There was a time in Aisling McCarthy’s life when she was in agony and couldn’t look at herself in the mirror.

After being diagnosed with arthritis and fibromyalgia in her early thirties, the mum-of-one struggled with searing pain that would shoot through her back, hips and hands, which left her feeling depressed. 

‘I was exhausted and sometimes, it felt like my whole body was on fire,’ the 43-year-old tells Metro. ‘I’d feel so low, and to deal with it, I ate my feelings. It was constant toffee popcorn, chocolate bars, muffins and ice cream… Then I started to lose mobility, which caused me to gain even more weight.’

When Aisling was pregnant with her daughter in 2014, she was often using crutches or a wheelchair, and after Bethany, now 10, was born, the new mum couldn’t lift her.

Aisling weighed 17 and a half stone, and was determined to feel healthy, while still maintaining her curves, so she tried ‘every diet under the sun’, including Slimming World and Slimfast shakes. Although she had some success, it never lasted. ‘I gained it all back because I was starving,’ Aisling remembers.

Then, on one visit to her GP in early 2022, the word ‘Ozempic’ was mentioned. The prescription semaglutide drug had only been approved by the EMA [European Medicines Agency] for weight loss in November 2021; previously, it was primarily used as a treatment for diabetes.

‘There weren’t many people talking about using Ozempic specifically for weight loss at the time, so I was a little anxious about injecting something into my body that I didn’t know a lot about. It wasn’t like it is now, with everyone aware of exactly what it is,’ she explains.

To ease her concerns, Aisling contacted the makers, Novo Nordisk, who talked her through the ins and outs. She learnt that it mimics the hormone GLP-1, which regulates appetite and slows down digestion, meaning users feel fuller after eating less. ‘I was still nervous, but I started to believe it could work, so I was willing to try,’ she adds.

Once she received her prescription, Aisling began injecting herself with a 0.25mg dose every week, which doubled after four weeks, and rose to 1mg after another two months.

Taking Ozempic

It wasn’t the easiest of starts; Aisling struggled with nausea and fatigue for the first six weeks. ‘I went to my GP about it and he asked: “Are you eating?”’ she says. ‘The issue was Ozempic was so effective at turning off any food noise — the little voice nagging me to go into the cupboard — that I was having one meal per day. I started setting an alarm every two hours to remind myself to have some food.

‘The weight started coming off straight away, but I didn’t see it myself until around three months, even though my clothes were hanging off me.’

Aisling also noticed that she had more energy and confidence, which had many benefits, including a healthier sex life with her husband, Jonathan. ‘He was supportive from the start, but then he was very happy,’ she says with a smile. 

Her friends in Cork also began to notice changes. Never secretive about how she achieved it, Aisling says the most common reaction was ‘you jammy b***h’. 

What was most important was how she felt: ‘I’d gone from hating to loving myself, and that’s a hard thing to do. I’m in less pain, which means I’m able to do things I haven’t done since my twenties.’

Recalling a holiday to France during the summer of 2023, a disastrous error demonstrated how far she’d come: ‘Jonathan realised the day before that his passport had expired. I took Bethany alone, which I wouldn’t have been able to do before.

‘Being on holiday and even silly things, like being able to go down a slide with her, felt huge. Before, I wouldn’t have been able to walk up the steps to get to the top.’

Within a year, Aisling had reached her goal weight of 11st and stopped taking Ozempic. The decision was down to a combination of ‘being happy with her curves’ and supply shortage issues due to growing demand. ‘It was a bit late one month, and then again, and then I couldn’t get it at all. I thought if I didn’t choose to come off it, I would start to struggle mentally,’ she explains.

Since then, Aisling has had a breast reduction and an apronectomy to remove loose skin, and now weighs 10st and 9lbs. ‘I used to put talcum powder under my breast to stop infections and smells. I don’t have to anymore,’ she says.

Looking forward

Today, Aisling’s doctor calls her the ‘poster girl for Ozempic’ because she’s bucked recent research by the University of Oxford, which found people taking weight loss medication usually regain any lost pounds within a year of stopping.

‘Weaning off made the difference. I tell everyone not to go cold turkey, because it’s hard to handle the appetite coming back in one go,’ she explains. Gradually reducing her dosage has also meant Aisling has been able to keep her portions small and limit sweet treats. As someone who went through counselling while taking Ozempic, she adds that it’s imperative to do the mental work. 

‘Some people are looking for a quick fix, rather than a tool,’ she says. ‘They’re not treating the reason they gained the weight, so when they stop, the issues that caused the gain creep back, and they don’t know how to handle them. You have to work on your mind as well as your stomach, because otherwise, they’ll sabotage each other.’

Although it’s thought that around 1.5million people use weight loss injections in the UK, it was only in June that GPs were given the green light to prescribe Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Wegovy (semaglutide).  

This latest NHS rollout is expected to see around 220,000 people with the ‘greatest need’ receive the jabs over the next three years. Health Secretary Wes Streeting claims that it’s not only about lowering weight, but also taxes, as people will become less reliant on the NHS.

‘It does save money,’ agrees Aisling, who experiences fewer flare-ups from arthritis and fibromyalgia. ‘I’m no longer needing as much medication, a physio, or a dietitian.’

Talking about the public perception, she adds: ‘There’s still a lot of bias and fat phobia towards people taking the medication. A lot seems to come from personal trainers, and people who’ve been slim their whole life, so they don’t understand. 

Aisling has also noticed that social media can be full of unwarranted comments: ‘I get messages saying “You lost all the weight, but you’re still fat.” I don’t want to be too skinny; it wouldn’t suit me. I like my curves, so why would I want to be something that I don’t like?’

Taking the drugs comes with risks, which Aisling was also made aware of. And although she hasn’t experienced any negative side effects, Aisling warns that Ozempic shouldn’t be a go-to for anyone wanting to lose weight. 

‘It shouldn’t be people’s first choice,’ she stresses. ‘I would advise people to do their research, but if they do go ahead, then they shouldn’t feel any shame in trying to get healthy. 

‘Ozempic genuinely changed my life, so I have no regrets.’

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Josie.Copson@metro.co.uk 

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