A woman who was once the “ugly fat friend” has turned her life around with the help of weight loss jabs.
Katy Bugg hit rock bottom after a string of humiliating moments linked to her size – including being asked to get off of a rollercoaster when the safety bar wouldn’t close, and struggling to climb two flights of stairs without gasping for air.
At her heaviest, the 30-year-old tipped the scales at just under 22st and wore a size 24, trapped in a cycle of stress eating, takeaways and guilt – often polishing off family-sized bags of crisps and packets of biscuits after long, tiring days at work.
But after turning 30, and feeling too embarrassed to date, she became determined to end the vicious cycle and turn things around.
“I was so scared of going on dates because I had so little confidence in myself,” Katy, an advertising worker from Hertfordshire, told Need To Know.
“I was super confident, but when it came to meeting new people that was always my first thought, do they think I’m fat?
“I would even avoid using dating apps – I was so scared of being fat online.
“I went on a few dates when I was younger, but in recent years I’d lost a lot of confidence.
“When I turned 30, I knew if I didn’t sort something out then, I never would.”
Katy had one of many mini wake-up calls last October during a flight when she realised the seatbelt wouldn’t fasten.
Mortified, she had to quietly ask a flight attendant for an extender while fellow passengers watched.
Katy said: “It was just really embarrassing because everyone had got on and I knew it wasn’t going to do up.
“Everyone was listening.
“I was always a stress eater, even though I knew it was wrong.
“It was like something in me – I felt really guilty eating it as well, but I couldn’t stop it.
“My breaking point to lose weight was a slow build-up, but it was the moment on the plane where it really hit me.”
That moment – followed by her 30th birthday a few months later – made her determined to finally take control.
After spotting ads for Juniper, a weight loss drug provider for weight management, Katy decided to give Mounjaro a go.
She started in January this year and hasn’t looked back since.
After completing an online health assessment, her prescription was approved within days, and she began taking the medication on a weekly basis.
Katy says she noticed the effects almost immediately, with her cravings for takeaways and late-night snacks fading within the first week.
She said: “I had always struggled with my weight.
“Even through school, I was going to slimming groups when I was 17.
“I tried the gym and even got a personal trainer and a health coach, but nothing would stick or work.
“I had attempted everything else, so I thought I’d give Juniper a try.”
Within a month, the pounds started to come off steadily – around one to two a week – and by spring, the difference was already visible.
Katy admits there were some mild side effects from the GLP-1 drug in the beginning, including nausea and fatigue, but they soon settled as her body adjusted.
The drug mimics a natural hormone that suppresses appetite, helping you feel full for longer and eat less.
Alongside the jabs, she made small lifestyle changes too, swapping her usual fast food lunches for salads and protein bowls, cutting out fizzy drinks and going on regular walks.
And the transformation has been staggering.
Katy has already lost 5st 7lbs, dropping to 16st 2lbs and a size 16–18.
But she says it’s not just about the number on the scales – it’s how she feels inside.
She said: “My biggest thing was just snacking, but the food noise was completely gone.
“I would be sitting at my desk always wanting a snack – I wasn’t craving a snack anymore.
“I got a Chinese with my friends and I was full up straight away.
“It’s been amazing.
“I feel like it’s changed my life in a positive way.
“My friends have noticed it as well – they all said my personality, in a nice way, has changed.
“I’m a lot more confident, and it’s nice that more people are noticing not only a weight loss change, but that I feel confident, I’m happier and more bubbly.
“My main goal now is to get to a healthy BMI range.
“I would need to lose another 4st.
“I’ve always said I don’t want to put a number on it – I just need to lose this exact amount more. I’m going to stay on it for now and see what happens.”
Katy says she no longer dreads social situations, avoids shopping trips or worries about being “the fat friend”.
She’s now fitter, happier and finally confident enough to enjoy life again – whether that’s climbing stairs without getting breathless, going on dates or booking her next holiday without fear of the plane seatbelt.
She said: “I feel lighter mentally and physically.
“It feels like a fog has been lifted.
“My weight was such a downer on my life – going out and being worried about how I look and how people perceive me.
“Even though I’m still on a journey, I even feel like I’m ready to meet new people.
“I felt like the designated ugly fat friend. I’m so sad for the Katy who felt like that.
“But I managed to turn it all around and now I just feel so much happier.”
Katy’s diet before:
Breakfast: A little fry-up or a make-at-home McMuffin – bacon, egg, sausage in a bap.
Lunch: A meal deal from the supermarket – the biggest sandwich, biggest bottle of Diet Coke.
Dinner: Chicken nuggets and chips from the freezer, pizzas, big bowls of pasta with no portion control.
Snacks: Biscuits, crisps, packets of sweets.
Katy’s diet now:
Breakfast: A slice of toast with low-calorie butter on, protein drink.
Lunch: Sushi, soup, homemade curry.
Dinner: Pasta with pasta sauce from scratch, fajita wraps and protein wraps with chicken and veggies.
Snacks: A small chocolate bar with 99kcals and fruit.
