"Screw a tequila shot, pass the Ozempic!"

I have a secret I am not ashamed to share:

I used/use Ozempic.

I have PCOS which stands for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and one of the side effects is weight fluctuations. I was tired of it and my endocrinologist recommended it so I drove to Mexico and bought some.

PCOS is a chronic illness characterized by the development of fibroids/cysts in the ovaries, which leads to a load of hormonal issues. For example:

**Irregular periods.** whether that means having very long menstruation, bleeding more than once a month, or missing periods.

**Too much androgen.** High levels of the hormone androgen may result in excess facial and body hair. This is called hirsutism. Sometimes, severe acne and male-pattern baldness can happen, too (Mayo Clinic, 2022).

**Polycystic ovaries. **Ovaries may be larger than normal and develop follicles caused by underdeveloped eggs (Mayo Clinic, 2022).

According to the World Health Organization (2025) other symptoms may include:

1. infertility

2. acne or oily skin

3. male-pattern baldness or hair thinning

4. weight gain, especially around the belly.

Causes aren’t fully known because as many of you are aware women’s health has been ignored for so long that research is barely beginning to shed more light. However, as the little research that has been done, some causes are:

“**Insulin resistance.** Insulin is a hormone that the pancreas makes. It allows cells to use sugar, your body's primary energy supply. If cells become resistant to the action of insulin, then blood sugar levels can go up. This can cause your body to make more insulin to try to bring down the blood sugar level.

Too much insulin might cause your body to make too much of the male hormone androgen. You could have trouble with ovulation, the process where eggs are released from the ovary.

One sign of insulin resistance is dark, velvety patches of skin on the lower part of the neck, armpits, groin or under the breasts. A bigger appetite and weight gain may be other signs.

**Low-grade inflammation.** White blood cells make substances in response to infection or injury. This response is called low-grade inflammation. Research shows that people with PCOS have a type of long-term, low-grade inflammation that leads polycystic ovaries to produce androgens. This can lead to heart and blood vessel problems.

Heredity. Research suggests that certain genes might be linked to PCOS. Having a family history of PCOS may play a role in developing the condition.

**Excess androgen**. With PCOS, the ovaries may produce high levels of androgen. Having too much androgen interferes with ovulation. This means that eggs don't develop on a regular basis and aren't released from the follicles where they develop. Excess androgen also can result in hirsutism and acne (Mayo Clinic, 2022).”

Essentially, it sucks. What sucks more than this? Being told at the ripe age of 12 that you’re over weight and need to go on a diet. I have done ALL the diets and you know what it led to? A FREAKING EATING DISORDER AND A BAD RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD. So now I am an emotional eater as well.

If you have read any of my previous posts then you know that I have anxiety, mix it in with PCOS and emotional eating and you get a recipe for weight gain.

Putting on the weight was so easy but getting it off is a struggle because everyone says to do something different and so many people advocated for weight lifting so I obviously tried it. Oddly enough though, I was gaining even more weight and not just in muscle. Apparently, weightlifting raises your cortisol levels (stress hormones) which if you have PCOS can cause you to gain weight. I kept ending up back at square one. I had clothes in my closet ranging from size 4 - 12. Do you have any idea how much that affects the way you see yourself? It led to me developing body dysmorphia. To this day, I cannot buy myself clothes because I always buy it 2-4 sizes too large.

So, yeah, I take Ozempic and I lost the weight and I was just as unhappy. It was never about confidence for me, because even though I had body image issues, I have always considered myself to be pretty. I started doing affirmations as a child and they really do change how you perceive things. The unhappiness was due to my depressive issues not my body but I did feel better with the weight off, I am not gonna lie. I could move better and I wasn’t constantly out of breath, and my periods were MUCH less painful.

I took the “easy” way out and I don’t feel even a little bit bad about it. I did what I needed to do for myself and I refuse to apologize for how I chose to lose the weight. Weight loss is the key to managing PCOS, at least it was for me. However, I did not stop being active and the Ozempic will not do all of the work alone, I was working out for like 10 hours a week and ate relatively well when I did my first true round. You have to put in the work as well for it to fully work.

People have literally gasped when I have said that is what I take and my mother has told me not to tell people because of what they may think but I personally don’t care. The people that are judging are not the ones living with this chronic illness because it is a chronic illness and if you have it take a minute to digest that. Or a minute to digest everything I just said. People get aesthetic work done all the time for less and are not judged as harshly as Ozempic users and it has caused shame for people that use it due to health reasons.

Me, personally…

I am a proud Ozempic girlie and I am not ashamed.