A mum who shed 7st on Mounjaro has revealed the "one thing" she misses about "being fat". Emilly Murray, 35, dropped from 16 stone and a size 22 to nine stone and a size 6-8 in less than a year after opting for weight loss injections.

However, she now admits she's constantly feeling cold. She's noticed her energy bills have increased by £70 each month - because she needs to keep the heating turned up. The side-effect of feeling chilly due to Mounjaro, known as MJ Freeze on TikTok, is a common issue among hundreds of users of the weight loss jab, particularly during the winter months.

The mother-of-three keeps her thermostat set at 22 degrees for over six hours daily, and bundles up in multiple layers and dressing gowns at home, causing her monthly bill to jump from £85 to £155.

Emilly, from Aintree, Liverpool, shared: "It is absolutely horrendous. I felt the coldness within the first jab, I was sat in bed shivering with a hoodie on. I love being seven stone lighter - but it has come with an unwanted side effect.

"This winter I haven't felt my toes or fingers once. It doesn't feel like when you are cold normally. You can't feel your fingers, and when you drink water you feel even colder, which is concerning because water intake is an important part of weight loss jab journeys.

"At home, now I am always wearing a dressing gown, a heated blanket, heated gloves, heated slippers - and carrying a hot water bottle."

Emilly buys Mounjaro privately - now spending £200 per month for a 7.5 dose injection. This, combined with the extra £70 on heating, sets her back £270 every four weeks, but she maintains the expense is "worth every penny" as shedding weight has allowed her to chase after her children and climb the stairs without becoming breathless.

However, she admits that the constant chill she experiences impacts her everyday activities. She explained: "Every time I have to take my boy to school on a Friday, I have to put on thermals under my normal pants.

"Under my normal pants is another pair of pants – then I have two t-shirts, a jumper, a big coat and gloves. Even with all of these layers I am still freezing to my core!"

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Emilly reckons there's a reason why Mounjaro users tend to feel the cold. She explained: "I think it's from the lack of eating. I had gone for eating a massive amount of calories to less – our bodies are used to eating high amount – so your body has a lot less energy to burn for heat.

"I have not met a single person on Mounjaro who hasn't had MJ freeze. I lost 7st on Mounjaro, that is a huge calorie deficit - of course I'm going to be cold, I have no inner heating any more."

Despite battling daily with Britain's winter chill, Emilly emphasises that she wouldn't stop taking the weight loss injections simply because of feeling cold. She revealed: "I decided to go on them because at my heaviest I was over 22st.

"I lost weight on my own, but I was struggling. I am capable of losing weight - I know what to do and got myself to 16st without jabs - but it was the food noise that was my issue, I just always wanted to eat.

"I was just going to try Mounjaro for the month – within in a couple of hours my head was quiet, no more food noise. Food didn't rule my life again, I was in charge. It's worth going through this cold – you just need to be prepared to get higher heating bills."

Dietitian Sioned Quirke, who specialises in weight management, suggests the sudden chills reported by Mounjaro users might not be directly linked to the injection itself.

"There is no robust clinical trial evidence that GLP-1 drugs directly cause people to feel cold as a pharmacological side effect," she explained. "However, there are some metabolic reasons why people could feel cold called 'Adaptive Thermogenesis' after weight loss.

"Significant weight loss reduces subcutaneous fat, which normally acts as insulation. Lower caloric intake reduces heat production, because diet-induced thermogenesis and resting energy expenditure drop during weight loss.

"Adaptive metabolic slowing often seen during weight loss reduces heat generation as the body conserves energy."

DIET BEFORE:

BREAKFAST - nothing

LUNCH - sandwich, crisps

DINNER - takeaways, freezer food

SNACKS - sweets, crisps, chocolate

DRINKS - fizzy drinks

DIET NOW:

BREAKFAST - protein shake and protein coffee

LUNCH - chicken thighs, tuna bagels

DINNER - Regular dishes, such as curry, chicken, fried rice, healthy burrito bowls

SNACKS - Fruit, cheese, meat

DRINKS - 2-3l of sugar-free juice