Woman who 'stress ate' for years before trying Ozempic issues stark warning to others about drug

A woman has issued a warning about to anyone thinking about using Ozempic after her own weight loss journey, after she quickly piled on the pounds when coming off the drug.

Arina Yasm, 30, tipped the scales at 14st 6lbs and a size XXL at her heaviest after 'stress eating' after moving from Portugal to Dubai.

She lost three stone quickly on the drug after she first started using it in December 2020. She then reached her goal weight and came off the jabs the following June, but her appetite and old habits then crept back in

She told of how she began drinking alcohol with evening meals, would indulge in a McDonald's for breakfast and was eating 50 pieces of sushi for dinner. She grew to being unable to fit in her size XXL jeans, and so reached out to a personal trainer instead for help.

Arina has dropped to 8 stone and a size XS, and says she now maintains her weight loss by walking up to 20,000 steps a day, as well as maintaining her diet when eating out.

The rental property manager, from Budva, Montenegro, said: "Ozempic worked very well and I lost 20kg, but when I stopped taking it my appetite came back. I hadn't changed anything. I was still living the same way, so the weight came back. I also had a lot of pain in my stomach afterwards and had to take medication to help recover."

Arina was unhappy with her weight (SWNS)

Struggling with loneliness following the move to Dubai, and working from her computer all day, Arina said she stress ate and took liberty on the convenience of food delivery. Her days became centred around eating until she was full, rather than thinking about nutrition.

"I was very stressed," she explained. "We had just moved and I didn't really like Dubai. I didn't have friends and I was working from my computer. I was sitting all day and snacking at the same time.

"Everything was available immediately. If I wanted Doritos at 2am, I could have them delivered. It wasn't Dubai's fault or the services. It was my own choices and lack of control. I am happier in Montenegro though."

Arina had to abandon high street shopping after XXL clothes from Zara no longer fitted her, leaving her searching online for larger sizes. She described it as 'sad and frustrating' and said her weight left her feeling '70 years old'.

Arina is now able to keep the weight off (SWNS)

Arina swaps McDonald's for a nutritional diet after weight-loss drug use

Before changing her lifestyle, Arina's daily diet consisted of fast food, processed snacks and alcohol. She would often eat McDonald's for breakfast or lunch, up to 50 pieces of sushi for dinner, alongside crisps, burritos, full-fat cheeses, nuts, processed meats and sugary drinks. She also drank alcohol with dinner every evening, including wine or sometimes three bottles of beer.

In 2021, Arina turned to Ozempic hoping it would help her lose weight quickly. Although she lost 20kg while taking the medication, she says the weight returned once she stopped because she had not made any changes to her lifestyle. The turning point came when Arina tried on a pair of jeans and realised they no longer fitted.

Arina's jeans no longer fit and she knew she had to make a change (SWNS)

She said: "I was really sad. That was the moment I understood I didn't want to continue like this. I had pain in my neck and knees every day. I knew something had to change because I wanted to be healthier and have a better life."

Instead of searching for another fast solution, Arina hired a personal trainer and focused on making small changes she could maintain. She slowly changed her diet by slowly phasing out alcohol and sugar, introduced regular exercise and built a routine around fitness.

"Everything changed when I admitted that I wasn't healthy"

During her active weight loss phase, she trained three times a week before increasing to four or five sessions. She combined strength training with cardio, walking 10-20 thousands of steps every day and gradually improving her fitness. At first, even using the StairMaster was a challenge.

She said: "When I was bigger it was really difficult. I would only manage two minutes on the Stairmaster, and had to go 10 minutes on the cross trainer. Eventually I built up my stamina and started doing more on the Stairmaster.

Arina now maintains her health with exercise (SWNS)

"When I reached 70kg, I felt comfortable enough to start running because I wanted to protect my knees. I hated running at first, but now it's my favourite thing to do."

Arina now walks between 12,000 and 15,000 steps a day and avoids using her car whenever possible. Her diet has also completely changed, with around 85 per cent of her meals now made from whole foods.

She focuses on protein, including fish, meat, eggs, salmon, prawns and mussels, alongside sweet potatoes, rice, chickpeas and wholegrain bread. She no longer drinks sugary drinks and sticks to water or Coke Zero.

Arina says her biggest motivation is the fear of returning to her old lifestyle. She said: "When you put effort into yourself and do it yourself, you are less likely to go back.

"Looking in the mirror and not liking what you see is not enough. You need to find a real reason. For me, everything changed when I admitted that I wasn't healthy. Once you remove that burden and realise you can change it, everything gets better.

"You need a system and a strategy. It can't just be a diet because when the diet ends, most people go back. It has to become part of who you are."

LADbible contaced the manufactures of Ozempic, Novo Nordisk, for comment.