I’ve lost nearly 400lbs without touching Ozempic or counting a single calorie. My clever eating tricks mean I’ll never be fat again… and anyone can use them

Jenn Erskine used to crave food so much that she once went to an ice cream store and pretended to order for a family of four, before going home and bingeing on all the ice cream herself.

But today, she has lost almost 400lb without ever having used Ozempic, and with help from a clever eating trick anyone can use. Not only that, she says she never counts a single calorie.

By the age of 33, the Florida native tipped the scales at 546lb, putting her into the morbidly obese category. She was struggling with everyday activities and could barely walk between rooms or even get up from a chair.

Her job as a teacher was also painful, and her students would often ask why she was so large or why she ‘walked funny’.

Erskine, who was not aware of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic or Wegovy, felt like she wanted to lose weight for years, but the breaking point finally came in 2022 after her parents staged an intervention and told her her work manager had agreed to give her time off for weight loss surgery.

Since the surgery, she’s lost 370lb in three years, equivalent to about 2.4lb a week, and, amazingly, has managed to keep the weight off, despite studies suggesting 60 percent of patients who have the surgery regain at least 20 percent of their weight loss.

Now 36 years old and weighing 175lb, Erskine says she feels like a completely new person and is enjoying things she has never been able to do, including zip-lining and roller blading.

Her wardrobe has been transformed, too. Erskine went from a 7 extra large to a large and has now replaced her dark, large and frumpy clothes with bright pink, flowing dresses and floral-patterned body suits.

In an interview with Daily Mail, she said she was thrilled with the change and could not believe that she was so large for so long. Now, she wants to share the secrets of her extraordinary weight loss with others so they can transform their lives too.

Erskine told Daily Mail: ‘I had always gone in and out of caring about my weight. I hated being bigger and knew I was missing out on things because of it, but there were many times I would stop caring… and just kind of “give up”.’

She added: ‘Food was always there for me in both good and bad times. I was a closet eater. I remember always hiding eating from people. I would eat well when around everyone, but would binge eat as soon as I got by myself.’

Erskine opted for the surgery after her parents staged that intervention, sitting her down and saying: ‘Your boss says you can be out of work for an extended period so you can have weight loss surgery.’

She was taken aback at the time, but, after a consultation with a bariatric surgeon, decided to go ahead with the procedure.

She had a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RNY gastric bypass) procedure, considered the ‘gold standard’ of weight loss surgeries, in which a pouch is created in the stomach, and the small intestine is rerouted to the pouch to bypass part of the stomach, restricting food intake and reducing calories. It gets its name because the new connection forms a Y shape.

About 63,000 RNY gastric bypasses are carried out in the U.S. every year, making it the second most popular bariatric surgery behind gastric sleeve surgery, a procedure where three-quarters of the stomach is removed.

Gastric bypass surgery costs between $7,400 to $33,00, according to prescriptions website GoodRx. Some health insurance companies may cover the procedure if an individual is considered morbidly obese.

Erskine’s family was not aware of Ozempic or other weight loss drugs at the time, but she said that even if she had used them, she would probably have stopped because of the side effects such as vomiting or nausea.

Erskine went on a strict no-starch diet for three months before her surgery, cutting out sugary cereals, breads and potato chips, among others, which led her to lose 30lb, or about 2.5lb a week.

After her surgery, she kept to the no-starch diet for six months. She also started to use a small container to measure out portions and, while eating, began to count a minute between every mouthful.

Eating more slowly can help someone with weight loss because it gives the brain more time to send satiety signals making someone feel full. Experts say it takes about 20 minutes for the brain to register signals from the stomach signalling that someone has had enough to eat.

Erskine did not count her calories because it reminded her too much of diet culture.

After the weight loss, Erskine also had surgery to replace her left hip, which doctors said had been irreversibly damaged by her previous weight. Being 500lbs dramatically increases strain on the joints, which can lead protective cartilage in the joints to wear down more rapidly.

The surgery was successful and has allowed her to become much more active. She attends the gym now, goes to morning walks and takes part in a walking club twice a month.

For exercise, she started to swim in her parents’ pool for five hours a week and walk around her house in the evenings. Erskine also started attending group therapy sessions to help her kick her habit of eating large amounts of food while not around others.

Now, three years on from the start of her weight loss journey, she’s thrilled with the results.

Erskine does have about 30lbs of loose skin and she is saving money to have it removed, but says she would take that any day over her former size. She is confident she can keep the new lifestyle, saying that nowadays she is satisfied with just a bite of a cupcake or cookie.

She added: ‘I can do everyday normal things and I don’t have to worry about walking around places or getting in and out of the car.

‘I’ve tried zip-lining and roller skating. I walked a 5k. I’ve travelled by myself and was able to purchase only one airplane seat and didn’t need an extender.

‘I’ve gone to Disney a few times recently and walked all over the place there, and got on any ride without worrying if I was going to fit.

‘Now, I feel amazing; I have so much energy and I’m finally able to experience everything life has to offer, and do things I’ve always wanted to do.’