Sarah Parker, 36, weighed 175kg when she decided to take a risk and try Ozempic to lose weight.
Two months later, however, Victoria’s cheerful mother was a shadow of her former self.His cheerful demeanor was replaced by suicidal thoughts and feelings of despair.
She told FEMAIL she was afraid that the feeling of worthlessness would take over and she would stop fighting for her life.
“I honestly thought everyone would be better off without me,” he cried.
“I felt helpless and alone, like no one understood me. I hadn’t had thoughts like that since I was a teenager and it scared the hell out of me.”
Her 12-year-old son kept her afloat. Deep down, she knew she wouldn’t be better off without her mother. Her husband stood by her side and let her know he would support her forever.
“I went to the doctor and told him what I thought. I knew something was wrong because I was in a good place. I had good support and good friends. Life was very good at that time,” she said.
Alarmed, doctors immediately took him off the medication, which is used to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Sarah Parker weighed 175kg when she decided to take a risk and try the “miracle drug” for weight loss Ozempic
She lost 100 kg without medication.
“It passed quickly, but for two months I still didn’t feel like myself,” she said.
The mother believes Ozempic must have triggered her PTSD and trauma around food.
“When I was a child there were times when I wouldn’t eat for two or three days at a time because there wasn’t enough food,” she said.
“That fear has followed me into adulthood. I ate too much because I subconsciously believed I had to eat as much as possible in case we ran out of food.”
In fact, this mother of one, who managed to lose 100kg “the old-fashioned way”, said she “easily ate a loaf of bread a day” when she was at her worst.
“It really sickens me to think about how much I used to eat,” she said.
Mom would wake up in the morning and have a big bowl of cereal with a sugary coffee and two slices of toast spread with strawberry jam or peanut butter.
Before dropping his son off at school he would have had two more coffees and a cigarette.
Mid-morning I might have some candy, chips, or more toast.
“For me, white toast was my favorite dessert,” she said.
For lunch, I had two slices of white bread and butter, loaded with salami, baked beans, and cheese.
“I didn’t drink water. I would drink at least two energy drinks and a Coke or other soft drink during the day. I don’t even like soda, so I don’t know why I was drinking it.”
I would continue eating toast, chips and sweets until dinner.
“We had healthy dinners, but I would eat a huge plate and often have seconds. Then I would have dessert and maybe some toast before going to bed,” she said.
Sarah, who mostly wore a size 30, realized she had gained too much weight when daily tasks became a nightmare.
The mother is now unrecognizable and wants to become a physiotherapist to help others.
“I couldn’t even tie my shoes because my belly was in the way,” she said.
I remember thinking that this wasn’t right, that this wasn’t normal.
He also got short of breath when showering or getting out of bed.
“I cried when I saw the scale at the doctor’s office that said 175 kilos. I thought I weighed 130 kilos, so it was a huge shock. Fortunately I didn’t have anything like diabetes,” she said.
Sarah lost around six kilos during her terrifying time on Ozempic, but gained four back when she stopped taking the drug.
“I was put on a waiting list for weight loss surgery, but my friend got really sick when she had it, so I was scared. I decided to try it one more time on my own.”
She ordered Lite n’ Easy and started with the 1200 calorie meal plan before switching to the 1500 calorie option.
“I was really hungry when I ate at 12. I remember when I first saw the portion sizes, I was afraid I was going to starve,” she said.
“It made me realize how much I had been overeating every day.”
Sarah still receives some bread with her meals, something she is grateful for as it would have been difficult for her to do without it completely.
“But I no longer put sugar in my coffee and I no longer drink soft drinks or energy drinks,” he explained.
Sarah began her exercise regime by signing up for netball and going for short walks.
She gradually increased her pace to walking 5km on her own and then decided to join a gym after losing 30kg. There she clicked with a personal trainer who told her that diet and exercise would only be half the battle.
“He told me I had to address the source of my trauma to truly break free from my bad habits,” she said.
So she went to therapy and embarked on a healing journey that helped her identify moments from her traumatic past that were affecting her daily life.
She has maintained her strength, working on it with her trainer, but can’t believe she used to lift another 100kg every day.
Then the weight really started to fall off.
“I can’t believe I lost 100 kilos in a year. I didn’t even know that was possible,” she said.
Now he goes for a 15-kilometer run almost every day and goes to the gym four times a week.
‘I want to go to university and become a physiotherapist. I’ve always wanted to, but I didn’t think I could because I didn’t think anyone would take me seriously in that field.
“Nobody wants health advice from someone who is not healthy.”
Sarah is on the waiting list for skin reduction surgery, something she is excited about.
“I don’t have as much loose skin as I thought and it doesn’t bother me too much, but I’ll be glad when it’s gone,” she said.
He has been weighing 75kg for a few months now, but hopes to drop to 70kg once his transformation is complete.
“I think I’ll continue taking Lite n’ Easy forever. I’m really scared to stop. It’s a great safety net for me,” she said.
‘I know I can go out to dinner, have a nice evening with my husband and friends, and then get back to my routine with my prepared meals the next day.’
Now she is surprised by the size of the meals.
“I don’t know how people finish them, or how I used to. I never finish them anymore; my husband usually ends up picking at my plate when I’m done,” she said.
Sarah said she put off losing weight for years because “nothing really worked,” but she wants other people doing the same thing to “keep doing it.”
“If I could lose that weight, anyone can. For years nothing worked for me and then I thought I was a big girl. I’m only 36 years old, I have a long life ahead of me, but now I can do it in a healthy way,” she said.
Sarah struggled with her weight after leaving school and says she had been severely overweight for at least a decade.
She still finds herself “looking in the plus size section” out of habit and is surprised when she can “grab anything” off the shelf.
And your son loves it.
“He invites me to go out and play ball with him all the time. He’s never had a mom who can run around with him, so it’s great,” she said.
If you or someone you know is going through difficult times, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
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