-the-go, try:

• Boil a couple of eggs the night before and serve with salad leaves or wholemeal toast. Make a veggie frittata which can be eaten cold.
• Whizz together a bowl of fruity overnight oats. Pop some oats in a mason jar and cover with milk. In the morning, add a sprinkling of seeds (which are high in plant-based protein), your favourite fruit and a drizzle of honey. 
• Combine plain Greek yoghurt with berries and top with mixed nuts or chia seeds. 
• Nibble a protein bar with a piece of low-sugar fruit such as an apple or pear.

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2. COLOUR, NOT QUANTITY 

Variety is the spice of life, so if you’re eating the same foods day after day you’ll hit a boredom wall and risk nutritional deficiencies. 

To avoid this food rut, rotate the colours on your plate, aiming for a total of nine different shades every day. 

This is easier than it sounds, and the simplest way is to aim for three different vegetables at each meal. 

For example, sneak diced courgette and colourful peppers into bolognese sauces, make use of frozen bagged vegetables into casseroles and soups and add a side salad to your lunch. 

When you lose inspiration, find new recipes on social media; it’s saturated with accounts showing how to make meals that hit all the spots; healthy, delicious, cheap and quick.

Try doubling up on everything you make for a week or two, so that you can freeze portions. That way you always have a healthy meal when you’re in a hurry.

3. UP AND OUT

Kicking back on the sofa and flicking on Netflix might be your current go-to after dinner, but gentle exercise after eating is a science-backed no-brainer weight loss hack that us nutritionists swear by. 

A short walk within a 60-minute window of finishing your meal can help with weight loss as well as ward off disease. It makes all the difference in how your body absorbs carbohydrates. 

A 2023 study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine showed that 20 minutes of walking straight after eating helped muscle cells use glucose more efficiently from the bloodstream which reduces insulin demand and boosts weight loss. 

No time to walk, or stuck at the house? Pace up and down the stairs – set a goal and see if you can increase how many flights you can do over time – or get some chores done around the house.

4. SPICE AND NICE

Lots of us have to make a conscious effort to cook things from scratch. It’s easier to grab ready-to-eat meals for the family, but this is certainly not the best way to lose weight.

If there’s one thing you can do to liven up meals that you’re cooking from scratch – and keep your diet on track – it’s adding flavour. So, include at least one herb or spice at each meal. 

From adding blood-sugar balancing cinnamon to porridge, topping green smoothies with anti-inflammatory golden turmeric and being extra liberal with herbs like sage, basil and parsley in pasta sauces, getting in the habit of seasoning will help to elevate your meals both in taste and nutrition. 

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You can use dried herbs and spices or buy fresh. To keep costs down and wastage low, you can now buy pre-chopped herbs, as well as onions and garlic, in the frozen section.

Want to take it one step further? Create your own little herb garden on a sunny windowsill. Basil, thyme and mint are all super-easy varieties to grow at home. 

5. SELF-WORTH REIGNS

Sustaining motivation to workout and eat well can be difficult at the best of times, but anchoring your thoughts to your goals is the best way to keep your get-up-and-go firing. Keep in mind that success is about consistency, and it’s those small wins that add up over time.

Mantras can help to reinforce your diet choices, so put pen to paper and make up a few that resonate with your goals. 

Some of my personal favourites include “your choices today build results tomorrow”, and “nothing changes unless you change it”.

Self-worth can often shatter on fad diets, but with diet anchors you feel shaped by your positive health choices, so when you do smash one of your micro goals, be kind to yourself.

Even something simple like getting your nails done, or pampering yourself with a candlelit bath, can help to keep motivation high. And if you do fall off the wagon? Don’t beat yourself up for it, every day is a new day with new possibilities to better your health. 

6. PLATE ART

Learning to become meticulous about how you organise your plate is a simple yet powerful anchor that can help to speed up weight loss, and keep those stubborn pounds off.

To build the perfect plate, it’s important to re-think the way you serve your food; Fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and peppers as these are high in fibre and contain a hefty dose of nutrients.

Next, dedicate one quarter to protein – this includes foods like eggs, poultry, red meat or tofu to help support muscle health and promote fullness.

Finally, split the remaining quarter between healthy fats, (including avocado, nuts, and seeds), along with complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, wholemeal pasta or sweet potato as these help to sustain energy whilst providing essential nutrients.

The order in which you eat your food can also make a difference to weight loss – it’s a concept called ‘food sequencing’ and can help to improve your body’s insulin response to food.

To practice food sequencing, eat your non-starchy veg first, followed by your protein and healthy fat sources. Save your carbs until last to help minimise blood sugar spikes and aid fullness. 

Louise Pyne is a registered nutritionist. Find her at www.louisepynenutrition.com and on Instagram @loulou_nutrition.

What a balanced plate looks like

How can you make sure you are eating a balanced, filling and nutritious plate at every meal?

Think of your plate divided into different food groups – protein, carbs, fat and fruit and veg.

Protein: David Wiener, training and nutrition specialist at AI-based lifestyle and coaching app Freeletics, told The Sun: “Aim for one to two palm-size portions of lean protein in each meal.”

Protein includes meat (chicken, turkey, pork, beef), beans, peas, lentils and fish.

The NHS Eatwell Guide says to choose lean cuts of meat and mince, and eat less red and processed meat like bacon, ham and sausages.

Aim for at least two portions (two x 140g) of fish every week, one of which should be oily, such as salmon, sardines or mackerel.

Carbs: Carbohydrates should make up about a third of your plate, or a fist-sized portion.

The Eatwell Guide says: “Choose higher fibre or wholegrain varieties, such as wholewheat pasta and brown rice, or simply leave the skins on potatoes.

“There are also higher fibre versions of white bread and pasta.

“Starchy foods are a good source of energy and the main source of a range of nutrients in our diet.”

Fat: Generally the advice is to think of fat like a thumb-sized amount on your plate.

The Eatwell Guide says: “Remember all types of fat are high in energy and should be eaten in small amounts.

“These foods include chocolate, cakes, biscuits, sugary soft drinks, butter, ghee and ice cream.

“They’re not needed in our diet, so should be eaten less often and in smaller amounts.”

But a small amount is still essential for the diet. Try and eat more unsaturated fats (avocado, nuts, olive oil), which are healthier than saturated fats (butter, hard cheese, sour cream).

Fruit and veg: David says: “Make sure you also get lots of colourful fruit and vegetable carbohydrates too.

“Aim for at least five of these portions a day.

“One to two fist-sized portions of fruits and vegetables with every meal is generally recommended.”

Fruit and veg can be fresh, frozen, tinned or dried. You can roast, boil, steam or grill veggies.