A woman who experienced significant weight gain during menopause has shared her journey of losing six stone and maintaining her weight loss, attributing her success to a comprehensive approach that included lifestyle changes and a carefully managed dose of GLP-1 medication.
Louise, 51, described a period of significant stress and hormonal changes that led to a drastic increase in her weight. As a busy estate agent juggling work and solo parenting, she found herself relying on comfort food and wine. The onset of menopause at 49 exacerbated the problem, bringing symptoms like hot flashes, brain fog, and an inability to control her weight. By January 2025, she weighed 16 stone and felt a profound detachment from her identity.
"I felt so detached from who I was, I genuinely thought I’d gone mad," she stated.
A turning point came when Louise decided to sell her business in August 2023, gaining the freedom to retrain as a health coach. During her studies, an incident at a local stables highlighted the extent of her weight gain: she was informed she could not ride a horse unless she weighed under 13 stone. This realization served as a catalyst for change.
In June 2023, Louise began using Mounjaro, a GLP-1 weight-loss injection, but intentionally kept her dosage at the lowest available level, 2.5mg per week. She used the injections for nine months, viewing them as a "gentle nudge" to support the development of healthy eating habits rather than a sole solution. This strategy allowed her to remain mindful of her food choices and avoid becoming reliant on the medication.
"They were the handlebars, not the engine," she explained.
Her training as a health coach provided her with a deeper understanding of the psychological and emotional factors driving her eating habits. She learned to differentiate between physical hunger and emotional triggers such as boredom, loneliness, or stress. This self-awareness was crucial in shifting her relationship with food.
"Once you can sit with those feelings instead of eating through them, everything shifts," Louise said.
Louise established non-negotiable daily habits, including aiming for 10,000 steps and incorporating 15 minutes of resistance training at home, which she found vital for maintaining muscle mass during menopause. She also adopted a new approach to nutrition, focusing on whole foods and cooking from scratch. She no longer eats pasta, rice, or bread, not due to restriction, but because she finds they make her feel sluggish and bloated.
Since discontinuing the injections in April, Louise has not only maintained her weight loss but has continued to lose further weight. She described regaining confidence, being able to perform simple physical tasks with ease, and enjoying shopping for clothes that fit her style rather than just her size. The emotional impact was profound, particularly when her daughter was able to hug her and feel her hands meet around her middle, expressing pride in her mother's transformation.
Louise has since started working with clients, employing what she calls her "GLP-1 Success" approach. This method emphasizes using GLP-1 medications at the lowest effective dose, building sustainable lifestyle habits concurrently, and gradually tapering off the medication. She aims to help others avoid the common pitfall of weight regain, which she noted has an 86% chance of occurring if lifestyle changes are not implemented alongside the injections.
"You hit the menopause and you can feel like it’s all over, like the version of you that felt good is gone forever. I’m here to tell you it’s not. I feel like me again - but a far better version than ever before," she concluded.