Mum who shed 10st on Mounjaro says one thing helps keep her humble
Tina Bashford spent £2k on weight loss jabs after her weight spiralled
A mum-of-three who tipped the scales at 23st has revealed how she spent £2k on weight loss jabs to shed an impressive 10-and-a-half stone. Tina Bashford, 41, had always struggled with her weight, having been classified as obese since her early teens.
After giving birth to her daughters - Sophie, 23, and Jessica, 21 - in her late teens and early twenties, Tina tried every diet under the sun. However, the stay-at-home mum would always succumb to the temptation of 'comfort eating', indulging in takeaways or chocolate in the evenings.
Following the birth of her third daughter, Aniyah, three, in 2022, Tina's weight ballooned to 23st 7lbs and she wore a size 26. She also suffered from arthritis in her right knee. Regular trips to the doctor resulted in the same advice: she needed to lose weight.
In June 2024, Tina was diagnosed as pre-diabetic and was advised to consider weight loss surgery abroad. It was a wake-up call for Tina, who realised she was eating her way to 'an early grave'.
She decided to try weight loss injections and ordered her first dose of Mounjaro. In her first month of using it, she lost 1st 2lbs as it 'stopped the food noise'. As the numbers on the scale began to drop, Tina overhauled her diet and started exercising more to maintain her new healthy habits. After 16 months and £2k spent on the injections, Tina now boasts a svelte 12st 6lbs frame and wears a size 12-14.
She has reversed her pre-diabetes diagnosis and says she 'feels 21 again'. Tina, from Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, said: "I had a difficult childhood and I tried to fill a hole in my life with food, as a comfort mechanism. When I found out I was pre-diabetic, I knew I was heading to an early grave.
"When the doctors said they couldn't do any more for my arthritis, it gave me a kick up the backside. I told my mum if Mounjaro could help me lost a stone, I'd be ecstatic - and now I'm over 10st down.
"Now I can run around with my daughter, go on bike rides, fly without using a seatbelt extender and go on theme park rides. I have so much energy and I feel 21 again."
Tina revealed she endured a traumatic childhood and turned to overeating from an early age as a coping mechanism. This resulted in her forming a 'toxic relationship' with food that continued well into her adult years.
Following the birth of her first two daughters at a young age, she attempted various weight loss programmes including Slimming World, WeightWatchers, keto, and even Orlistat weight loss tablets. However, she consistently returned to her unhealthy eating patterns.
She said: "If we went for food, I'd be wondering what meal is going to be the biggest portion. If I baked a cake, I'd wake in the middle of the night and panic someone else had eaten it and left none for me."
READ MORE: Moment out-of-control van smashes into cars parked in layby caught on cameraREAD MORE: 'I look so much like Ed Sheeran, I have to wear a disguise when going to the shops'Following the birth of her third child, when Tina reached her peak weight, she started experiencing problems with an arthritic knee that deteriorated as her weight increased.
Despite this, she found herself unable to resist indulging in sugary snacks and takeaways during difficult moments. She confessed: "I felt like I was living but I didn't have a life. The only thing that made me feel better was food."
After numerous visits to the doctor due to knee pain, where she was advised to shed some pounds, she made a desperate appeal to her GP. She was told that not only was bariatric surgery abroad her only option, but she was also on the verge of diabetes.
Terrified she would not see her daughters grow up and determined to avoid surgery as a single mum, she ordered her first Mounjaro pen. She admitted: "I felt like I was already losing everything, so I had nothing to lose. I had one shot or I knew I'd be going in a box early."
Tina began the injections and noticed a decrease in her sugar cravings within hours. After adjusting her diet and ensuring she walked at least 10,000 steps a day, as well as swimming, the weight started to fall off.
After shedding her first stone, her goal was to lose three - and each time she met her target she would set a new one. Now, weighing 12st 6lbs, she plans to gradually stop using the jabs.
She has discarded all her old size 24-26 clothes except for one T-shirt - which she keeps to 'humble herself' as a reminder of how far she's come. She revealed: "I see myself now and think 'is that really me?'"
"Now my knee pain is gone, I'm no longer pre-diabetic and my doctor says I've saved the NHS thousands by doing this."
Tina has vowed never to return to her previous eating habits, after realising how much her weight caused her to miss out on. She said: "I look at old pictures of myself and I mourn for her, she missed out on so much.
"But it has given me a new longing for life - and so much more energy. Mounjaro does get some bad press but it's been life-changing for me. It's been the best £2k I ever bloody spent."
Her diet before:
Breakfast: Cereals, biscuits, pastries.
Lunch: Sandwiches, crisps, cakes, pizza.
Dinner: Takeaways, fried food.
Snacks: Biscuits, chocolate, sweets, cakes.
Drinks: Coffee with three sugars, full-fat Coke, juice.
Her diet now:
Breakfast: Fruit, protein shake.
Lunch: Salads, yoghurts, fruits, wraps.
Dinner: Chicken, steak, veg, stir fry - homemade whole food.
Snacks: Apples, ready-cooked chicken, yoghurts, fruit.
Drinks: Coffee with no sugar, squash, water.