Whenever Amy Kane posts old pictures of herself on social media, she receives the same wave of astonished comments.
Because, since starting Ozempic two years ago, the 34-year-old from Chicago has managed to shed more than half of her body weight. She has shrunk from more than 300lbs to 135lbs, dropping from a clothes size 24 to a petite 4 in the process.
But, despite the positive comments from her 200,000-plus Instagram followers, the weight-loss jabs have also caused an unfortunate side-effect of a much saggier nature.
Last month, the mother-of-three revealed she was struggling with ‘loose skin’ around her stomach and pubic area, which she said was causing severe discomfort.
She told followers she was going to have a tummy tuck to ‘pull everything on up’ – an eight-hour procedure in which doctors would remove excess skin and fat from her abdomen and tighten the muscles.
Two weeks on, was her latest weight loss step worth the… well… wait?
‘It’s only been a fortnight but I’m already shocked by the results,’ Amy tells the Daily Mail in astonishment.
‘It’ll take around three months to see the full effects, but I feel so positive about the decision. I can see and feel the changes already.’
Amy Kane shrank from 300lbs to 135lbs and has built an impressive following on social media with her inspiring posts
Her candid response is unsurprising – particularly to those who’ve followed her weight-loss journey over the years.
Amy spent much of her life struggling with her weight and says she felt like a ‘fat outsider’ since the age of ten.
After having children in her late 20s, she struggled to shed the pounds and her doctor suggested that she start Ozempic in 2023.
The response was almost immediate. Over the course of 14 months, she lost around 100 pounds and now, two years on, is unrecognizable from her former self.
Over that period, she has posted a slew of clips on Instagram and TikTok discussing her weight loss and its unexpected side-effects.
Last month, she told followers about how it was impacting her skin, posting: ‘Alright, this is awkward to talk about but it’s now or never… I’m going in for the tummy tuck tomorrow and while they’re down there, they’re going to pull everything on up.
‘I don’t think the loose skin down there gets talked about enough… it’s normal when you lose weight [but] there’s things that can be done about it.’
Many viewers thanked Amy for opening up about the issue, with one commenting: ‘My situation is very much like yours. You help me. Proud of you girl.’
In videos, the 34-year-old shows her ‘loose’ stomach to viewers to highlight this side-effect of weight loss drugs
Throughout her weight-loss journey, the mother-of-three says her husband has been her ‘biggest champion’
And it’s certainly a wider issue, as one Beverly Hills plastic surgeon explains. Dr Catherine Huang-Begovic, who specializes in surgeries to tighten and ‘rejuvenate’ the vagina, says: ‘For women, the vaginal tissues can become loose due to weight loss, aging, hormone changes and pregnancy.
‘This baggy skin causes discomfort, loss of vaginal lubrication, a decrease in erotic sensation and loss of tone of the labia.’
As well as her daily Ozempic jabs, Amy has transformed her diet by cutting out processed foods and opting for home-cooked meals.
In a typical day, she will have an iced coffee with oat milk, a protein bar and an electrolyte drink mix for breakfast, a turkey wrap with guacamole and carrots for lunch, and chicken tenders to round out the day.
She also works out multiple times a week on an indoor Peloton bike.
One thing Amy says she doesn’t do, however, is count calories or weigh herself.
While her measures may sound drastic to some, Amy insists she’s never been happier.
She has previously posted about how people are ‘nicer’ to her and her family now she’s lost weight, adding: ‘My children are treated better now I am skinny.
‘[If] we go to run errands or we go to the park people are kinder, people are more willing to offer help and give us a smile.’
And it’s not just children. Throughout her weight loss journey, Amy tells the Daily Mail that her husband, whom she won’t name, has been her ‘biggest champion’.
‘My husband has always loved and appreciated me at any size. He has always told me I was beautiful.
‘The only change would be that I am happier and healthier now in my new body and my husband sees that happiness and is very proud of me.’
