Amy Carding, 38, has lost 5st 8lb in 18 months after taking Mounjaro, funding her weight-loss injections by documenting her progress on TikTok. The mother of three dropped from a size 22 to a size 12 and now says she finally “likes” her reflection in the mirror after years of “yo-yo dieting.”
From 17st 7lb to 11st 11lb
Carding, from Manchester, reached her heaviest weight of 17st 7lb in June 2024, 18 months after the birth of her daughter Raine. At 5ft 2in tall, her weight began impacting her confidence, leading her to avoid social occasions and struggle to play with her baby. In October 2024, she started taking Mounjaro, a once-weekly injectable prescription medicine containing tirzepatide. Within one month, she had shed one stone.
Carding, a midday assistant at a school, uses revenue from her TikTok account to help cover the cost of her injections, which amount to approximately £300 per month. She currently weighs 11st 11lb (74.8kg) and wears a size 12. Her BMI has dropped from 44.8 (obese) to 30.2, just above the NHS obesity threshold of 30.
Life-changing transformation
“It’s literally changed my life, I feel 1,000 times better – I feel like a new woman,” Carding told PA Real Life. “Before, I felt so depressed about my weight, now I actually like what I see in the mirror. It feels like a miracle.”
Carding began gaining weight after Raine’s birth in January 2023. In March 2023, her GP placed her on a waiting list for a weight management appointment, which she described as a “bit of a wake-up call.” She attempted healthier eating but would relapse after several weeks. By June 2024, she weighed 17st 7lb, wore size 22, and had an obese BMI of 44.8. Before pregnancy, she weighed about 15st and wore size 18, having spent most of her adult life in a cycle of gaining and losing weight.
Diet and lifestyle overhaul
Her typical daily diet previously included a bacon sandwich for breakfast, a Pot Noodle for lunch, “living off coffees and biscuits” between meals, and a takeaway pizza most evenings. “I didn’t feel great. My skin was bad, and I didn’t take a lot of pictures with the baby. I didn’t go out much, I just wasn’t socialising. I was a bit depressed and avoided people,” she said. Her weight also made it difficult to play with her daughter: “I found it hard juggling the baby and cooking, and it got to the point where my knees were so sore. I couldn’t bend down to pick Raine up properly, or play with her on the floor.”
Determined to change, Carding researched weight-loss medication during summer 2024 and started Mounjaro in October, prescribed through an online pharmacy with her GP’s approval. “The first time I took it I felt quite nervous. I felt like I was going to turn into the Incredible Hulk or something, injecting myself. But it was actually fine – I didn’t feel too nauseous. It really quietened the food noise. I had to remind myself to eat because I wasn’t getting hungry at all,” she said.
Her diet now includes fruit for breakfast, vegetables as snacks, and meals such as chicken, rice and vegetables for dinner, with occasional takeaways or desserts at weekends. She also walks approximately 15,000 steps daily.
TikTok success funds injections
Carding documents her journey on TikTok under the handle @amy_lisa29. Her before-and-after footage has accumulated more than 300,000 views. She regularly shares what she eats in a day and hosts a series called ‘Weigh-in Wednesdays,’ where she steps on the scales and discusses her weekly weight loss. Through her content, she has generated sufficient income to contribute to the £300 monthly cost of Mounjaro.
At the 18-month mark, she dropped to a size 12 and now weighs 11st 11lb (74.8kg). While she acknowledged having “some loose skin,” she performs exercises at home to address it. “I can see it on the scales, but I think I had a bit of body dysmorphia – I couldn’t really see the changes on my body until I looked at photos,” she said.
Newfound confidence and social life
Carding is now a more active mum, taking her children out to play each day and no longer avoiding socialising. “I’ve met up with women who are also on Mounjaro who I’ve met through TikTok. We all went out in Manchester and I would have never been able to do that before. I feel a lot more confident now – people compliment me more and it just gives me a huge boost,” she said.
Looking ahead, Carding hopes to shed another stone and, following advice from her GP and pharmacist, intends to remain on the medication to sustain her weight loss. To others hoping to lose weight, she said: “Just do it. If I can, anyone else can.”
