A woman has shared how she lost nine stone after being bullied for her weight.
But Naya Khan is being called a “cheat” by harsh people online as they think she used jabs.
The 19-year-old has been open about her diet and workout routines online.
At her heaviest, she weighed 23st 6lbs.
Now, she’s 13st 8lbs.
“When I first got accused of jabs, I was shocked,“ Naya, from Birmingham, told Need To Know.
“Mostly shocked that I looked slim enough to even be accused of using them.
“I’ve had many messages accusing me of lying and using jabs when I have been very clear I never have.
“I ignore comments associated [with this] and even rejected collabs with paid ads by companies that supply weight loss peptides and medications.
“I have shared everything I did to lose weight with pictured evidence – but still get accusations.
“In 2026, it’s very common; but there’s nothing I can do except share my story and let them believe what they want to.”
The small business owner, who runs Schon Aesthetic and Laser, has struggled with weight issues since she was a young girl and says she often dealt with bullying or self-image issues by eating.
She said: “Before losing [nine stone], I was just the girl that faded into the background and was only useful when it was time to make fun of someone and make everyone laugh.
“I was a young teenager still in school, trying to figure it all out while also coping with bullying, just because I looked different.
“I never felt confident within myself and became an emotional wreck because of it.
“My weight consumed my mind and the only way I could ease the pain was by eating.”
Naya’s journey to her current weight took three years – and multiple major lifestyle changes.
She said: “I spent most of my days in the gym weight lifting and doing cardio but my main focus was my diet.
“I knew if I wanted real change I needed to focus there.
“I limited my sweet treats and made my portions smaller while focusing on whole foods to fuel my body with the nutrients it needed.
“As a foodie I loved to eat everything; this was definitely the hardest thing for me as I had to be really dedicated to my goals to make sure I didn’t fall back into old habits.
“The easy option was to just say ‘I’ll do it tomorrow’ and sometimes I did.
“Motivation and getting to the gym weren’t always easy everyday but reminding myself that only I can change my body and life helped me get out of bed.
“My journey wasn’t perfect but the most important thing was consistency.”
Before, she’d eat most of her meals at restaurants, along with crisps, biscuits and chocolates as her snack of choice.
And her portion sizes usually consisted of the entire packet.
Now, even though she still has a few sweet treats, her portions are smaller and only had at certain times.
For Naya, her main focus is to eat intuitively; meaning having what she wants without restricting herself too much.
She said: “Completely cutting off junk food can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food.
“Protein, carbs and micronutrients are my new dopamine.
“Finishing the day knowing I’ve hit my diet goals satisfies me in a way eating unhealthy never could.”
Going to the gym was initially “really scary” for Naya but she has worked through the anxiety and now works out regularly.
She said: “As a beginner who was the biggest in the room, I was very anxious.
“But I reminded myself that everyone here is working on themselves and they don’t care about me.
“And it worked.”
Now, Naya says her life is “just gym, diet and work” as she keeps to her routines in order to stay on top of everything.
She said: “My focus right now is to build muscle.
“After losing a lot of weight, as someone who didn’t have the right guidance, has left me with loose skin, low muscle mass and low strength.
“Right now, my priority is to become the strongest version of myself.
“I spend most of my evening in the gym surrounded by my gym buddies who also helped me along the way.
“I’m focusing on making content to help people and beginners who are like me and guide them onto the right and healthy path, as I know how hard it can be to lose weight on your own.
“If I can help at least one person and make the process easier for them, that is my ultimate goal.
“And that is also the reason I decided to share my journey.”
Naya’s advice to anyone starting out on a similar path is to “be patient and do it correctly”.
She said: “Right now, there are many shortcuts such as fat-loss jabs that are advertised to make you slimmer – but why cheat when you can do it the right way?
“Starting slow is always best – I did.
“Calorie deficit, weightlifting and cardio will be your best friends when losing weight.
“Over-exercising and under-eating will not make you slimmer faster.
“It will have you stuck in a low mood, low energy and unhappy and also further away from your fitness goals.
“If you’re a beginner, reach out to someone who has done it themselves; they can tell you firsthand exactly what to do and what to avoid.”
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