I Did Everything Right… And Still Felt Broken

From 170lbs to 122lbs

The full story….

I struggled for 10 years… battled dizziness, anemia, and saw countless specialists, only for everyone to tell me I needed to lose weight. I worked out — sometimes 5 to 6 days a week — constantly looking in the mirror and at the number on the scale, feeling sick, dizzy, and defeated. Nobody would tell me what was truly wrong.

I was given thyroid meds, countless prescriptions for dizziness (which just created new, unwelcomed symptoms), and kept gaining weight no matter what. I went through multiple MRIs, tilt tests, and more — all for someone to eventually say, “It’s just your hormones.” But deep down, I knew something else was going on. My body felt inflamed — like it was constantly working against me — and no one seemed to care why.

I struggled with low vitamin D, low ferritin that required iron transfusions, and I tried everything. I went vegan. I did keto. I had to advocate for the right labs every single time. Year after year, I left defeated with more prescriptions that just sat in my cabinet, and more doctors saying, “You need to lose weight.”

I bought into supplements and programs that promised results — wasted more money than I care to admit. At one point, a doctor prescribed phentermine. I lost 18 pounds but felt like hell. My heart rate was always high. I already battled anxiety from feeling sick all the time — and this only made it worse. As soon as I stopped the phentermine, I gained the weight back fast.

Eventually, I signed up for a tummy tuck. I had diastasis recti and needed muscle repair — and while I loved the results, the weight kept piling on. I became the heaviest I had ever been, with a “ruined tummy tuck” and no real answers. My body was clearly inflamed, exhausted, and stuck — and I was still being told to just “try harder.”

That was my breaking point.

And then I saw it — a TikTok.
Someone talking about GLP-1s. I rolled my eyes. “Ozempic? Yeah, that’s not for me. That’s cheating.”

Or so I thought.

But I kept watching. Quietly.
I saw people talk about how these medications helped with blood sugar regulation, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation — things no doctor had ever explained to me, but suddenly made all my symptoms make sense. They talked about feeling better from the inside out — and it clicked. I was tired of being tired. Tired of feeling like my body was in a constant state of burnout. I was still so young, and I was losing my life little by little.

I had never seen myself in those “before” photos. I thought GLP-1s were only for people 100+ lbs overweight. But emotionally, physically, mentally, I was them.

So I kept watching. I researched. I asked questions. I finally brought it up to my endocrinologist, who said I was a great candidate for Wegovy (only because I asked).

She agreed I’d be a good candidate for Wegovy — and prescribed it.
I left the office hopeful, excited, and terrified all at once.

Then came the price tag: $1,400.
No coverage. No help. Just another roadblock. I battled with insurance, submitted appeals, called the union - nothing.

So I went back to where it started: TikTok.
Back to the people who had helped me feel less alone.
Back to the platforms that were sharing the information no one else would.

That’s how I eventually found a telehealth provider and finally started my own GLP-1 journey.

This is just the beginning.

But if you’re here because you’ve tried everything and still feel broken…
If you’ve ever been told to “just try harder” while your body feels like it’s fighting you every step of the way…
I see you. I was you. And now I’m down almost 50 pounds!

And I’m going to share it all, openly, emotionally and even if it might be too much for those who just can’t relate. But I’m not doing it for them. I’m doing it for the ones that were like me. Searching for someone who looks and feels like them. I do it for you.

If anything in this post resonated with you — if you’re tired of being tired, of hearing “just lose weight” without real answers — know that you’re not alone.

I’m now on a personalized GLP-1 plan with Shed, and it’s been a life-changing part of my journey toward healing my metabolism, regulating blood sugar, and finally feeling like me again.

I know this path isn’t one-size-fits-all, but if you’re looking into options and want to feel supported, Shed’s team has been incredible.

If you ever decide to explore this route, you can use code CARISA100 to save $100.