Toni Dowsett, 30, from Wiltshire, has revealed how she lost 15 stone and found love after joining a Mounjaro support group. She previously weighed 30 stone, wore a size 32, and had McDonald's every day.
Toni claims her ex called her fat 'every day'. She said her weight gain occurred steadily throughout adulthood. Looking to rebuild her confidence after the jibes, she went on to lose half her body weight. Her weight loss is credited to Mounjaro, a brand-name prescription injection containing the active ingredient tirzepatide, used to treat type 2 diabetes and support weight management.
Ex's jibes prompted change
She said: "My ex used to call me fat every day. It made me feel terrible and gave me low confidence that I'm still working on."
"[But it also] made me want to change. At my heaviest, I had to check the chairs out first before sitting because I was scared I'd break them. I was terrified of having a heart attack and would get constant chest infections."
"My relationship with food was terrible, and my confidence was terrible. I relied on takeaways because I was too tired to cook after work."
Toni said her three 12-hour shifts a week were 'physically and mentally draining'. At her lowest point, she was eating daily takeaways including a McDonald's order of 20 nuggets, a burger, a share box of cheese bites and a large fizzy drink.
From NHS refusal to private funding
Deciding to try weight loss medication in March 2025, Toni was declined by a GP for being too heavy at the time. She noted that the 'thought of losing weight felt impossible'.
"I researched Mounjaro and thought, 'what have I got to lose?'. But when I applied, doctors wouldn't give it to me [on the NHS]. I was so upset they turned me down because I was too big," she said.
"They said my BMI was too high – that's the only explanation they gave me. I was shocked because I thought they [the jabs] were for people like me and it felt like there was no hope."
Determined, Toni decided to privately fund Mounjaro in March last year. She purchased it through a provider for £85 per month whilst tracking her food and calorie intake on an app.
Suddenly motivated, she swapped her daily McDonald's for salads with chicken skewers, which she has for lunch every day. She has also cut out all takeaways, bread, potatoes, fried food, chocolate, and Coke.
Meeting Natasha through shared journey
Toni said: "The day my jabs arrived in the post, that was it – something changed in me. I do believe you have to be ready. The food noise was bad, but after a week I was fine. Seeing the scales go down and wearing normal-sized clothes kept me going when I wanted to give up."
After losing 15 stone, Toni now weighs 14st 7lb, wears size 12 clothes, and has signed up to a local gym. Last August, five months after she started using Mounjaro, she met Natasha, 32.
Crossing paths in a WhatsApp group for fellow users of the drug, Toni says the two 'bonded' over their shared weight loss journey.
"My confidence had gotten better, but I wasn't looking; we just happened to start talking about Mounjaro. We were talking for a while before we met. Our first ever conversation was about us both being on Mounjaro. I saw that her profile photo was taken in Weymouth, where I'd been on holiday. Tash was asking for tips and we connected through Mounjaro. She turned it into flirty banter, and it [the feeling] was mutual," Toni said.
"I wasn't looking for anything but couldn't stop smiling at my messages. Then we started sending voice notes before we agreed to meet up. I was so nervous meeting Tash for the first time but we clicked straight away. We went on a date at the local countryside pub and had dinner."
Noting that the way they met 'feels like fate', Toni said she only became attracted to women after losing weight and her ex-partner was a man. She believes that 'it might be a confidence thing'.
She explained: "I read that the jabs can influence libido, alter brain chemistry and body confidence. I couldn't be with another man in my life. I don't find men attractive anymore at all."
Natasha's own transformation
Natasha, who had gained weight during and after her previous relationship, added: "Both being on Mounjaro bonded us. We both have the same interests in hobbies and we just click. When I met Toni, it just felt like it was meant to happen. It's like we're meant to be together."
Since starting Mounjaro in August 2025, weighing 18 stone and wearing a size XXL, Natasha has lost eight stone in total. She now wears a size 15 juniors and weighs nine stone.
Looking ahead, Toni said: "I'm a different person – I'm half the size I once was. I feel amazing; I can see my neck, jawline and collarbones. Sometimes I don't recognise myself in pictures, and my confidence is up and down – sometimes I look in the mirror and see the same person I once was."
"But I've had to replace my entire wardrobe from losing so much weight. I was over the moon the first time I tried on a size 12. Life is so different now. I have so much room now everywhere we go, but sometimes I still get worried that I can't fit to get out of the car and that I need more space."
"I want to feel comfortable in my own body, get married and start a family. And Natasha calls me beautiful every day."
