A woman who successfully reached her target weight using prescription weight-loss injections has revealed that stopping the medication was a frightening experience, describing hunger sensations she had never encountered before in her life.
The Journey to Weight Loss
Charli-Dee Johnson, a 39-year-old from Blackpool, had struggled with her weight and relationship with food throughout her adult life. Standing at just 4 feet 11 inches tall, she weighed 11 stone when she decided to try Mounjaro in June 2025.
"I've honestly never not been on a diet," Charli-Dee explained. "One 'cheat day' would turn into a full binge. I'd eat until I felt ill, hate myself, promise to do better, and then repeat the cycle."
Overcoming Initial Fears
Starting on the lowest 2.5mg dose, Charli-Dee admits she was terrified of the injections. "It took me two weeks to actually do my first one," she said. "I was having panic attacks just looking at it."
Once she overcame her fear, she discovered the needle was tiny and the injection process was straightforward. She remained on the same low dose for four months, during which she lost 14 pounds (6.4 kilograms).
"That was the first time the cycle really stopped," she reflected. "For once, I wasn't fighting my own head around food. My life wasn't ruled by food anymore. The constant noise in my head just stopped."
Unexpected Side Effects
While the weight loss progressed steadily, Charli-Dee encountered an unexpected challenge several weeks into her treatment. Her close-up vision began deteriorating significantly.
"My close-up vision started going blurry," she described. "Phones, computers, anything close up. I also had really bad eye sensitivity and dry eyes."
An optician confirmed her eyes were healthy but that her vision had declined noticeably. After trying various remedies including heat packs, eye drops, and exercises, she reported the issue to her prescriber and discovered many others online describing similar experiences.
The Scary Withdrawal Phase
If starting the medication was frightening, coming off it proved even more challenging. "That part scared me more than I expected," Charli-Dee admitted. "Mentally and physically."
Three weeks after stopping Mounjaro, hunger returned with an intensity she had never experienced. "I've never felt hunger like that in my life," she said. "I genuinely thought I was going backwards."
Her irritable bowel syndrome flared up, her appetite surged dramatically, and negative comments from others added to her anxiety. "People said, 'You'll pile it all back on.' 'Don't buy new clothes.' 'There's no way she'll keep it off.'"
Successful Maintenance Strategy
Despite these challenges, Charli-Dee has maintained her weight loss and even lost an additional 11 pounds (5 kilograms) since stopping the injections five months ago. She now weighs just under 8.5 stone (119 pounds or 54 kilograms), dropping from a UK size 14 to a size 6.
"For the first time in my life, I'm not constantly dieting," she said. "I'm maintaining, and that feels better than any number on the scales."
Vision Improvement After Stopping
Interestingly, Charli-Dee noticed her eyesight began improving after she stopped taking Mounjaro. "That really made me stop and think," she remarked about this unexpected development.
She stresses that her story represents personal experience rather than medical advice. "This is just my experience," she emphasized. "Everyone's body is different."
Developing Sustainable Habits
Charli-Dee attributes her success to having a solid plan and structure. She now focuses on eating approximately 1,200 calories daily, prioritizing protein, maintaining routine, and practicing awareness rather than restriction.
"Protein first, always," she explained. "Movement I actually enjoy. Even a walk helps my mindset."
She tracks her food intake not out of obsession but for awareness, and has learned that maintenance requires as much intention as weight loss, but without the restriction, obsession, or panic that often accompanies dieting.
Addressing Binge Eating Patterns
During her journey, Charli-Dee realized she had long struggled with binge eating patterns. "It made everything real," she said. "But it also helped me understand myself properly."
She learned that the return of hunger after stopping medication didn't signify failure. "It meant my body was finding its balance again," she explained. "And it did."
Creating Support for Others
Motivated by the fear and misinformation she observes online, Charli-Dee is now developing a maintenance plan to support others coming off weight-loss medication.
"So many people are terrified of stopping because all they hear is failure," she noted. "I want to show that maintenance is possible if you approach it calmly and consistently."
She believes the true value of her experience wasn't the medication itself but what she learned during the process. "I always thought it was just the jab doing its thing," she reflected. "But what you eat on it matters. Once I switched to cleaner meals, protein first, fibre and water, the nausea and bloat basically disappeared."
A New Relationship with Food
At 39 years old, Charli-Dee says food no longer controls her life. "Coming off Mounjaro was scarier than starting," she admitted. "But it taught me that I'm capable of maintaining this, and that's something I never believed before."
She emphasizes that maintenance isn't about control but understanding oneself. "Routine over motivation," she advised. "Adjust calmly when life happens. Go out, enjoy yourself, then get back into routine without spiralling."
Charli-Dee concludes with a message of support for others facing similar journeys: "If you're scared, you're not alone."
