A woman who gorged on McDonalds and Chinese takeaways daily has revealed the lifestyle changes that helped her shed 10 stone in six months.
Struggling to lose weight ‘no matter what’, Holly Barron, 22, from Manchester, gained eight stone in the span of a year, taking her to her heaviest weight of 21st 8lbs (136kg).
Describing her life as ‘feeling like I was existing rather than living,’ she attributes her rapid weight gain to having polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common hormonal disorder which is related to high levels of insulin in the body.
Ms Barron was also diagnosed with type two diabetes at the age of 20, which is primarily caused by lifestyle factors like obesity and inactivity.
Now she has slimmed down to 11st 8lbs and has swapped her clothes from 3XL to XS.
The secret behind her weight loss? A daily diet of chicken salads with full-fat mayonnaise.
She said: ‘I’ve always been overweight and no matter what I did, I couldn’t obviously lose weight.
‘It led to me being bullied through school, and in everyday life, people out there were not seeing me for me, just as someone overweight.
At her heaviest, Holly Barron, now 22, weighed 21st 8lbs and wore a size 3XL
Ms Barron was diagnosed with type two diabetes at the age of 20, which is primarily caused by lifestyle factors like obesity and inactivity
Ms Barron shed 10 stone in six months – and can now fit into children’s clothes
‘I left school and I had been diagnosed with diabetes and PCOS.
‘Life changed overnight. All of a sudden, I gained seven or eight stone in a year and I didn’t understand why.’
Ms Barron spent four days in hospital after suffering from an intolerance to her old diabetes medication, Metformin, which ‘nearly left her in a coma’.
In June 2025, her diabetes clinic recommended she try Mounjaro, which mimics two hormones (GLP-1 and GIP) that help the body produce more insulin when needed and reduce blood sugar.
She took her first 2.5mg dose on June 18, 2025, and claims that the medication has changed her life.
Admitting to previously ‘always’ feeling hungry and eating until she was sick, she claims the medication has given her the ability to know when she is full – something she did not have before.
‘With Mounjaro, it gave me back being able to understand when I was full and when I wasn’t full.
‘I’ve been on it six months and completely went clean with my diet and had chicken salad every day. It has changed my life,’ she said.
Holly gained eight stone in the span of a year before her weight loss journey
She took her first dose of Mounjaro in June 2025 and claims it has changed her life
Previously bullied for her size, Holly is now 11st 8lbs and plans to lose another two stone
‘I was a size two or three XL, and now I’m an XS, and my pants are age 13 in the kids section. I never expected that.’
Ms Barron’s diet overhaul saw her switch her morning McDonald’s or bacon sandwich for turkey ham, and ditch Chinese takeaways for weighed-out high protein salads.
She said: ‘For my breakfast now I’ll have turkey ham and Fridge Raiders chicken grills.
‘I’ll have my breakfast around lunchtime. Tea will be chicken salads, weighed out.
‘I have full-fat mayo but only 15 grams of it because I track the carbs and sugars each gram holds.’
Ms Barron wants to lose a further two stone and has recently had a meeting with her doctor and is awaiting results from blood glucose tests.
If she is in a normal range, she will progress on to the next dosage of 10mg.
‘Obviously, a lot of people are so scared of starting it,’ she said.
‘They don’t know where to turn, and I feel like that’s something I was nervous about.
‘If you’re scared of your health, it’s the best thing possible to do if you think it’s for you. There’s nothing to be scared of.’
