With the ongoing One Piece plot being at its most thrilling state, every fan of the series is desperately hoping for the members of the Straw Hat Pirates to get a power up. While each member of the crew deserves a different kind of upgrade, in an ideal situation, the best ability that would help […]
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As the 2025 MLB trade deadline approaches, the Chicago Cubs find themselves at a pivotal crossroads. Despite a roster that has undergone significant changes and a season marked by both promise and adversity, one question looms large over Wrigley Field: Who is the one player the Cubs simply cannot afford to part with? While several […]
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BLINKING her eyes open, Megan Houchen felt like she had been hit by a bus – every bone in her body ached.
But the 25-year-old hadn’t been in a terrible accident – nor did she have one too many the night before – her agonising symptoms were all in the name of losing weight.
The customer service worker says she was hit with flu-like symptoms the day after she started on weight-loss jabs.
The 25-year-old began taking Mounjaro last month after struggling to reign in her comfort eating, which saw her weight go up to 11st – overweight for her 5ft 1ins frame with a BMI of 29.1.
“I woke up feeling like absolute rubbish,” Megan, from County Durham, says.
“I felt like I’d been hit by a bus.
“My shoulders and neck were so sore and felt bruised like I’d done some sort of hardcore workout.”
Megan wondered if she was coming down with the flu, and noted her lack of appetite and soreness around her shoulders – saying it even hurt to put a bra on.
She adds: “I had never heard anyone on Mounjaro talk about those symptoms so, at first, I didn’t think it was causing it.”
It was only when Megan went on TikTok that she found other people reporting similar symptoms after taking the medication.
Luckily, she began to feel better the following day – and Megan says the initial side effects were well worth the trouble, as she has gone on to drop a stone in just four weeks.
She says: “My experience [since then] has been amazing.
“I know it’s not the same for everyone but I’ve not really had any bad side effects [since the first day].
“All of the food noise has gone – I don’t really ever think about food or feel excited about food and it has suppressed my appetite a lot.
“I sometimes do miss my food a little because there’s some days when I don’t feel like eating a lot and then there’s other days that I can manage three full meals.
“All in all my Mounjaro journey so far has been life-changing and the best decision I have ever made.”
Megan started on Mounjaro after struggling with self-discipline and wanting to shed a few pounds.
She says: “I had always been quite slim and ate what I wanted, and got in the mindset of ‘I’m never going to put on weight because I’ve eaten what I wanted for ages’.
“But about three years ago I noticed I was gaining more weight, and in the last year it all just caught up with me and I was the heaviest I’d ever been.
“I would always have a takeaway or eat out Friday, Saturday and Sunday and then it started through the week – sometimes having a takeaway every night and sometimes even ordering takeaways for dinner at work.
“It was becoming unhealthy.
“My comfort foods would always be a takeaway – if I was sad, I’d always order to food to cheer me up, but afterwards I felt so bloated and looking in the mirror made me feel awful.
“I’d even drive to McDonald’s at midnight to get food if I couldn’t sleep.
I was dreading going on holiday and wearing a bikini but now I’m really looking forward to it because of the weight loss
Megan Houchan
“I was struggling to lose that stubborn weight and I was struggling to keep myself disciplined.
“So, I started Mounjaro to get me out of all of those bad eating habits.”
Megan says she was warned by her provider of the potential side effects, although she hadn’t linked her symptoms the following day.
And, with her symptoms quickly subsiding that same week, she has gone on to be thrilled with her results, dropping down to a healthier 10 stone.
She added: “I would definitely recommend it based on my experience.
Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases.
Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK.
Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market.
Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year.
How do they work?
The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight.
They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists.
They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients’ sugar levels are too high.
Can I get them?
NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics.
Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure.
GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss.
Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk.
Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health.
Are there any risks?
Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild.
Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at patient.info, said: “One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.”
Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia.
Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients’ mental health.
Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines.
“I recommended it to my dad and he has now started his journey and is going really well for him too.
“Now, I feel more confident when I put outfits on to go out, and when taking photos.”
Megan says that her weight loss has had a positive impact on her mental health too.
“I just feel much better in myself.
“I was dreading going on holiday and wearing a bikini but now I’m really looking forward to it because of the weight loss.
“I’ve had a lot of comments about it too.
“People at work say they can really tell, on my face especially, and have said I look really well for it.
“My family is always telling me that they can see such a difference.
“My mum always comments on my weight loss and it makes me feel really good because some days I think ‘Am I losing weight?’ and sort of doubt myself – so it’s nice to have reminders.
“For other people to notice it makes me feel a lot more confident.”
BUYING designer perfume is expensive – but thankfully a number of dupes are available on the high street.
Zara shoppers have been raving about a £10 bottle in store which is said to smell nearly identical to Prada’s £112 Paradox Intense.
Sasha Rose shared how she snapped up their Vibrant Caramel in their Night Collection for a tenner.
In the caption on her @sashxrose account, she added: “Trying the caramel perfume from zara, which is supposed to last all day and smells amazing.”
The description of the bargain perfume reads: “Eau de parfum.
“A perfume that leaves a sweet, rule-breaking sensation with top notes of bergamot and mandarin orange, middle notes of apple blossom, and base notes of vanilla and praline.”
Meanwhile, Prada Paradox Intense has a “floral ambery fragrance”, with the “powerful lift of a delicate Jasmine flower and the vibrant and enveloping warmth of an Amber accord, intensified by a subtle yet instantly recognizable Moss accord.”
Beauty lovers were quick to praise the scent, with the video racking up over 6,000 likes.
One said: “I work in the perfume shop and this is so good! Smells exactly like prada paradox intense !!!”
Another added: “This smells unreal.”
And a third commented: “Omg getting this next.”
It’s not the only Zara perfume which is said to be a dupe and could save you a small fortune.
A woman said that Zara’s scent Fashionably London costs £29.99 but is a replica for the £165 Parfums de Marly Delina.
This means she saves a whopping £135 every time she buys it.
The perfume is part of a collection scent queen Jo Malone created with the high street store.
She also said people stop her in the street to ask which perfume she’s wearing .
The woman predicted the Zara perfume – part of a collection designed with Jo Malone – will be a total sell out.
Zara was founded in 1975 in Spain, and the first UK store was opened in 1998. It remains as one of the most popular stores on the high street, but why?
Rather than producing more quantities of a style, it is said Zara focuses on producing more styles.
Some stats suggest Zara releases 24 trend-led collections every year, 500 designs a week and almost 20,000 per year. Other estimates put its production levels at 450 million garments a year.
Even if a style sells out very quickly, there are new styles waiting to take up the space. This means more choices and higher chance of getting it right with the consumer.
Zara only allows its designs to remain on the shop floor for three to four weeks, and this pushes the consumer to keep visiting the store or website, because if they were just a week late, the clothes of a particular style or trend would be sold out and replaced with a new trend.
At the same time, this constant refreshing of the lines and styles carried by its stores also entices customers to visit its shops more frequently.
THE thrills and spills of the summer transfer window are finally here – with some huge deals already in the pipeline.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Real Madrid are ‘on the verge’ of signing Argentine 17-year-old Franco Mastantuono.
Elsewhere, Rodrygo has become the ‘number one’ target for Arsenal on the wing, with the Gunners looking to strengthen out wide.
In other news, Brentford have revealed their price to be around £70 million for star player Bryan Mbeumo, as Manchester United look to bring him in.
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AN enormous 350-foot wide message reading “Free Palestine” was scrawled in the sand at a beach in front of US President Donald Trump’s golf resort in Co Clare this week.
A trio of activists wrote the temporary message in response to Israeli attacks in Gaza killing over 50,000 people, including 15,000 children.
Sean Corcoran, who worked alongside two friends to create the sand art on Doughmore Strand in Doonbeg, called for a ceasefire in the region, adding: “Do the right thing Donald Trump.”
He told RTE: “Israel’s actions are being made possible by the USA and other countries who continue to supply them military equipment.”
Sean continued: “I chose the Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg as a poignant location for this installation. I thought I would use the privilege I am afforded in this democracy to voice my opinion.
“I believe a turning point has been reached and politicians will need to start responding to growing public outrage.
“The USA and other countries need to stop supporting Israel.
“We all need to insist on a ceasefire. Do the right thing Donald Trump.”
Each letter in the sand art, which Sean’s friends James Corcoran Hodgins and Caoláin Power assisted him with, stood at about 40 foot tall.
But Sean, who is a regular visitor to the US on art projects, admitted that the message at Donald Trump’s golf course in Ireland could land him in trouble if he tries to return to America.
He said: “If the Trump administration decided that my opinions and actions on the sand are anti-Semitic, it’s possible that I would be detained or deported if I try to return.”
The travel advice for Irish people heading to the US in general has not changed, Simon Harris previously confirmed.
However, the Tanaiste said that this advice will be kept “under constant review”.
He added that people have seen “scenes from across America in terms of protest”, specifically when it comes to Palestine, which has brought up concerns.
He said: “It’s important when you go to any jurisdiction to consider the local situation, the local laws, to consider if what is acceptable in Ireland is acceptable in the country that you are visiting and to also know, specifically in relation to the United States, that Ireland has a very large diplomatic presence there.”
The Union of Students in Ireland, which represents over 350,000 students, has urged students over the risks of “activism” while travelling to the US on a J1 Visa this summer.
The USI said: “While activism is a vital part of student life and a right that should be protected, it is important that students fully understand the possible consequences for their visa status, including the risk of deportation, and take steps to safeguard their participation in such activities.”
Separately, A US- and Israeli-backed group handing out aid in Gaza said all its distribution sites were closed until further notice.
The group urged residents to stay away from these venues “for their safety” after a series of deadly shootings.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said that a reopening date would be announced at a later time.
Seven years later, console players are still getting the budget version of Arthur Morgan’s adventure in Red Dead Redemption 2. While PC gamers have been living their best cowboy life with uncapped framerates and stunning visuals, PlayStation and Xbox owners have been stuck with what feels like a completely different game. The “but it still […]
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