PACKING up the last of the ‘fat clothes’ she’s selling on Vinted, Chloe Godland is enjoying a well-deserved cuppa.
Sitting at the kitchen table, the mum of one takes a sip of her brew and then grabs her daily dunking treat.
Chloe Godland ballooned to 17st thanks to her habit of tucking into chocolate[/caption]
She lost almost four stone after taking Mounjaro but developed an unusual eating habit[/caption]
She suffers from pica, where she eats household objects such as sponges[/caption]
But instead of a Jammie Dodger or chocolate digestive, she reaches for a strip of carefully sliced washing-up sponge, savouring and eating her spongy offering.
Just three months earlier the mum would have baulked at the idea of snacking on the cleaning essential.
But since she began taking weight loss injectables she has seen a total curb in her appetite, ditching her former favourite snacks of chocolate in favour of sponges and chalk.
“I lost over three and a half stone in eight months on the skinny jab,” Chloe, 31, says.
“I went from 17st 1lb to 13st 2lb and felt amazing.
“But it turned me into an oddball extreme eater addicted to noshing on washing-up sponges and chalk.
“My Mounjaro side effect meant I was eating up to three kitchen or bath sponges a week and I started compulsively chewing on chalk.
“I thought I was going mad or that I might be pregnant again but my test was negative.
“Then it clicked, Might have the pica-like symptoms I’d read about.
Pica is a condition where people crave or eat non-food items like sponge, chalk, ice or clay.
It’s common in pregnancy and linked to low iron or zinc in the second and third trimesters.
The International Women’s Health and Reproduction Sciences Journal found three out of ten, or 27.8%, of pregnant women experience some form of pica.
Pregnancy pica is linked to iron or zinc deficiency, often experienced by pregnant mums, and experts believe weird food addictions they develop are the body’s unusual way of trying to get missing nutrients back into your system.
But as Chloe discovered pica isn’t just linked to pregnancy.
Admin assistant and waitress Chloe, lives near Leicester with fiancé Jack, 35, a fitness teacher, and their three-year-old daughter Clemmy.
She turned to jabs after hitting a post-baby weight-loss plateau.
“I was a size 20 at 17st 1lb after Clemmy was born in April 2022,” she says.
“I began working out and managed to lose two stone but I couldn’t shift the rest and by August I was gaining weight again.”
WHAT IS PICA?
Pica is an eating disorder that sparks long-term cravings for inedible objects.
Sufferers can have the urge to consume all matter of objects, from coins, to clothes, to cigarette butts.
The Challenging Behaviour Foundation has commented that research into the causes, assessment and treatment is still in its infancy.
Boots’ WebMD reveals that limited data does show that people with learning disabilities are more likely to display pica symptoms.
Pregnant women may also experience temporary cravings to eat non-food items.
Chloe used to to have a habit of snacking on Greggs but that changed since fat jabs[/caption]
She developed a taste for chalk after taking Mounjaro[/caption]
Chloe says that she couldn’t walk past the sink without stopping to munch on a sponge[/caption]
In October, Chloe met other mums who looked glam and swore by ‘Mounjaro magic’.
“They said the only side effects they had were bloating, nausea and some diarrhoea,” she says.
“I thought I could handle that and spent £150 on a private Mounjarno prescription in December.”
But by January she began experiencing her very unusual snacking habit.
“I couldn’t walk past the sink without grabbing a sponge to nibble on,” she says.
“In the bathroom I’d rip a chunk out of my toddler’s organic bath sponges as a pick-me-up snack.
“I know it sounds gross, but sponges and chalk became my secret freaky food fix.”
I couldn’t walk past the sink without grabbing a sponge to nibble on
Chloe Godland
But Chloe was unable to resist her super cravings and was soon eating half a small sponge at a time.
“I even added jam to make it feel like pudding,” she admits.
A few days later, she found herself nibbling chalk her daughter had been using.
“I liked the bland taste and the crunchy texture,” Chloe says.
Chloe had a brief pica spell while pregnant with Clemmy in 2021, craving chalky textures and the dry slightly mental tang in her second trimester – but it passed in four weeks.
She says: “When I remembered that, I did more research, discovering the same vitamins lost in pregnancy can be lost when using the skinny jabs.
“The injectables kill your appetite and slow digestion.
“I was barely eating meals between the nausea and diarrhoea, nothing stayed down.”
A Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism journal study found 1 in 5, or 20%, of semaglutide users saw a 30% drop in iron absorption within 10 weeks.
That kind of deficiency can trigger brain fog, exhaustion and pica – including bizarre cravings for things like clay, sponge or chalk or in other cases sand, paint chips or dirt.
A Frontiers in Nutrition study confirmed GLP-1 jab users often lack iron, calcium, zinc and vitamin D.
Experts now believe the cascading impact of the skinny jab and users not taking vitamin supplements can cause, in between 1–3% of users like Chloe, a form of pica.
The 7 fat jab mistakes stopping you losing weight
WHILE weight loss jabs have been hailed as a breakthrough in helping tackle Britain’s obesity crisis, some users say they’re missing out on their waist-shrinking powers – and it could be down to some simple mistakes…
POOR PENMANSHIP
Many people don’t correctly use the injection pen, according to Ana Carolina Goncalves, a pharmacist at Pharmica in Holborn, London.
Make sure to prime your weight loss pen correctly, as per the instructions. If nothing comes out, try again, and if it still doesn’t work, switch the needle or ask a pharmacist for help.
It’s also recommended to rotate injection sites between the abdomen, thigh and upper arm to avoid small lumps of fat under the skin.
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE
Make sure you’re using the jabs on the most effective day of your schedule.
For example, taking the jab right before a takeaway or party won’t stop you from indulging, says Jason Murphy, head of pharmacy and weight loss expert at Chemist4U.
Weight loss injections need time to build up in your system, so if you’re planning for a heavier weekend, inject your dose mid-week.
MAKING A MEAL OF IT
You may not feel the urge to overeat at mealtimes due to the jabs. But skipping meals altogether can backfire, says Dr David Huang, director of clinical innovation at weight loss service Voy.
If a person is extremely malnourished, their body goes into emergency conservation mode, where their metabolism slows down.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
A key mistake using weight loss jabs is not eating the right foods.
As well as cutting out sugary drinks and alcohol, Dr Vishal Aggarwal, Healthium Clinics recommends focusing on your protein intake.
DE-HYDRATION STATIONS
Dehydration is a common side effect of weight loss injections. But it’s important to say hydrated in order for your body to function properly.
Dr Crystal Wyllie, GP at Asda Online Doctor, says hydration supports metabolism, digestion, and can reduce side effects like headaches, nausea and constipation.
MOVE IT, MOVE IT
It can be easy to see the jabs as a quick fix, but stopping exercising altogether is a mistake, says Mital Thakrar, a pharmacist from Well Pharmacy.
Exercise helps maintain muscle mass and help shape the body as you lose weight, which may be crucial if you’re experiencing excess skin.
QUIT IT
While there’s the tendency to ditch the jabs as soon as you reach your desired weight, stopping them too soon can cause rapid regain.
Mr Thakrar recommends building habits like healthier eating during treatment for sustaining results.
“It’s incredibly rare but I fell victim to it,” she says.
“I wasn’t upping my vitamin intake from the start of my Mounjaro use.”
Chloe called a nurse pal who agreed it sounded like pica.
She adds: “My friend told me to boost my vitamins but to see a GP if it worsened.”
Still too embarrassed to tell Jack, Chloe began slicing thinner sponge segments and rationing her treats keen to wean herself off her ‘treats.’
She says: “It took four months of strong supplements including iron zinc and calcium, Vitamin B12 and D to shake the daily cravings.”
As for my sponge compulsion, it’s still an occasional guilty fix but it’s all worth it for the body of my dreams
Chloe Godland
Her doctor confirmed her bloods were fine as she was now taking multivitamins and iron supplements.
The doctor did warn her eating sponges, chalk or any non-food item long-term could lead to blockages and in serious cases require hospitalisation and even surgery.
Now 12st 11lbs and a size 12, Chloe has stopped her chalk chomping but admits she still sneaks the occasional sponge sliver though she doesn’t recommend it.
“If you find yourself chomping on chalk or sponges like me it’s important that you get medical help,” she adds.
Chloe says she has no regrets taking the weight loss injectables.
She says: “People who say the jabs are cheating are simply jealous.
“I had my final tapered dose of Mounjaro last week and I’m hoping the pounds won’t pile back on.
“As for my sponge compulsion, it’s still an occasional guilty fix but it’s all worth it for the body of my dreams.”
Chloe says that her rare side effect is worth it for her dream body[/caption]