Rachael Narins, a 53-year-old trained chef, recipe developer, and cookbook ghostwriter, has been taking a new weight loss pill daily for the last five months. Despite her profession, which keeps her constantly around food, she admits that food is all she thinks about literally 24 hours a day. However, this is not due to the typical food noise associated with weight gain but rather her job, which involves developing recipes, cooking, tasting, and visiting restaurants frequently.
Weight gain with age
Narins managed to stay in shape through exercise, but as she got older, her weight crept up. She noticed her clothes getting tighter and felt distressed. In a short time, she could no longer wear anything she owned. As a public-facing professional, she often gets photographed, and those pictures made her want to cry. She resorted to wearing dresses all the time and stopped wearing leggings, and her gym clothes no longer fit, diminishing her motivation to exercise.
Going shopping became soul-destroying, often ending in tears. One distressing moment in 2025, she had a dress chosen for an event that didn't fit at all—it didn't go over her hips. That experience was crushing and she never wanted to be in that position again.
Decision to try Wegovy pill
Narins had known about Wegovy (semaglutide) for weight management for a while. The jabs had become popular, with about 1.6 million adults in the UK using weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Mounjaro between 2024 and 2025. She noticed she was the only one eating when out with friends, and at parties she was the only one at the buffet. On a girls' trip, they ordered much food at a restaurant but most went to waste.
Despite wanting to lose weight, she couldn't bring herself to use injections due to concerns about nausea and the weekly dosing. When the Wegovy pills launched in the U.S. earlier this year, she decided to try them. Living in Los Angeles, she got them months before they became available in the UK. She ordered the pill online after a Zoom consultation with a physician and paid with insurance. She continues monthly Zoom calls with her physician to track progress and dosage.
Side effects and progress
She experienced side effects similar to the jabs, mainly nausea and vomiting. For the first two days, she was sick in the morning for about two hours, and it recurred with each dosage increase. She started on 1.5mg for the first month but saw no impact. When the dosage increased in the second month, she began losing weight weekly and felt mental benefits. She now eats a quarter of her previous amount and feels full and satisfied. She still has energy, works out, and sleeps fine. She no longer feels compelled to eat all the doughnuts she makes for recipe testing.
The pills have stopped the food noise in her head. She no longer craves fried fish or chicken sandwiches while driving. She still loves talking about food and cooking but eats less. Taking the pill daily allows her to stop anytime, unlike injections.
Considerations and stigma
Narins was concerned about drug interactions and asked her physician many questions. She also notes that because she's not hungry, she forgets to drink water, risking dehydration. Her doctor monitors this closely, and she logs water intake in an app.
Her goal was to lose 18% of her starting body weight, and she is happy with progress. After reaching that goal, she plans to discuss stopping Wegovy with her doctor while maintaining weight. She sees the pill as a way to establish a healthy lifestyle.
She is open about taking the pill and wants to discuss it with others, though she has encountered some eye-rolling. Her husband loves her as she is but respects her choices. She believes there should be no stigma around using tools to feel better about oneself.
