After losing almost 8st, I switched from fat jabs to weight-loss pills because of the price – but since then I’ve PUT ON weight. Experts now reveal why the same thing could happen to you… and how to stop it

For Allie Hudson, the fat jab Mounjaro was supposed to be the final stop on a long journey to a healthy weight.

It turned out to be only the beginning of a nightmarish hunt for an affordable – and effective – treatment that saw her lose almost eight stone, then pile a large amount back on again.

The 42-year-old mother-of-two from Harlow, Essex, has struggled with her weight since her teens.

‘I’ve always been a comfort eater,’ says Allie, an early years practitioner. ‘I’ve done all the fad diets, Weight Watchers, a personal trainer. But before long I’d put the weight back on.’

By the time she had her second child, Allie weighed 18 stone. It was then that she decided to take action. Allie paid for weight-loss surgery in Turkey and lost an astonishing six stone in less than a year.

And last year, in a bid to get to her goal weight of 10 stone, she tried the appetite-suppressing Mounjaro, buying it for £160 a month from an online pharmacy. 

She lost another stone in less than six months.

However, soon after she started, manufacturer Eli Lilly hiked the price for the treatment, pushing Allie’s monthly bill above £200.

The price change affected thousands of British Mounjaro patients, with four in ten users quitting the jab as a result, according to a recent survey.

Allie first switched to the rival Wegovy injection, at £149 a month. Then, this summer, she thought she had found a long-term solution: the newly approved Wegovy pill.

Approved in June, the pill contains containing semaglutide, the same active ingredient as the jab. The appeal is obvious: no needles, and a smaller price tag. Some providers sell lower doses for under £100 a month – far less than Mounjaro, which typically costs around £300.

Crucially, Allie says she was led to believe, from promotional articles she’d read, that they were just as effective. ‘I wanted to save some money,’ she says. ‘And I thought they would have the same effect.’

They didn’t. Within weeks she had gained 6lb – and since then her weight has hovered between 11st 9lb and 11st 12lb.

‘Since I started the pills, my weight just keeps going up and down, and nothing is moving,’ says Allie. ‘It’s been two months now. I don’t know why I’m not responding.’

Experts say Allie is far from alone. Because the pills are less powerful than the jabs, they warn that thousands of patients who switched to save money are likely to have seen their progress stall – or even go into reverse.

There are simple steps patients on the pills can take to supercharge their effect, say weight loss specialists. However, it’s important to know relative positives and downsides of both treatment options. 

So should you take weight-loss pills – or stick with the jabs?

An estimated 2.5 million people in the UK have been prescribed weight-loss drugs such as Mounjaro and Wegovy, most buying them privately.

The drugs mimic GLP-1, a gut hormone that tells the brain the body is full, dampening appetite and quietening the ‘food noise’ that drives many slimmers to overeat.

But the pills come with a catch. Patients on Mounjaro lose, on average, around 20 per cent of their body weight, and those on Wegovy injections about 15 per cent. In trials, those on the highest dose of the Wegovy pill lost about 14 per cent – and many patients will be on lower, cheaper doses.

The pill is also harder to take properly. It must be swallowed with a small glass of water on a completely empty stomach, which means not eating for eight-hours beforehand. This should be followed by a 30-minute wait before eating. Otherwise, much of the drug may not be absorbed, blunting its effect.

‘The jabs are a bit stronger, so when patients swap to the pills, it’s natural that they might notice their appetite increase,’ says Prof Naveed Sattar of the University of Glasgow.

‘And if patients fail to follow the instructions, such as fasting beforehand and drinking it with water, this could have a further impact. So too would forgetting to take the tablets, even occasionally.’

Allie admits she didn’t always stick to the routine.

‘I forgot to take them a few times,’ she says. ‘It’s much easier to remember the jabs, as they’re only once a week.’

Still, she was shocked to see her weight rise.

‘I wasn’t eating anything differently, it was so frustrating,’ she says. ‘I could tell they weren’t working as well as the jabs, but those are so expensive.’

Experts say patients switching to the pills can take steps to boost their weight-loss – and limit the risk of weight-regain.

The first is an improved diet – plenty of fibre, from pulses, vegetables and fruit, and protein, from lean meat and fish, with less sugar and processed food.

Another is a good night’s sleep.

‘When you don’t sleep enough, your appetite hormones can be affected, making you more hungry,’ says Dr Craig Primack, head of weight loss at the online pharmacy Hims & Hers.

‘Seven hours a night tends to be the sweet spot.’

Another is regular exercise – particularly strength training, such as weight-lifting, which research shows is best for maintaining weight loss.

Allie says she lacks the time. ‘I have two children and I’m on my feet all day for work,’ she says. ‘I used to love the gym, but I just don’t know when I would go.’

However, experts say that any exercise can help.

‘The key is to stay active,’ says Dr Primack. ‘That might mean strength training, but it could also be walking 10,000 steps a day.’

However, last week, Allie made the tough decision to go back on Wegovy injections, despite the extra cost.

‘I’m going back on the pens,’ she says. ‘For years, my goal has been to get to 10 stone. I’m so close now – I can’t quit.’