Mounjaro changed my life. The SlimrChat interview.

Anna-Louise Dearden | Last update: 18th July 2025

Why did you decide to start slimming jabs – and what was your turning point?

(We love a lightbulb moment – big or small.)

Last year my sister, Helen started taking Mounjaro and I was fascinated at how easy she was finding the weight loss after a lifetime of failed diets. Then Dr Michael Mosley’s son, Jack asked me to work with him on his book called Food Noise and I became fascinated by the fast emerging science of health benefits outside of weight loss.

Even though I’ve always had a ridiculously healthy diet and exercise regime, my weight had been creeping up. I was worried about my big belly and the likelihood that it was harmful visceral fat. I had been put on medication for high blood pressure and my cholesterol levels were creeping up too. I suffered from sleep apnoea, a fatty liver and arthritic joints. All of this is pretty standard for a post menopausal woman at 60 but I decided I wanted to see whether I could improve any of these health markers if I took the jabs and lost a stone in weight. My main aim was to get my blood pressure down so I could come off the medication – I figured I’d just be switching one lot of medication for another and being a bit slimmer would be a bonus.

What surprised you most when you started?

(Be honest. We’ve heard everything from burping air to crying over chips)

The best surprise was the complete disappearance of the food noise which I had never fully appreciated dominated my every waking minute. If you’ve been on diets your whole life you’ll know what food noise is like, and if you’re on the jabs you’ll know the incredible sense of freedom that comes with not being badgered by that incessant chatter and all the awful self-recrimination that comes with it.

The most annoying surprise was the constipation.

What’s your jab routine like now – pen, time, tricks?

(Do you set an alarm, use a Post-it, or just wing it?)

 I started jabbing on Sundays so I could begin the week on a good footing, but I found I was too tempted by weekend treats once the effects started wearing off. So now I jab on Fridays. The suppression keeps me straight over the weekend and I can rely on the routine of the working week to eat healthily even if my old appetite makes a brief appearance.

I log my weight on Wednesdays – mid jab cycle.

Jab day is my favourite day. I get such a buzz of excitement to be topping up my dose. It feels so empowering.

Who has been the most supportive person in your WLD journey?

(Mum, bf, total strangers?)

My sister Helen and I have a constant texting dialogue where we share frustrations and celebrate each other’s achievements. I think it’s important to have an ally. My husband has been fab too. For five months they were the only two people who knew. I was worried about people’s reactions if I told them, but now I don’t mind who knows. I think the jabs are absolutely amazing.

What’s your go-to comfort food now – and what’s out?

(Pasta forever? Chicken ick? We want it all.)

Strangely I’ve become a massive fan of prunes. I started nibbling them in the evenings to keep my guts moving, but now they taste like sweets to me – a healthy indulgence! Without Food Noise beating me up I just don’t need comfort food anymore – I get huge comfort from sleeping well (for the first time in years) and feeling so blooming healthy!

Best thing you’ve gained (besides weight lost)?

(Confidence? Shoes you can finally lace up? Energy to argue with your partner again?)

 The massive joy for me is the fact that I’m off all other drugs. When I hit the one stone off mark I phoned my GP to ask if I could come off the blood pressure meds and after reviewing my readings she said yes. I no longer need a steroid nasal spray to fight the sleep apnoea that was making me horribly sleep deprived and I’m off the painkillers because my knees and back no longer hurt. I feel happier and healthier at 60 than I did at 40.

Anything you wish someone had told you at the start?

(Newbies, take notes.)

Grab a tape measure and record every possible body part – arms, thighs, waist, hips, chest, neck before you start….Because some weeks the scales don’t shift but I look in the mirror and think ‘I’m sure my jawline looks sharper’ or ‘my arms are so toned now’ but I didn’t take ‘before’ measurements so I can’t check.

It’s absolutely ok to lose weight slowly. Be happy with 1-2lbs a week because it’s the people who lose loads of weight really quickly who tend to get the health problems.

Oh and don’t think you have to up the dose every month. Stay on the lowest dose possible for as long as possible and hone your healthy eating habits as you go along.

What’s your take on the whole easy way out chat – and have you adjusted your lifestyle too (fitness/nutrition etc.)

(Be honest. It helps our readers cope.)

MJ is blooming miraculous, but it’s not a magic bullet. You still have to put in the work to monitor what you eat to ensure you’re getting max nutrition from your smaller meals, you still have to say ‘no’ to biscuits, wine, takeaways. And you absolutely do have to go to the gym and lift weights to preserve the precious muscle that will keep you strong and healthy and burning calories longterm.

I’ve become obsessed with protein (aiming for at least 20g per meal to keep my muscles strong) and fibre (aiming for at least 10g per meal to max nutrients and to keep my gut moving) and I drink loads of water. I exercise five times a week and I lift heavy weights. That’s my non-negotiable.

Oh and I barely drink alcohol anymore. It doesn’t taste as good, and when I’m making so many positive changes to my health it’s harder to see the point.

What’s your next goal?

(Could be run for a bus” or “dance at my daughter’s wedding – or come off the drugs and carry on with a lifestyle change – whatever matters to you.)

To get into the ‘healthy’ BMI range and stay there for the rest of my life. If that means micro-dosing on MJ long-term then I’m fine with that.

Finally – give us your one-liner SlimrChat wisdom?

(What would you write on a Post-it for the next person starting out?)

Read the book, FOOD NOISE, before you start on the jabs and commit to a healthy diet and exercise regime.

Follow Louise on Instagram to read her features  about the weight loss jabs @louiseatkinsonwrites / link.