The Truth About Weight Loss Drugs: Real Women’s Stories and What Worked for Them

We hear all about the national trend: how women from coast to coast are using weight loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy now more than ever before. And there is good reason for the popularity and buzz surrounding recent diet drug results. Anthony Puopolo II, MD , who lost 40 pounds with weight loss drugs, says, “We see these GLP-1 drugs as being a once-in-a-generation breakthrough: the best nonsurgical treatment for weight loss that’s ever been created.” But how exactly do weight loss drugs really work for individual women, considering their unique bodies and specific lifestyles? To find out, we gathered real women to share their weight loss medication testimonials. Here, our roundup of everyday women and their success stories using prescription weight loss medications…

Success story #1: Nutritionist lost 137 pounds with the help of shots plus vitamins!”

Christina Jordan , a board-certified GLP-1 Master Nutritionist, works with a doctor to prescribe GLP-1s at her Arizona clinic, Fit Body Weight Loss. B ut she’s also been taking the meds herself. She’s shed a total of 137 pounds (half her size!) over the years and credits 52 pounds lost with GLP-1 assistance.

Jordan found the most luck combining weight loss medications with vitamins. She explains, “ I exclusively use a custom-compounded advanced semaglutide with added medical-grade amino acid glycine to protect muscle and bone mass, along with medical-grade B12 to boost energy , support liver function, and enhance immune system protection.” And it’s working! She lost 7 pounds in her best week on the shots.

With all her experience, Jordan knows how to troubleshoot common challenges related to weight-loss medications. If the shot triggers fatigue, “you can take it in the evening.” Another pitfall she sees is nausea. “It’s not the medication causing nausea, it’s your blood sugar leveling out.” After all, these medicines began as diabetes blood sugar–regulating drugs. If you tend to get nauseous with the shot, eat a snack right after to stave off queasiness. “Have a piece of fruit or protein like a hard-boiled egg and the nausea will be gone in minutes.” As for injection location, Jordan finds, “the closer you inject to the belly button, the stronger it works to reduce appetite.” But she adds, “If you inject it near the hip, farther away from the belly button, you may feel less nausea.”

What’s more: Jordan is spreading her knowledge to others in her new book The Ultimate GLP-1 Cookbook . “Many women are considering these shots for not just weight loss, but also inflammation, anti-aging, balancing PCOS issues and autoimmune conditions.” She’s found, from personal experience and the experience of hundreds of patients, “It’s really a wonderful therapy that is very natural!”

“Taking weight loss drugs is not taking the easy way out. It’s just evening the playing field. You deserve help and you’re worthy of help!”

Success story #2: Katie lost 95 pounds with an oral weight-loss drug

Katie Kabala , 40, of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, always carried excess weight. But she was stunned at her annual check-up when her doctor said, “I think gastric bypass surgery is your best option.” Katie admits, “The idea of having surgery really freaked me out. I asked if there were any other options.”

Katie had already tried endless diets, but her cravings were no match. As for popular GLP-1 shots, she didn’t love the idea of needles, plus, those meds were pricey, and Katie kept hearing about product shortages . Then Katie learned about a weight-loss drug called Contrave (containing the active ingredients Naltrexone/bupropion) that could be taken orally. She started taking two pills a day (at morning and lunch). Unlike GLP-1s, Contrave wasn’t designed to affect stomach emptying or fullness. Instead it targeted food cravings to give people a greater sense of control.

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And it worked. For the first time, Katie stopped thinking constantly about food and started seeing results. “From day one it was not a struggle for me,” she says. “There was a freedom in my brain. I turned to my husband and said, ‘Oh my God, is this how your brain works?’” Katie lost 14 pounds the first month, 29 pounds in 3 months, and 77 pounds the first year. She’s successfully maintained her amazing weight loss for 5 months.

Originally, Katie's insurance covered Contrave, but now that she’s lost so much weight and lowered her BMI, she pays $99 a month out-of-pocket for the medication, which she thinks is a deal. She adds, “I save twice that on food costs so it’s a win-win.” Now the busy mother of two says, “Taking weight loss drugs is not taking the easy way out. It’s just evening the playing field. You deserve help and you’re worthy of help!”

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Success story #3: Christina lost 86 pounds with an Ozempic-like shot!

After Christina Cantey , 48, of Florida, lost her husband at the age of 41, due to a weight-related heart attack, she looked at her two young daughters. She knew their biggest fear: “They didn’t want to lose me to the same problems that took their dad.”

Christina knew she needed to get healthy but nothing really worked for her. She had chronic back problems that made exercise difficult. So Christina began using MD Exam , a telehealth company that counsels patients on weight loss. One piece of the puzzle was taking weight-loss medication. So Christina tried a GLP-1 drug, a shot with the same active ingredients as Ozempic and Wegovy. She started on a low dose and discovered she actually needed to eat more food than before. She also worked on cleaning up her eating habits and drinking more water.

Christina's efforts paid off and weight began to melt away. She dropped 86 pounds in all! She also noticed non-scale victories like sleeping more comfortably. She adds, “I was a stress eater and food was my comfort. Nothing worked long-term except this. I find I don’t eat from stress anymore!”

Now Christina reflects on the positives that have come from this era of grieving for her husband. “This has been one of the hardest times of my life to lose weight and keep it off. Not only did I lose weight on a weekly basis, but I felt better about my health and about myself!”

Success story #4: Dawn lost 38 pounds combining an Rx with a device!

As a Type 2 diabetic with a high A1c level of 6.8, Dawn Culver-Henkel told her doctor she wanted to get that number down into the 5's. The doctor explained, “That’s a pretty lofty goal for someone in your condition.” But Dawn would not be deterred. She was motivated to watch her four grandkids grow up.

Dawn kept looking for ways to shed the unwanted weight she’d been carrying around for 20 years. She recalls, “I told my doctor that I had been hearing commercials about medications that were ‘sisters’ to diabetes tools like continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), meant to help lower your A1C.” The doctor confirmed Dawn was right and gave the go-ahead. So Dawn started by combining weekly injections with wearing a blood sugar monitoring device.

Dawn recalls, “The very first thing I noticed after my first injection of the GLP-1 was my first blood sugar reading was a solid 30 points lower than normal. That was my goal in starting to take the medication, but it seemed borderline miraculous that I could see such a change the very next day.” Even better, it stayed low. Dawn says, “It’s taken me just about the past 12 months to really truly believe it wasn't just a fluke!” Dawn explains, “while the GLP-1 is something I take to lower and regulate my blood sugar, my Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre 3 CGM guides me through my diabetes to let me know my GLP-1 is working.”

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Along the way, Dawn learned to make adjustments. “Originally, about the first three weeks or so after starting the GLP-1, I was nauseated for about 20 to 30 minutes in the mornings. Now, I alternate injection sites just as I used to do with my insulin... it’s a clock method around the belly button so that you don't overuse the same site.” That move seemed to help.

So far Dawn has shed 38 pounds and relieved some chronic knee pain, which helps her stay active with those beloved grandkids. “I simply feel better weighing less.” Best of all, “I’ve been able to bring my A1C down to 5.3!” Her doctor also took Dawn off some of her diabetes medication. Now Dawn says, “I feel more like I am driving my own destiny rather than a health condition is deciding for me!”

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This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan .