A 30-year-old woman from Islington, north London, who weighed 23 stone, has lost nine stone after taking weight-loss jabs and undergoing bariatric surgery, and has now entered a beauty pageant. Michelle Akpata says she felt 'invisible' at her heaviest but now aims to become a model and actress.
Michelle was prescribed Mounjaro by her GP in June last year while on the waiting list for a gastric band, which she received in October. She has since recovered from surgery and continues with the jabs, targeting a weight of 10 stone. She says her weight 'spiralled out of control' in her twenties due to undiagnosed polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which left her exhausted and lacking confidence.
Michelle has entered Miss Cosmo Great Britain and will compete to represent the UK at the international finals in Vietnam. She said: 'I just felt a bit invisible. I felt like I wasn’t really living my best life at 23 stone. I used to cover up a lot to hide my size.' She added that she would avoid social events, saying 'maybe next time' or 'when I’m slimmer'.
Blood tests revealed deficiencies in vitamin D, B12 and iron, which affected her energy and mood. Now, she starts her day at 6am with gym sessions and eats smaller portions. She said: 'Before, when the alarm went off, it was snooze, snooze, snooze. Now my day starts around six. The alarm goes off, I’m up.'
Michelle hopes her story inspires other women with PCOS to seek help. She said: 'Don’t let it be like a death sentence. Don’t let it be something that is going to stop you from living life. You can really defeat it and overcome it.'
