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A project manager from Cambridgeshire has revealed this Mounjaro The injections helped her lose around six stone and one dress size each month, revealing that food no longer “felt like an addiction”.
Portia Devine, 35, of Ely, reached her heaviest weight in 2022, at 14st 7 pounds (92.1 kg). Standing 5 feet 1 inch (154.9 cm) tall, she described being stuck in a cycle of emotional eating and low self-esteem, where thoughts about food were “constant”.
From the beginning of Monjaro – A weight loss injection Designed to induce a feeling of fullness and reduce appetite – In April 2025, Ms. Devine has experienced consistent weight loss. This change has brought a new sense of confidence, enabling her to go out alone and no longer feel the need to hide behind “loose clothes”.
She now weighs 8st 11 pounds (55.8 kg), wears a size eight and pays £210 a month for her medicine and tests, but said she no longer goes to the gym because she can’t afford both.
Portia told PA Real Life: “Food felt like an addiction – I was always thinking about it and after eating I would get hungry for no reason.
“Monjaro has been the best decision I have ever made – food is still enjoyable but I now see it as fuel.
“It just changed my mindset, I used to use food as a reward.”
Portia reached her heaviest weight at 14st 7 pounds (92.1 kg), when her obese body mass index (BMI) was 38.4 and after struggling for years with her weight, she was a size 18 in 2022.
She said: “I have been overweight since I was 10, when I got my first period, and I gained weight almost overnight.
“I think the reason I gained the most weight was that I got into a new relationship and we were eating out a lot.
“Then we broke up and I was very sad and emotionally consumed.”
In 2022, Portia will skip breakfast as usual, have sandwiches and crisps for lunch and eat homemade stews containing “hidden calories” such as high-fat mince and cream.
At the time, she said she went to the gym three times a week but did not get “many steps” every day because she worked in an office.
She added: “I felt very low, my self-esteem was at a very low level.
“I have suffered from anxiety my entire life, and it definitely had something to do with my weight and how I looked.
“I used to try to hide myself with baggy clothes and I felt like I couldn’t really dress the way I wanted to because nothing looked good on me.
“I wouldn’t really go out by myself because I didn’t want people to notice me.”
Portia said that she felt as if she was constantly thinking about food and that it felt like “an addiction.”
“I felt like my body was telling me I was hungry, even though I shouldn’t be hungry — I felt like I was fighting my body,” she explained.
“I felt like I couldn’t think about anything else.”
Portia also realized that she had tried “every diet” over the years – from Weight Watchers to intensive calorie counting – and nothing was “working”.
But going to the gym and “watching what she ate” helped her lose some weight – by 2025, she weighed 12st (76.2 kg) with an obese BMI of 31.7, and was a size 14.
However, from there, she said her weight remained stable despite the increase Exercise And his calorie intake is decreasing.
So, in April 2025, she decided to try Monjaro and says her food noises — constant thoughts about food — disappeared “instantly.”
“Honestly, it felt like a burden off my shoulders and it was a huge relief,” Portia said.
“I stopped worrying about my weight and slowly started feeling more confident and happy.”
She said she lost 5 pounds (2.3 kg) in her first week, followed by 3 pounds (1.4 kg) in her second week, and since then she has lost an average of 2 pounds (0.9 kg) per week.
“I’ve been losing weight consistently every week. Luckily, I haven’t had any setbacks,” he said.
“It has changed my life – I can’t believe how well it has worked.”
Since taking the drug, she said she often suffers from nausea, but has managed to keep it at bay by using C-Band’s acupressure bands – a product she has not been paid to promote.
She said: “They have been a lifesaver, and I don’t feel nauseous anymore, they have really made a difference.”
Portia said she was prescribed Monjaro through her local pharmacy and currently pays £210 a month for 7.5 mg, as well as monthly checks which include blood pressure monitoring and discussions about her progress.
NHS England says that, before prescribing Monjaro, a healthcare professional will talk to you about the benefits and limitations, including any side effects.
If Monjaro is recommended, individuals will need to eat a balanced, low-calorie diet and participate in regular physical activity while taking the medication.
Portia now “prioritizes protein and fiber” in her daily diet, having yogurt, flaxseed and peanut butter for breakfast, homemade soup for lunch, and low-fat cottage pie for dinner.
She now also goes to Pilates classes and walks daily but she can’t afford a gym membership as well as paying for Monjaro.
Portia has “dropped a dress size every month” and now enjoys shopping, although she is still adjusting to her new body.
She now weighs 8st 11 pounds (55.8 kg), with a healthy BMI of 23.2, is a size eight, and feels “much more confident”.
Portia said: “I do a lot more on my own now.
“I met my mom and dad at a restaurant one day and I went in alone, which sounds stupid, but I’d never done that before.
“I go to coffee shops and restaurants myself and enjoy it.”
Looking ahead, she plans to join the gym and, with the advice of her pharmacist, will gradually wean herself off Monjaro once she reaches her target weight of 8st 7 pounds (53.9 kg).
“I feel confident that I can keep the weight off – I feel like I’ve formed healthy habits and my whole mindset around food has changed,” she said.
To others who want to lose weight, she said: “If I can do it, anyone can.
“I would recommend vaccination – it changed my whole life.”