At 57, Elena had reached a point where she no longer felt comfortable in her own body. Her weight had slowly increased over the years until she weighed herself at around 100kg. Alongside the physical changes came low energy and growing frustration. Everyday routines felt harder than they used to and confidence had begun to fade.
“It wasn’t just about what the scales were showing,” Elena says. “I just didn’t feel like myself anymore.”
After considering her options, Elena decided to begin treatment with CheqUp. She started Mounjaro as part of her CheqUp membership, alongside ongoing support designed to help her build sustainable changes.
“It didn’t feel like a quick fix,” she explains. “It felt like I finally had the right support to move forward.”
The tools that help
Alongside treatment, Elena also began using the WW app to better understand her eating habits and how different foods affected her body. “It was incredibly helpful,” she says. “It helped me understand not just calories, but proteins, carbohydrates, daily recommended salt, sugar and more.”
She used the app consistently for months, tracking what she ate and learning how different foods affected how she felt. “I used it religiously at the beginning,” she explains. “It really helped train my brain to think differently about food and make better choices.”
For Elena, the medication played an important role, but she is clear it was only part of the process. “Mounjaro is not a magic pill,” she says. “It’s a tool that helps you make changes to your lifestyle.”
Weight loss over time
In the early weeks, Elena noticed small but encouraging shifts. Clothes began to fit more comfortably and moving around felt easier. Even small improvements helped her feel that things were moving in the right direction. “I started noticing little changes first,” she says. “Things that other people might not even see, but they mattered to me.”
As the months passed, the results became more noticeable. The weight began to come down steadily, milestone by milestone. Ten kilograms lost. Then twenty. Then thirty. By month nine, Elena had lost 40kg.
“It still feels a bit surreal when I say it out loud,” she says. “Forty kilograms.”
Health improvements along the way
For Elena, the biggest difference was not just the weight loss, but how she felt in everyday life. Her energy levels improved and daily activities became easier again. Walking up stairs no longer left her breathless, and moving around felt more comfortable. Sleep improved and the pressure she had felt in her joints began to ease.
As her confidence returned, Elena also began doing activities she had not felt able to enjoy before. She now regularly attends cycling classes, Pilates, yoga and body stretch sessions. Swimming has also become something she enjoys again. “I can go swimming now and not feel ashamed of the size of my swimming suit,” she says.
One of Elena’s proudest milestones has been returning to her weekly 5k Parkrun, something she had not been able to do for ten years.
“The biggest surprise was how much better I felt overall,” she says. “It wasn’t just weight loss. It was everything that came with it.”
Seeing herself differently
As the months passed, Elena noticed a shift in how she saw herself. Confidence, which had slowly faded over time, began to rebuild. Looking in the mirror no longer felt like something to avoid. “For the first time in a long time, I started recognising myself again,” she says.
Rather than focusing only on the weight she had lost, Elena began to appreciate the effort and consistency it had taken to get there and looking ahead, Elena plans to continue on a maintenance dose as part of her long term approach. “I’m planning to stay on maintenance to make sure my body fully adjusts to my new lifestyle,” she says.
A message for others starting their journey
Looking back, Elena says the hardest part was taking the first step. Starting a weight loss journey can feel uncertain, especially when previous attempts have not worked in the long term. But her experience has shown her that steady progress over time can lead to meaningful change.
Nine months after beginning her journey, Elena feels healthier, more confident and more comfortable in her own body. “It’s not just about losing weight,” she says. “It’s about getting your life back.”
“You don’t have to be perfect along the way, but you just have to start.”
