By Andrea Caknis
When Jessica Philips boarded a flight to Italy last year, she wasn’t worried about turbulence or take-off.
She was worried about the seatbelt and the humiliation of being given a belt extender by the cabin crew.
She knew she would not be able to put down the tray table in front of her because she was so large.
At 24 stone, the 30-year-old primary school teacher from Sittingbourne had become used to discomfort.
But what she wasn’t prepared for were the stares, or the feeling that she didn’t belong.
“Everyone was staring at me the whole time,” she recalls of her trip to Sorrento.
“It was like I was a walking spectacle. I came home feeling broken.”
That flight, and the humiliation that came with it, became a turning point.
Now, just over a year later, Jess is 9.6 stone lighter, wearing clothes she never thought possible, and finally living the life she’d always dreamed of.
“I don’t feel like I’m shrinking myself anymore,” she says.
“I feel seen, and for the right reasons.”
Jess has always been the “bigger one”. By age 11, she was already wearing size 12 women’s clothing, standing out from her peers and battling constant comparisons.
“I was called every name under the sun,” she says.
“Fatty, whale. I learned quickly that kids, and even adults, would use my size as ammunition.”
The bullying eventually faded in secondary school, but the damage lingered.
“Even when people stopped saying it out loud, I’d hear comments behind my back. Or someone would say, ‘I’d hate to be that fat’ – and they were talking about someone half my size.”
Her weight not only impacted her confidence, but also her choices. She avoided PE lessons, theme parks, holidays with friends, anything that might highlight her size or lead to humiliation.
“At one point, I convinced myself I didn’t like theme parks anymore. The truth was I didn’t fit in the seats.”
Even day-to-day life felt like a struggle.
She said: “Flying was a nightmare. I needed a seatbelt extender and couldn’t use the tray tables. I’d spend the entire flight trying to shrink myself.”
At work, things weren’t much easier. “I had children ask me if there was a baby in my tummy,” she said.
“I’d laugh it off, but it hurt. I lost confidence in myself as a teacher.”
After years of failed diets and emotional bingeing, Jess began researching alternatives. She briefly considered gastric surgery but feared she’d undo the results.
Then she discovered Mounjaro, a weight-loss injection originally developed for type 2 diabetes.
“I honestly felt like this was my last shot,” she admits.
“I’d spent years obsessed with food, it felt like my brain was constantly screaming at me to eat. But the injections quieted that noise. For the first time in my life, I felt in control.”
She didn’t just rely on the injections. Jess made sustainable changes, tracking calories, upping her protein and fibre, and incorporating movement into her day.
“I didn’t want a quick fix,” she said. “I wanted to rebuild a healthy relationship with food.”
Her weight loss battle hasn’t been without tears, but many of them have been joyful.
“There were so many moments that floored me emotionally,” she says.
“One was flying to Amsterdam and not needing a seatbelt extender for the first time in years. I just sat there beaming.”
Another came when she tried on her bridesmaid dress for her sister’s wedding.
“I started in a size 28 and walked down the aisle in a size 18. For once, I wasn’t hiding. I was present, happy, and proud.”
Jess is now preparing for a summer trip to Orlando, this time, with excitement, not fear.
“The thought of going on rollercoasters again without worrying about fitting is honestly overwhelming. I feel like I’m getting a part of my life back.”
The reaction from others has been striking.
“Strangers speak to me more. I feel invisible, but in a nice way. I’m not a target anymore.”
Her TikTok account, has gained thousands of followers, drawn to her honest updates, emotional milestones, and day-to-day meals.
“I wanted to show the real side of medicated weight loss, especially for people like me, who started at a higher weight,” Jess says.
“There’s this idea that you’ll never change. But I’m proof that you can.”
And while a few trolls have called injections the “easy way out”, Jess disagrees.
“This isn’t easy,” she said.
“It’s not just about the injections, it’s about changing your life, your habits, your mindset. They’re a tool. But I did the work.”
Now, Jess is stepping into a leadership role at school, something she never thought possible.
“I have more energy, more confidence, and I genuinely feel respected, by the children, my colleagues, and myself.”
She’s also rediscovered joy in the little things, wearing skirts without hiding, eating chocolate without shame, and finally learning to stop when she’s full.
