I ballooned to 20st by comfort eating and couldn't put my socks on without help - but after 5 months on Mounjaro I've transformed my body

A yo-yo dieter who battled with her weight for decades has lost six stone after beginning a course of weight loss medication. Bev Thomas, 53, knew she was 'heading for an early grave' when her weight peaked at 20 stone and seven pounds in January 2024. Often eating cheese on toast or cake for breakfast along with sugary drinks, she was unable to put her socks on without assistance and even needed help to get out of bed.

But after following a new NHS-backed eating plan, combined with taking a prescribed weight loss drug, she transformed her body in just five months. 'I was half a stone away from becoming immobile and like the people on American TV show "My 600lbs life",' she said, reflecting on her heaviest. Bev, from Port Talbot, Wales, who had a BMI of 50 at her heaviest - indicating she was 'morbidly obese' - was suffering both physically and mentally as a result of her weight gain.

Her weight issues began at a much younger age, however. Growing up, large portions were 'the norm' and, before long, comfort eating had become 'a way of life.'. 'When I felt down, I ate. When I felt good, I ate. I loved food,' Bev said. By the time she reached adulthood, Bev was stuck in a cycle of yo-yo-dieting - but her weight really began to balloon after she met her partner in 2015. Bev Thomas (pictured), 53, was sure she was heading for an early grave when her weight peaked at 20 stone and seven pounds in January 2024.

Bev, from Port Talbot, Wales, has struggled with her weight for decades. Bev, pictured trying on a period costume during a day out, noticed that both her physical and mental health was suffering as a result of her weight gain. A serious car accident in May 2016 led to a diagnosis of fibromyalgia - a chronic condition which causes pain throughout the body as well as fatigue and low mood. The accident left Bev unable to exercise and, as a result, her weight gain accelerated.

In April 2019, when her weight hovered around 17 stone, Bev, who is 5ft 5in, started to struggle with mobility issues and had to use a walking stick. She became so self-conscious about her appearance that she would only buy clothes from brands that sold one-size-fits-all garments - so she didn't have to face up to the reality of her weight gain  - while she found photos of herself horrifying. Beset by cravings, Bev would eat a breakfast of cake, a lunch of jacket potatoes with cheese and a 'gigantic-sized' dinner of pasties.

In addition, she would work her way through daily 'treats', from boxes of chocolates and muffins to custard slices and eclairs - once consuming six in a row. By January 2024, Bev's weight had reached 20 stone and seven pounds, taking her BMI to 50 - indicating she was 'morbidly obese'. At her heaviest, she could barely take care of herself, struggling to get out of bed and needing help putting on her socks.

Bev is pictured in April 2019. Weighing approximately  17 stone, Bev started to struggle with mobility issues at this time and had to use a walking stick. Bev met her partner (pictured) in 2015 - but her weight soon started to balloon. Bev's weight loss journey began in May 2024, after she started on an NHS-backed healthy eating plan, Second Nature, which offers Wegovy and Mounjaro-assisted weight loss programmes.

In six months, Bev managed to lose almost six stones, bringing her weight down to 14 stone and seven pounds. She said she felt sick, unattractive and no longer wanted to go out to socialise. What's more, with a history of heart disease and diabetes in her family, Bev became terrified for her future and certain she was 'heading for an early grave.'. As she came to terms with the fact that her weight had topped 20 stone, Bev became desperate and started searching for weight loss surgery procedures.

While scouring the internet, she stumbled across an advert for an NHS-backed healthy eating plan, Second Nature, which offers Wegovy and Mounjaro-assisted weight loss programmes. Bev started its Mounjaro programme in May 2024, losing nearly six stone within the first five months. By New Year's Eve, her weight had dropped to 14 stone and seven pounds. Confident that the transformation has saved her life, Bev enthused: 'I honestly feel amazing.

'I can put on socks now! I can walk around the house without getting winded.'. At her heaviest, Bev started to feel anxious and became less keen to leave the house. She would buy her clothes from brands that sold one-size-fits-all garments so she didn't have to face up to the reality of her weight gain. Bev used to eat cake for breakfast, jacket potatoes with cheese for lunch and 'gigantic-sized' dinners of pasties, as well as daily treats of chocolates and muffins - but she now sticks to a protein-dominant diet.