I know it sounds like a cliché – that people get to middle age and have an existential crisis and leave their partners. That wasn’t quite what happened to me; it was more like a whole-body epiphany, and I definitely felt that perimenopause was the beginning of the end. But primarily, it was dramatic weight loss.
About a year ago, aged 46, I started taking Ozempic. I had seen friends doing well on it, their old jeans hanging off them after a few weeks. I’d been slim in my 30s, but after having two kids, I’d become a size 18. I felt so self-conscious. I hated buying clothes. I always said negative things to myself.
My husband, Rob, never openly criticised my weight, but he once said, “That girl loves her food,” in front of a whole table of people at a friend’s wedding. That comment stuck with me for years. I’d been pregnant at the time. When we were watching TV, Rob would comment on shows like Strictly Come Dancing and say, “She looks amazing for her age,” or “You’d never guess she’d had kids,” referring to their figures. He talked about bumping into one of my friends and how fit she looked. He often told me, “Your legs aren’t your strong point, love.” It all made me feel worse, obviously. It made me feel ugly.
