Karen Park, a customer service manager from Weston-super-Mare, lost eight stone and reversed her pre-diabetes diagnosis by secretly taking Mounjaro weight loss injections, while telling friends and family she had quit alcohol and adopted a healthier lifestyle.
Karen, 57, had a BMI of 42.9 and weighed 18st 12lbs before starting the medication. She kept the jabs secret from everyone except her husband.
Secret jabber
“I was a secret jabber,” said Karen. “There’s a lot of judgement around weight loss injections, so I wanted to limit who I confided in – just to avoid having to justify myself.”
She started researching the treatment on TikTok, where she saw largely positive content showing people losing weight quickly. “But when I first started, I chose to keep it to myself. At that stage, I didn't even know if it was going to work for me, and I didn't want to go through another round of conversations about dieting, losing weight or explaining why I'd decided to try this approach.”
Karen said media coverage was often polarising, and friends and family had different views about weight loss medication. “I didn't know how people would react, and I didn't feel I should have to justify a personal healthcare decision that I'd made for myself.”
Hiding the jabs
As her weight dropped, she felt more confident but continued to keep the jabs secret. “I would get the odd comment [about using jabs], but nobody outright guessed. I just kept mentioning that I was starting a healthier lifestyle, which wasn’t a lie.”
She stored the jabs carefully in the fridge to avoid detection. “My favourite spot to hide them was in the vegetable tray, under all the veg!”
Karen first became concerned about her weight at 57, wearing a size 22-24, after gradually gaining weight over the years. “Food had become much more than just something to eat. As a family, we'd celebrate with a nice meal, and if I was feeling stressed, sad or had simply had a difficult day, I'd often turn to food for comfort.”
Diet and lifestyle change
Before starting Mounjaro, Karen’s daily diet totalled up to 4,000 calories on average, including pastries, crisps, biscuits, sandwiches, pasties, chocolate, takeaways, flavoured ciders, Guinness, rose wine and Frappuccino coffees. “Pizza was always my go-to takeaway, and it was always excessive. I might go to the pub for a couple of drinks, and afterwards I’d order and eat a large Dominos pizza all to myself.”
She had previously tried Weight Watchers, Slimming World, juice diets, meal replacement diets and the Cambridge Diet, but weight always returned. A pre-diabetes diagnosis spurred her to make a change in July 2024, signing up for Mounjaro treatment through online pharmacy PillTime.
Within weeks, her weight declined steadily. “I saw an immediate change in my appetite. Within about 24 hours of the first dose I could feel a difference. The biggest shock was that I just wasn’t thinking about food anymore, it felt like the food noise had gone.”
Results and maintenance
After 18 months, Karen dropped to 10st 7lbs with a healthy BMI of 24, wearing a size 10. She continues using Mounjaro to maintain her loss. Her daily diet now totals 1,400 calories, including a protein shake for breakfast, sandwich and fruit for lunch, healthy homecooked meals, limited alcohol and no snacking.
“It’s completely changed my life, and my energy levels are through the roof. I [found out I] have my pre-diabetes under control, meaning that I’m at a much lower risk of developing the disease, which feels amazing.”
Karen now feels confident enough to travel alone. “I went on my own to a cabin in the Yorkshire Dales. I travelled there by myself and spent a few days walking and reflecting. I remember waking up one morning, opening the curtains and thinking, ‘Look how far you’ve come’.”
