I started a GLP-1 to save my own life. How friends reacted surprised me.

For ShantaQuilette Carter-Williams, starting GLP-1 wasn’t really an option. “My doctor pretty much gave me an ultimatum and said if I didn’t lose weight, I could die within the next five years,” she tells Yahoo. It was 2023, and Carter-Williams had already survived a heart attack and stroke and been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in his early 40s. Her doctor prescribed Ozempic, and Carter-Williams doesn’t think the drug does anything other than control her insulin levels.

But two years later, Carter-Williams had lost 160 pounds and started taking medication to start a new chapter in his life. “I became more aware of the way I was eating and how to respect my body, and actually became an active participant in the rescue,” she said. She also had a complete makeover. The former accountant is now a speaker, content creator, wellness advocate and comedian. Under the guidance of a doctor, Carter-Williams quit Mounjaro in February 2025. While research shows that about two-thirds of GLP-1 users regain most of the weight they lost within a year, Carter-Williams was notable for being able to stay in shape and improve his health. She attributes this to new habits and her determination to avoid another stroke or heart attack. But Carter-Williams knew she might not be able to maintain her weight forever. “If I need to go back on medication, I will,” she said. “I wish I didn’t have to do it, but I wouldn’t be embarrassed if I had to.”

in this issue about my weightIn her own words, Carter-Williams explains how taking GLP-1 helped her improve her health and learn that “truly loving yourself is taking care of yourself from the inside out.”

weighing

• Name: Shantae Qualette Carter-Williams

• method: Ozempic, 12.5 mg from February 2022 to October 2023, then Mounjaro, 15 mg, until GLP-1 is discontinued in February 2025

• Target: I have had heart disease and stroke, been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and am obese. My doctor doesn’t think this is in my best interest. So she put me on Ozempic to regulate my insulin, but she said it would also help me lose weight.

• Progress report: This medication put my type 2 diabetes into remission. My blood pressure got regulated, I lost 160 pounds, and most importantly: I saw a neurologist a few months ago because I had a brain injury and I’d been having severe brain fog. So I thought, “Is this perimenopause or do I have dementia?” I got a full blood test done. When the nurse came over to give me the results, she said, “This is the best blood test we’ve ever seen in this office—not just for you, not just for your age or gender—but all year long in this office.”

• Amount of food noise: A range of 1 to 10? My food noise is 25. But now I would say my food noise can be a 2 sometimes.

a day in the life

rise and shine

I get up between 5 and 7 in the morning and feel great. I wake up and I choose me. I’m a woman in menopause, so recovery after a full day isn’t quite the same as before. But the difference was that I had gained 160 pounds and was getting out of bed to deal with health issues. I can’t imagine the weight and health I was in five years ago, having to get up in the morning and deal with all the perimenopausal symptoms I have now.

I’m a morning person now, but I don’t rush when I wake up. I let my nervous system do what it was supposed to do. I start the day with affirmations and a good laugh because it lowers your stress hormones [cortisol] And gives you dopamine. Before, that wasn’t the case because I was in pain, groggy, overweight, tired, not feeling well – all of that. At that time, I can stay in bed until 10 or 11 am. I realize this isn’t always good; it’s just my body telling me what it can and can’t do.

first bite

Before starting GLP-1, if we had fried chicken the night before, I might wake up and eat a piece of fried chicken and some eggs or whatever was in the refrigerator. It’s not like, “Oh, I’m going to have a traditional breakfast.” If I want some pudding from New Orleans in the morning, I’m going to have that.

Now, I’ll start my day with a protein drink or a juice that my daughter makes. She and my husband are really supportive. Sometimes, I wake up and go to the office with a protein drink and lemon water. Then my husband would come in with some eggs and potatoes and make sure I ate them.

Come prepare with me

One thing ShantaQuilette has to do is put on some clothes to feel good about herself. She needs to love herself. Whenever I look in the mirror, I always see myself and feel good. To me, being prepared isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity to feel good, and that’s the ultimate joy. It’s about freedom. But, after my stroke, there was a period where I really let myself go and went through a huge, deep depression.

Since starting GLP-1, I feel great, like before, but with some differences. It’s a light that I think comes from my mindset and knowing that I’m getting better, not worse. But I did switch from size 22 to size 4. For a while, I still wanted to buy clothes that were too big, like, Well, I don’t know my size. I kept my old clothes for a while in case I got bigger again. But I realized that this is not a mindset. I told myself, “Why talk about going backwards when you’re going to move forward?” Now I have the confidence to wear what I want to wear.

I went to Fashion Week in February and I used to frown at those designers like “Why can’t I wear this in a size 22 and still look good?” I still fight for it because the girl I once was will always be there. But it feels good when I know I can actually buy something from the show.

take action

These days, I love Pilates, my walking mat, and aerobics. But the truth is, due to my heart condition and my age, some of the exercises I can do now are even more limited than before. I used to love lifting weights, but because I had a stroke and other health issues, I couldn’t do those things.

So, a few times a week I get up and the first thing I do is go for a walk outside. I have a weighted hula hoop. It is very important that we exercise at least three days a week for at least 45 minutes a day, especially when you are at the age where osteoporosis begins. It can lead to a better quality of life. Just like being prepared, exercise is not a luxury but a requirement.

let’s go have lunch

Before: Give me some Popeyes, give me some Williams chicken, some fried chicken fried in the hardest, hottest fat. Now, I’m not strict with myself, but I try not to eat the really bad stuff, and I do try to limit my sugar intake to 25 milligrams a day, and I’m careful about my sodium levels.

Now, I love upping my fruit and vegetable game. I like to eat what I want, but in a healthier way. I usually have a sandwich or salad for lunch. I like to combine cucumber and pineapple with some low-sodium tagine, or a delicious tomato and cucumber salad.

Dosing time

I stopped taking Mounjaro in February 2025 because I was still losing weight even though my doctor and I tried extending the intervals between doses and I took a lower maintenance dose. I didn’t want to lose weight anymore because I had gotten to the point where I was like, “I’m going to be invisible in a minute.” But when I was taking GLP-1, I wasn’t even really thinking about it. If it was once a week, I would give the GLP-1 injection every Tuesday or every Thursday. But my days are pretty inconsistent, sometimes I take it in the morning and sometimes I take it in the evening.

happy hour

I had stopped drinking before taking GLP-1, just to improve my health. When I started losing weight, I encouraged many of my friends to consider doing GLP-1. At first, a lot of them were like, “I’m not going to do this, it’s going to make you blind, it’s going to kill you.” Well, if I didn’t try Ozempic, this is where I would be. I’ve gotten some encouragement from sharing my story online and it’s great to see that I’m inspiring others to be the CEO of their own health. But sometimes I feel hurt or misunderstood. No one ever came up to me and said, “Girl, you look like you’re getting too big.” But as soon as I lost weight, people were like, “Oh my god, don’t lose any more weight.” Well, you’d never tell me to eat my heart disease or my pancreas raw and not take insulin.

But I also decided to start doing something I had never done before. In 2023, I went on a retreat in Costa Rica. I was able to rush down a canyon 300 feet up the side of a cliff; I went white water rafting and zip lining (I will never do that again, but I did it). I did all these things that I didn’t have the strength or courage to do before because I didn’t think I was good enough. I’m glad I checked these things off my bucket list. Being able to truly enjoy life and people. My happy time was that this experience gave me purpose. I realized that purpose is not what you do, but who you do it for. I want life, I want to get better, I want to be here for my grandchildren. I share my story because my testimony is for others so they can change their lives too.

dinner bells

In my family, food is fellowship. Food has always brought me joy but it got to the point where I couldn’t control it and control my weight. After taking GLP-1, my appetite is suppressed so I can enjoy it in moderation.

Now, my husband, daughter (who lives with us) and I are very intentional about eating the foods we love, but in a healthier way. So, if we were having pasta, we would use ground turkey instead of beef. When we have stuffed bell peppers, we use ground chicken. That night, my daughter made hot honey lemon salmon with broccoli, zucchini, and cilantro-lime brown rice. She makes delicious fried and grilled chicken, and she makes sure to make small portions for me.

My daughter does a great job prepping meals and making juice. My husband does his best but he has a sweet tooth. But everyone in my life is part of the process. I became aware of how my choices affected my family. They didn’t want to see me sick; they didn’t want to see me die. They don’t want to see me die. If I weren’t here, they would have to deal with trauma too. So they held me accountable and we were all active participants in the rescue operation.

Let’s check out

Before I was on Ozempic, my doctor tried putting me on Wegovy or Saxenda. Monthly cost is $1,600. I was like, “I’m going to die because I can’t afford it.” It’s hard in a country where we’re all supposed to have free health care, and something like Ozempic should be like a bottle of Tylenol. Finally, when I found out I had type 2 diabetes, I was able to buy Ozempic, then Mounjaro, for $25 a month. But the sad thing is that so many people need these medications and the only thing holding them back is money.

When it comes to food costs, we all know it’s cheaper to buy a cheeseburger at McDonald’s than a salad at Whole Foods. But you have to decide what you want and your budget. We don’t want people to get sick, and the best way to stay healthy is to eat healthy. I think we failed because we tried to be big. It doesn’t have to be the tastiest salad. So just buy some lettuce and tomatoes and make some lemon and olive oil dressing.

This article has been edited for length and clarity.