After spending £20,000 chasing her “ideal body,” Lea Nicholson saw the weight slowly return — until she tipped the scales again at a size 24. Turning to the weight-loss injection Mounjaro, the 44-year-old managed to shed around 10 stone, but says the aftermath has left her struggling with excess skin.
Lea, from Bridlington in East Yorkshire, said: “After all that effort, I look like a melted candle because of the loose skin.
“My thighs are awful, there’s so much hanging skin, and my boobs look like empty udders. Honestly, I think they looked better when they were fuller.”
At her heaviest, Lea weighed 30st 8lb and wore a size 32. In 2014, she took drastic steps, paying £11,500 for a gastric sleeve procedure in the UK. The surgery helped her lose 12st 11lb, and she later spent another £9,000 in Poland on a tummy tuck and excess skin removal from her arms and breasts.
But over time, the weight crept back as Lea turned to comfort eating, particularly crisps and savoury snacks. When she found herself back at a size 24, she decided to try Mounjaro.
Since October last year, Lea has spent around £1,400 on the injections and says she has lost 9st 7lb as a result.
“When I realised I was regaining the weight, I felt awful,” she said. “The surgery recovery was easy — it was keyhole — but I’d invested so much money.
“I couldn’t believe I was slipping back into old habits. I’m an emotional eater, and food comforted me, so I avoided the scales and lived in denial.”
It was her husband who suggested Mounjaro. “I looked into it and thought, why not? I had nothing to lose. I was fed up with being overweight, the back pain, and seeing size 24 labels in my clothes.”
Her weight had also limited her life. “I avoided theme parks because I wouldn’t fit, and holidays filled me with anxiety because I knew I’d need a seatbelt extender on the plane.”
Lea now injects Mounjaro every 10 to 14 days — less frequently than advised — and says she hasn’t experienced any side effects. She currently weighs 13st 5lb and wears a size 12.
Her grandfather paid for the gastric sleeve, while her inheritance covered the tummy tuck, and savings funded her arm and breast lift. These days, she uses the money she once spent on takeaways to pay for the injections.
‘Food was my best friend’
Lea says her struggles with weight began at age 10 after a hip operation stopped her from exercising. Later, the death of her aunt triggered emotional eating.
“I ate when I was sad and when I was happy,” she said. “Food felt like a warm hug — it became my best friend.
“Crisps were my weakness. I could easily eat 10 packets in one go. Buying cheap ones meant I could get more.”
Despite her mum cooking healthy meals and even asking the school to limit her portions, Lea’s weight continued to rise. By 15, she was a size 16 and weighed 15 stone.
As an adult, she regularly spent £50 a week on takeaways. “My back and knees hurt all the time, and my confidence was gone. I acted bubbly, but inside I was painfully aware of people staring or making comments.”
She recalls cruel remarks that still sting. “People would say things like, ‘Imagine how pretty you’d be if you lost weight,’ or make jokes about hiding food when I walked past.”
Now, Lea is planning further surgery, including a thigh lift and tummy tightening procedure next year, which she hopes will boost her confidence.
“I want to wear sleeveless clothes and feel normal, without worrying about skin hanging out,” she said.
Her relationship with food, she says, has improved. “I still enjoy the odd takeaway — I don’t restrict myself. This isn’t a forever diet, it’s about balance and better choices.”
She’s also noticed a shift in how people react to her. “Some people are almost scared to mention it now. I hear things like, ‘You don’t look like the same person.’”
“I am the same person,” Lea added. “Just a third of the size. And I lost the weight for me — so two fingers up to anyone who was cruel before.”
