THREE members of the same family who live in the UK’s fat jab capital have lost 20st between them – and know the mistakes that could be halting your weight loss.
Debbie Brannan, and Lynsay Brannan have dropped more than 15 dress sizes all in since they started using weight loss medication in 2022.
Debbie Brannan shed seven stone in seven months after using WegovyCredit: Supplied
The mum-of-three dropped from a size 16-18 to a size 8-10Credit: Supplied
Debbie, 39, was a size 16-18 at her heaviest, but shed 7st in seven months after turning to Wegovy four years ago, which is licensed for medical weight management.
In just over half a year and spending around £90 a month, the mum reversed her obesity and became symptom-free with her fibromyalgia, as well as seeing huge improvements with her chronic lipedema.
It inspired her sister-in-law, Carly, 35, to try it for herself in 2023 after she was unhappy with her size 14-16 frame alongside her cousin Lynsay, who was a size 20.
Incredibly, on Ozempic and then Mounjaro, shrinking, to a size six.
And Lynsay lost almost half her body weight after taking Mounjaro, going from 16st to just 8st 4lbs, dropping seven dress sizes in the process.
Their weight loss success comes as Glasgow was named the fat jab capital of the UK – with a third of dieters using Ozempic or Mounjaro to shed the pounds.
Debbie has even launched Elite Clinic of Aesthetics , which is an award-winning weight loss clinic in the east end of the city.
The firm is now one of Scotland’s most established and respected centres for medical weight management and offers safe, medically overseen access to evidence-based treatment.
Carly co-runs the firm alongside Debbie, with Lynsay helping the team manage their social media.
And they use each of their journeys to help and inspire clients who turn to jabs because they struggle to shed the pounds.
Speaking exclusively to The Scottish Sun, Debbie said there are some key food and drink mistakes that new jabbers make when they first begin their journey.
The stunning redhead revealed that opting for fatty foods, not drinking enough water, and having too much alcohol and energy drinks can be damaging.
And she even opened up on how often you should really have takeaways when using the jabs.
Debbie said: “I would always advise people when using a GLP-1 medication that the first thing is plenty of water, stay hydrated.
“And if you’re not a massive fan of water, we recommend electrolytes. An electrolyte in the morning can definitely go a long way.
“We also advise against any alcohol, but if you do consume alcohol, we suggest an electrolyte before and before you go to bed so that you’re not dehydrated.”
She added: “Food-wise, we would obviously avoid fatty and greasy foods because they can give you a thing called sulphur burps.
“It is one of the most common side effects – it’s like an acid reflux, and it’s when you burp, and it tastes like sulphur.
“If you overeat fatty foods or if it’s a food that your body can’t break down properly, then it’s very common.”
Lynsay dropped seven dress and shed almost half her body weight sizes after taking MounjaroCredit: Supplied
The mum of two, now a size six, dropped from 16st to just 8st 4lbsCredit: Supplied
She dropped five dress sizes after losing 5st 7lbs using weight-loss jabsCredit: Supplied
She dropped from a size 14-16 to a size 8-10Credit: Supplied
Debbie also explained that people often make the mistake of having fewer meals with larger portion sizes, and she explained that breaking them up into smaller meals can avoid that.
She said: “We always try to suggest having light meals and smaller meals. So either have your three meals a day or have five smaller meals. But your main key is obviously to stay very, very hydrated.
“We would also say avoid caffeine, and like your Red Bulls, your energy drinks.
“If you have energy drinks and you’re not consuming a lot of calories, they can obviously affect you because your body’s not absorbing it.
“But it also dehydrates you, and the last thing you want is to be dehydrated.
Healthy hair
DEBBIE has also encouraged anyone with thin hair who is thinking about using weight loss jabs to take biotin.
Biotin – Vitamin B7 – helps with both thinning hair and maintaining healthy hair.
It works by supporting the production of keratin, a protein essential for building hair structure, strength, and elasticity.
And Debbie said taking this can help those using jabs since one of the possible side effects is ahir loss.
She said: “We always suggest taking a multivitamin, and we suggest a biotin.
“One of the side effects of the medications could be hair loss.
“So we’ll always say to clients if they do have thin hair in general, then maybe get a biotin supplement or a biotin injection and take that as and when they need it.”
“So we would always suggest avoiding caffeine when you’re on the medication if you can, and just stay hydrated with a really well-balanced meal.
“When it comes to takeaways, I would always suggest limiting them to once per week if you can, and choosing the healthier options.”
The three women, all from Glasgow, admitted that the various fast-busting jabs changed their lives and helped them hit milestones that they would have been unable to reach through lifestyle methods alone.
Debbie said: “It’s been everything for me. I mean, I had flare-ups of fibromyalgia every so often.
“I used to struggle when I got up morning because my body was full of inflammation.
“This medication helped all of that. God knows how. I mean, obviously, there is research on that on the different things that the medication helps with, like PCOS, high blood pressure, cardiovascular.
“But for me, inflammation was one of the main things that the medication actually helped with.”
Carly also said it helped her with other health conditions, adding: “I still take it once a month because I get night sweats and all that with my hormones, and it stops all that.
“I had a bad back and things like that, so the weight didn’t help with that either. So obviously getting the weight off has helped all that.
“This is the best I’ve ever felt, even before the kids. I felt so rubbish about myself before. Whereas now I feel like I’ve got a new lease of life.”
While Lynsay said “it’s changed her life” – giving her the confidence boost she had been looking for for years.
She added: “I wish they had this medication when I was in my early 20s because I feel that I would have grown up a different person. I just feel like I would have had that confidence years ago.
“I just spent all that time worrying, self-conscious about my weight, and just hated the way I looked. Just hated myself, kind of thing. And now I feel like I’m a lot more positive.”
How fat jabs work - and how to get maximum results safely
WEIGHT loss jabs were originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes - and Ozempic is still prescribed for that.
Wegovy and Mounjaro, which are now available on the NHS, along with Saxenda, are licensed for weight management in obese adults (BMI over 30) or those who are overweight (BMI over 27) with related conditions such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
They work by mimicking hormones like GLP-1, which help regulate appetite, slow digestion and make you feel fuller for longer – often leading to dramatic weight loss.
The health benefits can be huge, since obesity is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.
But not everyone sees the same results. One common mistake is expecting it to work instantly.
For example, taking it right before a takeaway, special occasion, or big night out in the hope it will stop you from overindulging.
Jason Murphy, head of pharmacy and weight loss expert at Chemist4U, says: “Taking the jab right before a takeaway or party won’t automatically stop you from indulging.
“Weight loss injections need time to build up in your system. They don’t blunt your appetite immediately after injection.
“It usually takes a few days to start feeling a difference, and several weeks for the full effects to settle in.”
Inject your dose mid-week if you plan for a heavier weekend.
Another common error is injecting in the same spot each time.
“People often default to injecting in the same spot over and over, but this can cause local irritation or even small lumps of fat under the skin (lipohypertrophy),” Dr Crystal Wyllie, GP at Asda Online Doctor , explains.
“This can affect how well the medication is absorbed and make it less effective.”
She recommends rotating injection sites between the abdomen, thigh, and upper arm, and even picking different spots within those zones.
And never stop using them suddenly as this can lead to rapid weight gain, Mital Thakrar, a pharmacist from Well Pharmacy, warns.
“There’s a tendency to ditch weight-loss treatments as soon as you reach your desired weight,” he says. “But that’s not our advice.”
A recent University of Oxford study found people typically return to their original weight within 10 months of stopping treatment, especially if lifestyle changes weren’t firmly established.
“Without the appetite suppression, hunger and cravings return quickly,” Mr Thakrar explains.
This includes , which means cutting out junk food and alcohol while increasing and , as well as exercising regularly.
“Building habits like these during treatment is key for sustaining results,” he says.
“Many patients see improvements in blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure.”
But stopping too soon can reverse these gains if weight creeps back.
Finally, if you’re not seeing results, you might be missing the oldest rule in the book – .
“Dehydration is a common, yet indirect, side effect of weight loss injections,” Dr Wyllie says.
The drugs dull appetite, and in doing so, they can also blunt thirst signals. Yet hydration is crucial for the body to function properly.
“Aim for two to three litres per day, sipping regularly, not just when thirsty,” Dr Wyllie explains.
“Hydration supports metabolism, digestion, and can reduce side effects like headaches, nausea and constipation.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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