A woman who was left mortified by her holiday snaps managed to lose five stone in just five months after battling with obesity all her life. Karlie Cumming, 31, was finally spurred into action after the photos left her feeling “ashamed and appalled’.”
Karlie recalled: “I had just returned home from a family holiday with my husband and two little children. I looked at the holiday pictures and had a lump in my throat; was that really me? I was ashamed and appalled at the woman looking back at me in the mirror. I was over 22 stone, and even my trusty black leggings were looking stretched over the body I didn’t recognise.”
Edinburgh-based Karlie admits she’s had a problematic relationship with food since childhood and has always struggled with her weight.
“I can remember climbing onto the worktop to eat sugar from the sugar bowl, and when my dad caught me, he would say; ‘well, you wouldn’t catch Cinderella doing that now, would you?’ From there, I realised that my relationship with food was not the same as a ‘normal child’. “After my parents’ divorce when I was 4, I used food as an emotional crutch. I felt deep shame surrounding my dependency on junk food – I would secretly eat, right through childhood.
“In fact, when my weight spiralled out of control when I was nine, my mum attempted to monitor my food intake and would try her best to pack a healthy lunch for me to take to school. I would discard what I didn’t want from the lunch, and sneak to the chip shop across from the school gates, reports Bristol Live.
“There was an addiction and a comfort found in the unhealthy foods I would consume. I began fad dieting when I was still in primary school – drinking slim fast shakes in a desperate attempt to be a normal size, but unable to tear myself away from my addiction – and running right back to the chip shop.”
Karlie lost a lot of weight in her twenties after a relationship broke down and she moved back in with her mum – but it was not through healthy lifestyle changes. “I all but starved myself in desperation,” she said.
“Of course, without healthy changes being implemented, I fell back into the familiar pattern of emotional eating and gained it all back.”
After she decided things had to change in March 2024, she started a TikTok account to hold herself accountable, documenting her life and weekly weigh-ins. “I tracked my calories, I exercised, I stayed consistent with my TikTok weigh-ins. However, just like every attempt before that, I failed at every hurdle,” she says.
“My addiction to takeaway foods, and despite her best efforts, her dependence on junk food proved too strong, leading to self-sabotage. She recalls scrolling through TikTok and reading stories about GLP1s and Mounjaro. The idea intrigued her, but also filled her with fear – she convinced herself that it wouldn’t work for her, and that she would suffer from unmanageable side effects. “By August, I decided to give my ‘last attempt’ at a refreshed weight loss journey, and so I bit the bullet,” Karlie revealed.
She opted for a combination of weight loss medication and Habitual’s meal replacements and support programme. “I found Habitual, and with their 1:1 support system and care team, they were the perfect fit to ease my anxious mind when beginning my GLP1 journey,” she explains.
“Within days, I was facing my first injection day. I was absolutely terrified, but I was more terrified that my obesity would prevent me from living long enough to see my boys grow into men. So I did it, and it is quite simply, the best decision I have ever made. I must be clear, though, that it is not a magic wand – I have worked hard for the results I have obtained thus far.
“I have my Habitual meal replacements daily alongside balanced meals, I do strength training as often as possible, and most importantly, I am reflecting on the changes I make – and how they are changing all aspects of my life.”
Karlie lost over five stone – and feels wonderful in her new body. “In the space of my first 27 weeks, I had lost 75 pounds, which is almost five and a half stone,” she explains.
“I have gone from squeezing myself into a size 24 to wearing a 16 comfortably – I haven’t been this size since I was a teenager! I cannot describe in words how I feel now. More than anything, I’m still in disbelief that I’m doing it, that something is actually working.
“I’ve spent my lifetime being obese, and for the first time – I see a light at the end of the tunnel. The emotions this evokes are overwhelming – I’m so proud of myself for investing in my health, but more so, I’m excited for the clothes I can now buy, for the life I can live with my children as I can now run with them, play with them – make memories.”
She reflects on past photos with a different perspective now: “And I still look back at the pictures with a lump in my throat, but not out of sadness anymore – out of pure joy.” Karlie’s transformation has also been a source of happiness for her friends and family.
“My friends and family have been extremely supportive,” she adds. “Of course, it’s human nature to worry, but they knew that I did my research and made an informed decision.
“And when they saw it begin to work, and my confidence began to shine – they knew it was all worth it. Coming from a girl who has lived her whole life feeling inferior due to the shadow obesity casts, I’d like more people to know that there is an exit door.
“I struggled to push my way through navigating my weight during the entirety of my life. The weight of bad habits and my junk food dependency was just too strong for me to push through, but I found my strength through the use of my tools; GLP1, healthier food choices and strength training.
“Everyone’s journey will look different, and you mustn’t compare. You can do it, believe me – and no it won’t be easy, but it will be the best thing you will ever do for yourself.
“When you begin your weight loss journey after many failed attempts, there’s a core belief there that this time will be no different. This time will be different. Stay consistent – when the weight of the door is too much, just stay consistent, you will push through. Even when it feels like your efforts aren’t working, they are.”
Karlie also wants people to be open-minded when it comes to weight loss medication. “GLP1 medications receive a wealth of negative reactions, but this is an unfair representation of the reality,” she adds.
GLP1 medications are now regulated to treat both Type 2 diabetes, and obesity in the UK – and although there are thousands of us who have decided to take Mounjaro to aid weight loss, the stigma persists. “I have many friends on social media that are ‘secret jabbers’, and whilst I do respect their decision – I feel sad that there is a need to obscure the truth.”
She proudly admitted her use of Mounjaro in her weight loss journey, stating: “I, for one, feel absolutely no shame when telling others that I have used Mounjaro as a tool in my weight loss journey. There have been mixed responses, naturally, from ‘good for you’ to ‘but you’re stealing it from the diabetics’.
“The truth is, people will formulate a concrete opinion about something they read on a headline, but they know nothing factual about it, or how it’s transforming lives for the better.” She concluded by expressing her commitment to continue sharing her journey on TikTok, saying: “I will continue to document my GLP1 journey on TikTok; and whilst it’s not always sunshine and rainbows – it’s real.
“So rather than headline grabbing and forming uninformed opinions, there should be more coverage from content creators who document real, raw and emotional experiences from their weightloss journeys using a GLP1 medication such as Mounjaro.”