All my life I’ve had a problem with food and wrestled with my weight. But turning 60 and finding myself struggling to squeeze into a size 16 made me at last do what so many others are doing. Go on the jabs.
Except, I lied about doing it – for a year. I lied to my friends, my two daughters, aged 26 and 28, and my doctor. And I know I’m not the only one.
But why do we do it? The shame we feel around overeating is overwhelming but why is there still shame over taking a drug that will ‘fix’ a problem we’ve been unable to fix by ourselves? And why do we lie when everyone knows we are lying?
At the time of my deception in December 2023, GLP-1s were quite new to Britain and few people who weren’t overweight had seen a pen. I live alone so I didn’t think I had to worry about hiding the evidence – though I later discovered that one of my daughters, Margot, had found one in the fridge and assumed it was medicine for the dog.
Worse, I didn’t know the science behind these drugs at the time and wasn’t sure if they were safe. But I didn’t want anyone telling me that I shouldn’t do it and, once they started working, I didn’t want people saying I should stop.
I was no longer micromanaging my desires and everything that goes with overeating. But there was also a sense of failure. I worried about being judged – and, truthfully, I judged myself more than anybody.
I lied to my friends, my two daughters, aged 26 and 28, and my doctor about taking fat jabs, writes Maxine Laceby
I didn’t want anyone telling me that I shouldn’t do it and, once they started working, I didn’t want people saying I should stop, says Maxine
Lying about GLP-1s isn’t uncommon. In a survey of 500 users by weight-loss clinic CheqUp, 14 per cent revealed they hadn’t told any family or friends; and of those, almost half (46 per cent) said they were worried they would be judged.
I also felt I was protecting my daughters. Darcy is similar to me and can overeat, so I worried about the message I’d give her, if I admitted taking weight-loss injections.
Everyone in my life is used to my fluctuating weight which, for years, was always up and down by the same 2st 6 lbs.
At my heaviest, aged 39, I weighed 14st 2lbs and was a 16-18 dress size. I’d previously slimmed down to a size 12 without jabs, but could never stay there.
From the outside, on Mounjaro, it just looked like the same old Maxine behaviour – except this time I got to that healthier weight and stayed there.
I still take a maintenance dose of 2.5mg. I have tried to come off but I really struggle and end up resorting back to old habits.
I like to think my deception wasn’t totally barefaced but more a case of lying by omission. But I did feel awful about it.
When the weight started coming off, I’d say I’d stepped up my running or cut out an evening chocolate bar. It made me feel guilty because, usually, I’m an honest, open person.
Then again, I’ve spent most of my life masking something. My mother was an alcoholic and I have been in recovery for 14 years.
I was also diagnosed at the age of 56 with ADHD which, as anyone with it will know, means I often forget to eat all day and binge in the evening. Between that and the drinking, it’s always been a constant battle.
I felt I was protecting my daughters as one is similar to me and can overeat, so I worried about the message I’d give her if I admitted taking weight-loss injections
When the weight started coming off, I’d say I’d stepped up my running or cut out an evening chocolate bar
In hindsight, there is one part of my deception which feels foolish: I also lied to my medical consultant for the year. I take sulfasalazine because I have an overactive immune system. All the time I was secretly on GLP-1 drugs, I worried about whether they were interacting with my medication – but I made my peace with it.
It was a lonely 12 months keeping the jabs and the worry to myself. Then I got found out by my daughters. Margot was looking for something on my bank statement one day and asked about regular charges. I had no choice but to tell her. Neither of the girls was judgmental – I’d worried for nothing. Next, I admitted all to my friends. I told them I was sorry but I’d kept it from them because I felt so ashamed.
Most were glad for me, though one friend took it harder and is still angry. She was overweight years ago and works hard to keep the pounds off, so I get that she feels I’m a cheat. And all was fine with my doctor, though I don’t ever recommend lying to yours.
Lots of friends wanted to know how I’d felt on the drugs. I did have digestion issues, veering from constipation to diarrhoea (not good when you’re a runner like me), and my skin elasticity and muscle tone suffered too. I was also tired. At one point I was taking 17 different supplements to combat the side-effects.
Knowing certain supplements should be taken at certain times and some not taken at the same time as others, it soon became a logistical nightmare. Once I’d told people, I was able to find a solution.
My business, Absolute Collagen, is in supplements and I wanted to create proper support for people taking GLP-1s, so my team developed Sculpt Pro Body and Skin. It’s two drinks – you mix one in the morning and a different one in the evening.
I’m 5ft 6in and, since last year, weigh 10st 7lbs. I’ve been on a 2.5mg dose for two years. Do I regret the secrecy? No. But I think it’s important to be honest about it. So what I say to women now is don’t beat yourself up about it like I did: take it and own it.
Sculpt Pro is available at Boots (ten-day supply, which includes ten sachets and a scoop is £45, boots.com)
As told to Edwina Ings-Chambers
