Mama June Shannon is seizing control of her health. In an Instagram post on Tuesday, April 16, the 44-year-old candidly announced her decision to embark on a weight-loss journey with the help of semaglutide.
Semaglutide is more commonly referenced by its brand names Ozempic and Wegovy. These medications have become a hot topic of discussion among regular people and big-name celebrities, with an increasing number sharing their experiences with them. Among them: Sharon Osbourne, Rebel Wilson, and now: the Here Comes Honey Boo Boo star.
“Come along with me as I go through this journey I know a lot of y’all are on similar journeys so let’s do it together,” she captioned the Instagram video. “Tell me what your experiences are pros and cons and everything. I will be updating every week how things are going as I know I’m not the only person that has struggled since having a bariatric surgery.”
In the video, Mama June addressed her followers directly to provide context. “As you know, back in May 2015, I had gastric sleeve surgery,” the reality star explained. “I used to weigh 550 lbs. and on my own, I went from 550 lbs. to 311 lbs. on the day I had my surgery. And in six weeks, I went from 311 all the way down to 195,” she began. “Since then, I kinda kept off the weight. I stayed at like 130, 140, 150 lbs.”
However, she noted a recent change in her weight trajectory. “I have noticed over the last year and a half that I’ve really put on weight,” she added, attributing it to the emotional toll from her late daughter’s tragic cancer battle. “With the stress of everything going on, eating out, not eating right, just all kinds of stuff, I had packed on about 120, 130 pounds. I tried to cut back on my eating, nothing was actually helping.”
“I decided to go with semaglutide a couple months ago through my main doctor,” she said. She plugged her doctor, Miami dermatologist Anna Chacon, MD, and seemingly encouraged her followers to consider reaching out to her if they, too, are struggling to lose weight.
“The good thing about Dr. Anna is you can [speak with her] in the comfort of your home or you can go to her office—whichever makes it comfortable for you,” she said. Even better, June mentioned that the doctor might arrange for the medication to be delivered directly to your door.
She wrapped the video by bravely recording her husband, Justin Shroud, administering the first injection for her. And she handled it like a champ. It seems there’s plenty more weight loss content to come, too. The reality star pledges to provide her fans with weekly updates on her journey—and we’ll be rooting for her every step of the way.