WHEN Chanel Robinson piled on the pounds in the pandemic her self esteem took a hit – but that wasn’t the only downside.
Facing a deadly diagnosis that doctors warned was a result of her 18st frame, the 29-year-old turned to . Along with shedding a staggering 6st she admits there were two vital she hadn’t expected that have transformed her life and looks.
Things took a turn for Chanel when a routine revealed she was – meaning her blood sugars were higher than usual and she was at high risk – and had , putting her at increased risk of and .
The discovery was the wake-up call she needed to finally take control of her .
“Physically, just walking around doing miles was hard,”; Chanel, from , , tells Sun Health.
“I just felt very sluggish and I think I slept a lot more.
“I had low confidence. I wasn’t happy with myself and I was super critical.
“I didn’t feel comfortable wearing certain things. I felt like going out was a task.”;
Due to her and high cholesterol, Chanel says she was able to get a prescription for the “pretty easily”;.
The medication works by mimicking a hormone the body produces when the stomach is full, slowing down digestion and preventing .
Switching off hunger signals means patients eat less and avoid weight gain.
Despite easy access to the drug, Chanel’s medical insurance does not cover the expenses, meaning she has to fork out around $1,500 (£1,126) every month.
But having shed 6.5st – and wiped years off her appearance – Chanel says the hefty cost is more than worth it.
The content creator posted her transformation on , where it racked up an incredible 7.8million views, 609,000 likes and 6,620 comments.
She says: “I started taking them 100 per cent for weight loss.
“I was unhappy with my weight and how I looked. I was 246lbs then – I’m like 5ft, too.
“I felt like my life was heading in the wrong direction so I decided to start taking them then.
“I went to the doctor and I found out I was pre-diabetic and had high cholesterol.
“I needed to be on them for reasons other than weight loss.
“Weight has not always been something I’ve struggled with, but I did put on 60 to 70lbs during Covid.
“I know being sedentary during that time didn’t help and I continued those bad habits I developed during those times.”;
Now that my skin has cleared up, I just look incredibly youthful. I feel more confident than ever
Chanel Robinson
Chanel says having (PSOS), a condition where you have few, unusual or very long , also contributed to her weight gain.
Along with having an inactive lifestyle, the condition meant she found it difficult to slim down.
But having taken since June 2023, Chanel feels slimmer and more confident than ever – and she says there’s been an unexpected benefit to the treatment: her .
“Ozempic has made me look 10 years younger by improving my skin and my health,”; she says.
“I’ve just gotten this glow that I don’t even think I had prior to gaining weight. It was a nice bonus.
“I’m extremely happy with how I look now. My confidence has grown so much in the way I present myself, the way I dress.
“I’ve definitely had people comment on it.The huge improvement in my skin is something people who know me point out in person, but it’s a pretty big conversation online as well.
“I had really bad seborrheic dermatitis that caused itchy, scaly patches on my face, which I feel like aged me.
“Now that it’s cleared up due to the weight loss, my skin just looks incredibly youthful.
“It was hard going out with my friends because I was always ‘the bigger friend’ and it didn’t help that I just genuinely didn’t put much effort into my appearance because I wasn’t happy with myself.
“But now that the weight loss has shaved years off my appearance, I feel more confident than ever now that I look my age.”;
Chanel says she saw the effects of quickly – losing more than 2st in the first few months.
She eats the same as before but now has smaller portions, and she doesn’t feel hungry as often.
As well as the weight loss, clearing up her skin and helping with her , the injections have had a profound effect on her other health conditions.
“It’s just changed so much,”; Chanel says.
“It’s definitely helped my dermatitis and PCOS, and my cholesterol has lowered. Plus, I’m no longer pre-diabetic.
“I’m doing physical activities and I genuinely want to go out and move more.”;
Although the medication has been a success, Chanel says she has experienced some like , , , and .
“You’re not eating as much food and stay fuller for a lot longer,”; she says.
“I remember the day after I took it, I didn’t eat until 7pm because I genuinely had no desire for food.
“That was something I had to learn how to deal with. I wasn’t hungry, but I had headaches and fatigue.
“Now I’ll eat pretty late at like 12pm in the afternoon. I don’t eat until around this time and then I’ll have a snack and something smaller for dinner.
“The only side effect I was warned about was not to overeat as I might projectile vomit.
“I’ve probably overeaten a handful of times, but I’ve felt extremely uncomfortable. That’s the worst feeling.
“On Thanksgiving and Christmas you’re eating all day – it’s that kind of full. The food sits on you for twice as long.
“I have experienced nausea, fatigue, constipation, diarrhoea and migraines. But it has only happened a few times – they aren’t consistent side effects.”;
‘People say I’m lazy’
Chanel says despite always being open and honest about her weight loss journey, she has been .
She says: “I always tell people how I’ve lost weight.
“I’ve never had judgement in person but definitely online.
“I think so many of us have struggled with weight for so long and we didn’t have options. People work out and diet and it doesn’t seem to stick.
“But people come in and have something negative to say – ‘You’re lazy, you’re stealing medication from people who need it.’
“Honestly, it’s just entertaining. I get some comments like that but I’m a pretty strong person.
“It doesn’t bother me. I just think, ‘Wow, there are people out here who want to see people continue to stay overweight and struggle.’
“They’re basically saying, ‘I don’t respect the fact you did this and didn’t put blood, sweat and tears into the gym and didn’t count calories.’
“They think if they struggled to lose weight, I should as well.”;
