AS SHE took her seat on the roller coaster, Katy Bugg’s stomach dropped but it had nothing to do with the adrenaline that the ride was promising.
Her heart sank as ride attendant approached to escort Katy out of her seat after the safety bar had failed to fit over her large frame.
Katy Bugg says she always felt like the ‘ugly fat friend’ before she lost weightCredit: Jam Press/Katy Bugg
But since starting weight loss jabs her confidence has sky-rocketedCredit: Jam Press/Katy Bugg
For Katy it was her rock bottom and the moment that she would turn her life around after spending years as the ‘ugly fat friend.’
At her heaviest, the 30-year-old tipped the scales at just under 22st and wore a size 24, trapped in a cycle of takeaways and guilt – often polishing off family-sized bags of crisps and packets of biscuits after long, tiring days at work.
But after turning 30, and feeling , she became determined to end the vicious cycle and turn things around.
“I was so scared of going on dates because I had so little confidence in myself,” Katy, an advertising worker from Hertfordshire, says.
“I was super confident, but when it came to meeting new people that was always my first thought, do they think I’m fat?
“I would even avoid using – I was so scared of being fat online.
“I went on a few when I was younger, but in recent years I’d lost a lot of confidence.
“When I turned 30, I knew if I didn’t sort something out then, I never would.”
Katy had one of many mini wake-up calls last October during a flight when she realised the seatbelt wouldn’t fasten.
Mortified, she had to quietly ask a flight attendant for an while fellow passengers watched.
Katy says: “It was just really embarrassing because everyone had got on and I knew it wasn’t going to do up.
“Everyone was listening.”
Katy admits that her bad eating habits were often a result of emotional stress.
“I was always a stress eater, even though I knew it was wrong,” she says.
“It was like something in me – I felt really guilty eating it as well, but I couldn’t stop it.
“My breaking point to lose weight was a slow build-up, but it was the moment on the plane where it really hit me.”
That moment – followed by her 30th birthday a few months later – made her determined to finally take control.
After spotting ads for Juniper, a weight loss drug provider for weight management, Katy decided to give Mounjaro a go.
Katy says that she struggled with porton control, eating too much even when she knew she shouldn’tCredit: Jam Press/Katy Bugg
She admits that a lot of her unhealthy eating habits happened when she was stressedCredit: Jam Press/Katy Bugg
Katy has already lost 5st 7lbs, dropping to 16st 2lbs and a size 16–18.Credit: Jam Press/Katy Bugg
She started in January this year and hasn’t looked back since.
After completing an online health assessment, her prescription was approved within days, and she began taking the medication on a weekly basis.
Katy says she noticed the effects almost immediately, with her cravings for takeaways and late-night snacks fading within the first week.
She says: “I had always struggled with my weight.
“Even through school, I was going to slimming groups when I was 17.
“I tried the gym and even got a personal trainer and a health coach, but nothing would stick or work.
“I had attempted everything else, so I thought I’d give Juniper a try.”
Within a month, the pounds started to come off steadily – around one to two a week – and by spring, the difference was already visible.
Katy admits there were some mild side effects from the GLP-1 drug in the beginning, including nausea and fatigue, but they soon settled as her body adjusted.
The drug mimics a natural hormone that suppresses appetite, helping you feel full for longer and eat less.
Alongside the jabs, she made small lifestyle changes too, swapping her usual fast food lunches for salads and protein bowls, cutting out fizzy drinks and going on regular walks.
And the transformation has been staggering.
Katy has already lost 5st 7lbs, dropping to 16st 2lbs and a size 16–18.
KATY'S DIET BEFORE AND AFTER
Katy’s diet before:
Breakfast: A little fry-up or a make-at-home McMuffin – bacon, egg, sausage in a bap.
Lunch: A meal deal from the supermarket – the biggest sandwich, biggest bottle of Diet Coke.
Dinner: Chicken nuggets and chips from the freezer, pizzas, big bowls of pasta with no portion control.
Snacks: Biscuits, crisps, packets of sweets.
Katy’s diet now:
Breakfast: A slice of toast with low-calorie butter on, protein drink.
Lunch: Sushi, soup, homemade curry.
Dinner: Pasta with pasta sauce from scratch, fajita wraps and protein wraps with chicken and veggies.
Snacks: A small chocolate bar with 99kcals and fruit.
But she says it’s not just about the number on the scales – it’s how she feels inside.
She says: “My biggest thing was just snacking, but the food noise was completely gone.
“I would be sitting at my desk always wanting a snack – I wasn’t craving a snack anymore.
“I got a Chinese with my friends and I was full up straight away.
“It’s been amazing.
“I feel like it’s changed my life in a positive way.
“My friends have noticed it as well – they all said my personality, in a nice way, has changed.
“I’m a lot more confident, and it’s nice that more people are noticing not only a weight loss change, but that I feel confident, I’m happier and more bubbly.
“My main goal now is to get to a healthy BMI range.
“I would need to lose another 4st.
“I’ve always said I don’t want to put a number on it – I just need to lose this exact amount more. I’m going to stay on it for now and see what happens.”
Katy says she no longer dreads social situations, avoids shopping trips or worries about being “the fat friend”.
She’s now fitter, happier and finally confident enough to enjoy life again – whether that’s climbing stairs without getting breathless, going on dates or booking her next holiday without fear of the plane seatbelt.
She says: “I feel lighter mentally and physically.
“It feels like a fog has been lifted.
“My weight was such a downer on my life – going out and being worried about how I look and how people perceive me.
“Even though I’m still on a journey, I even feel like I’m ready to meet new people.
“I felt like the designated ugly fat friend. I’m so sad for the Katy who felt like that.
“But I managed to turn it all around and now I just feel so much happier.”
She admits that she struggled with her mental health while she was a larger sizeCredit: Jam Press/Katy Bugg
Katy says she is aiming to lose another four stone with the help of weight loss jabsCredit: Jam Press/Katy Bugg Everything you need to know about fat jabs
Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases.
Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK.
Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market.
Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year.
How do they work?
The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight.
They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists.
They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients’ sugar levels are too high.
Can I get them?
NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics.
Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure.
GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss.
Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk.
Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health.
Are there any risks?
Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild.
Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at patient.info, said: “One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.”
Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia.
Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients’ mental health.
Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines.
