My Weight-Loss Journey: From Childhood Struggles to Medical Interventions

Hey there, I’m Vikki! I’m 38, a proud mom to my neurospicy little girl, and next year I’m marrying my childhood sweetheart. But that’s not what led me to start using a weight-loss injection.

I’ve shared this before, but I’ve been overweight for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I was often bullied, not just because I was the “fat kid,” but also because my family moved around a lot. Every time I made new friends, I’d end up having to switch schools and start all over again. Out of all those years, I’m still in touch with only 2-3 people from my primary school days—and even that’s mainly through social media.

Some of my earliest memories about my weight involve my dad encouraging me to do sit-ups to shrink my belly. I must have been about six years old. I can still picture him holding my feet, but try as I might, I just wasn’t athletic like him and my brother. They excelled at sports, while my heart was set on horses and farm life. Animals have always been my passion—and they still are today.

High School Years: Sticking Out from the Crowd

Secondary school wasn’t as bad socially. I stayed at the same school and formed a solid group of friends. But even then, I felt the weight of being, well, bigger—both in height and size. While my friends were mostly petite, around 5ft tall and wearing size 6, I stood at 5ft 8 and was a size 14. It was impossible not to compare myself to them.

To make things more complicated, I had hypermobility, which led to multiple ankle breaks between the ages of 9 and 14—three on the left, one on the right. While this got me out of PE (no complaints there!), it didn’t stop me from doing what I loved: horse riding, netball, hockey, and my absolute favorite—swimming. I could swim for hours and often did.

Swimming became more than just a hobby for me. With my grandma’s support, I turned it into a way to raise money for animal charities like Redwings Horse Sanctuary, RSPCA, Cats Protection League, and even the Hedgehog Hospital. I remember one charity swim where I completed 1500 meters (45 lengths) in under an hour—so I decided to swim the same distance again for good measure!

The Dieting Years: Searching for Solutions

After school, I started working at a GP practice, and it was there that I first felt ready to tackle my weight head-on. At 16/17 years old, I weighed about 16 stone (224 lbs) and decided to join Weight Watchers with a colleague. Thus began my long, frustrating relationship with diets and diet culture.

Nothing seemed to work for me, though. I even explored medical weight-loss options after hearing about a colleague’s failed gastric band surgery and another’s unsuccessful gastric bypass. Desperate for something that would help, I consulted with Dr. Anna, who prescribed me Reductil, an appetite suppressant. I had to wait until I turned 18, but as soon as I was old enough, I got approved.

For the first time, I felt like something might actually work. But after just a month, my blood pressure shot up, and I had to stop taking it. Not long after, the drug was pulled from the market altogether due to its links to heart attacks and strokes.

Trying (and Failing) Different Approaches

Over the years, I tried a series of weight-loss treatments and medications. Glucomannan capsules, which are supposed to swell in your stomach to make you feel fuller, didn’t work for me. Orlistat, a drug that reduces fat absorption, came with side effects that were just too much to handle.

With each failure, my frustration grew. I ended up on antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds, feeling more uncomfortable in my own skin than ever. By my late 20s, after bouncing from one failed diet to another, I gave up entirely.

Finding Hope: The Liraglutide Trial

That’s when I stumbled across a clinical trial for Liraglutide (also known as Victoza or Saxenda).

But more on that in my next post...

Vikki

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