IN the run up to her sister’s wedding, Alejandra Salomon wanted to look her best – and her parents were pressuring her to slim down.
But weighing more than 13st and wearing a size 16, she knew she had a long way to go, so she turned to .
Alejandra, who is in her late 20s, expected to , and she indeed dropped over 4st (60lbs) in eight months.
But the best part about her transformation had nothing to do with the number on the scales.
While other ‘’ users have reported developing ‘’ – a more gaunt, aged appearance around the cheeks, jawline and eyes – Alejandra says she couldn’t be happier with her youthful results.
“My weight loss has made me look 10 years younger – no Botox needed,”;; she tells Sun Health.
“It looks like I got jawline filler but really I lost 60lbs and got in the best shape of my life.”;;
The marketing manager, who is based in Salt Lake City, , , started taking , the active ingredient Ozempic, in October 2023.
It works by mimicking hormones that tell the brain the stomach is full, switching off hunger signals so patients eat less and avoid .
At the time, Alejandra weighed 13st 3lbs and was wearing a size 16 (US 12), which gave her an BMI given her height of 5ft 3ins.
She says: “I started the injections because my parents thought it would be a good idea to lose 20lbs for my sister’s wedding.”;;
But Alejandra, who has (PCOS), a hormonal disorder which causes and can make , dropped triple that amount in eight months, and now weighs 8st 9lbs, wearing a size 6 (US 2).
She says: “It has without a doubt been the best decision for both my health and confidence.
“I’ve never been happier or healthier.”;;
Commenting on the ‘’ commentary online, Alejandra adds: “A lot of people refer to ‘Ozempic face’ as a negative side effect to rapid weight loss.
“It’s when your face slims down quickly and people forget that looking different isn’t a bad thing.
“It’s just one part of your health journey – and you’re still you, just with sharper cheekbones.”;;
She even previously believed her ‘round face’ or ‘‘ was genetic, but after dropping the weight now thinks it was simply inflammation.
For Alejandra, the worst “side effect”;; she has experienced has been unwarranted comments from critics.
Despite being told she would regain the weight after coming off of the jabs, nine months later she has maintained her svelte physique and says she has “found herself again”;; with newfound .
I am no longer on medication, and am maintaining my weight – and I still eat fast food
Alejandra Salomon
But while the injections have helped, Alejandra has also and eaten a throughout her weight loss journey – particularly the more weight she lost.
She aimed to consume 100g of – dubbed by some experts as ‘nature’s Ozempic’ – a day.
include lean meats, fish, dairy, eggs, nuts, beans and oats, as well as protein powders.
She also took supplements like to stay hydrated and a to “keep things moving”;;.
For exercise, Alejandra focused on muscle-building over cardio.
“That’s because the more muscle you have, the more fat you burn,”;; she says.
In a video detailing the process, she adds: “It started to work right away, but it wasn’t just the GLP-1 medication that helped me to lose weight.
“It is not an easy solution and is not a magic trick.
“I started to eat so much protein and switch up my workouts.
“At first [when taking the jab] I was going to the gym and walking on the treadmill, and that helps.
“But you get to a point where you lose so much muscle with GLP that you need to rebuild it – and you can only do that by lifting weights and doing low intensity workouts.
“I continued to do that and I ended up losing 60lbs in eight months.
“I am no longer on medication, and am maintaining my weight!”;;
And she still enjoys the odd , such as a grilled chicken sandwich wrapped in lettuce with a side of macaroni cheese from , and a beef burrito bowl from .
