Ashley O’Driscoll, a mother from Dublin, never expected Ozempic to work for her. Each morning, she weighs herself and carefully tracks every calorie she eats. This routine comes after years of struggling with weight gain and loss that saw her lose half her body weight.
For most of her adult life, Ashley stayed at a size 12. After giving birth 16 years ago, she found it hard to return to her pre-pregnancy weight. Despite trying to “move more and eat less,” her efforts to slim down failed. At her heaviest, she was 5ft 11in and weighed 22 stone, feeling obese and unhappy.
Ashley says, “The slightest thing would make me put on weight. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get it down and keep it down.” Her size affected her confidence. She left the house only for work, school runs, or grocery shopping. Even simple outings like going to the cinema required a lot of encouragement from her best friend.
Seeking help, Ashley’s doctor suggested gastric surgery, but the waiting list was five years long. As a last resort, she tried Ozempic, a diabetes medication that mimics the hormone GLP-1. This hormone helps reduce hunger by making people feel fuller longer.
A recent Oxford University study of over 6,000 people found that users of GLP-1 drugs often regain weight within 10 months of stopping unless they maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Initially doubtful, Ashley got a prescription and started injecting Ozempic weekly. Despite mild side effects like headaches and nausea, she saw weight drop quickly in the first week. She said, “The ‘food noise’ disappeared. You’re not constantly thinking about your next meal. It decreases your appetite and makes you feel full longer.”
On Ozempic, Ashley might eat porridge and honey for breakfast, then skip lunch or have a small soup, followed by a light dinner. Watching the numbers on the scale drop motivated her to increase activity. She began walking, running, and weightlifting—activities she had enjoyed as a teen but had long given up due to breathlessness.
By spring last year, Ashley had lost 12 stone—almost half her body weight—and fit into jeans for the first time in years. She motivated herself with social media challenges, walking 10,000 extra steps daily for a week.
Ozempic transformed her life physically and mentally, she says. But despite the success, Ashley is also coming to terms with the challenges that remain after significant weight loss.
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