Tiffani Young’s battle with her weight began in earnest after the birth of her fifth child.
By 2012, the Sydney mum weighed 95kg (210lbs/15st), was exhausted, struggling with portion control, and constantly reaching for junk food at the end of a long day.
‘I’ve always struggled with my weight and had a bad relationship with food,’ Tiffani, now 55, tells Daily Mail.
Busy family life meant carb-heavy dinners and comfort eating became the norm. Over time, the numbers on the scales kept climbing.
Determined to reclaim her health, Tiffani launched into her first serious weight loss attempt: a high-protein, low-carb diet.
She shed 15kg (33lbs/2st 5lbs) in just a few weeks, then dropped another 10kg (22lbs/1st 8lbs) through meal replacement shakes. Eventually, she reached 68kg (150lbs/10st 10lbs), her lowest weight in years.
But those hard-earned losses came at a cost.
The restrictive diets were tough to sustain, and before long old habits crept back in – setting the stage for a difficult chapter ahead.
At her heaviest weight during the pandemic, Sydney mother-of-five Tiffani Young tipped the scales at 113.5kg (250lbs or almost 18st), which seriously impacted her health
Tiffani now weighs 78kg (172lbs/12st 3lbs). ‘It’s not like a magic wand that you wave and the weight falls off. You still have to work hard, make healthy changes, and make an effort’
For a while, Tiffani managed to keep the weight off. But as the routines of family life crept back in and old habits resurfaced, maintaining her success became harder and harder. The diets that once felt empowering soon turned into a chore, and her self-control waned – especially during stressful periods.
Then, in 2015, her world was turned upside down by the breakdown of her marriage. Suddenly, comfort food wasn’t just a temptation – it was a coping mechanism. Tiffani found herself reaching for bakery treats and carb-heavy snacks more and more, and the kilos piled back on.
Within six months, she had gained 30kg (66lbs/4st 10lbs).
‘My world had been turned upside down. I took a cash job working at a bakery because I was struggling financially,’ Tiffani said.
‘At the end of the day, they would give me the leftover bakery items – sausage rolls, pies and pizza slices.’
As her weight crept up, so did feelings of shame and isolation. Instead of joining friends or going out, Tiffani kept to herself – feeling increasingly defeated by the cycle she couldn’t seem to break.
By 2020, Tiffani was caught in a relentless cycle. Working from home during Covid, she turned more than ever to comfort eating. Her weight reached 113.5kg (250lbs or almost 18st) – the heaviest she’d ever been.
Each morning, she woke with aching joints and had to shuffle painfully until her body warmed up. Walking up stairs left her breathless, and even tying her shoelaces became a struggle.
Tiffani managed to lose 27kg the ‘hard way’ – without Ozempic. But after the breakdown of her marriage, she piled the weight back on, before turning to medically assisted weight loss
The real turning point came unexpectedly. One day, a Facebook photo popped up that made her mother pause and ask, ‘Who is that?’ Tiffani knew then just how much she’d changed – and how much she’d been hiding from the world.
‘When I was at my biggest, if I saw someone in the supermarket or shopping centre, I would put my head down and look the other way. I didn’t want to be seen,’ she says.
‘I was so embarrassed by how I looked. When I took my kids to the beach wearing a swimsuit and sarong, I’d be dying on the inside. But I pushed through for my kids.
‘I started to realise, if I didn’t take responsibility for my health now, where would I be in five years’ time?’
Feeling desperate, Tiffani reached out to her doctor for help.
‘I wanted that accountability, so I saw my doctor every fortnight,’ she says.
But the experience left her feeling even more isolated. Prescribed Duromine to speed up her metabolism, Tiffani quickly found the side effects intolerable – anxiety and a racing heart. Worse still, she felt judged and dismissed in every consultation.
‘I saw her a couple of times but was only made to feel more shameful about my weight so I didn’t go back.’
The attempt at another high-protein, low-carb diet led nowhere – perimenopause had made losing weight a bigger challenge, and her willpower dwindled. The cycle of guilt and disappointment seemed endless.
It wasn’t until a friend recommended a new approach that Tiffani finally found hope.
She’d heard about the Juniper program, which combined professional support with the use of weight loss medications known as GLP-1s, such as Ozempic and Mounjaro.
Ready for change, Tiffani signed up. For the first time, her weight loss journey felt genuinely supported – she had access to doctors, health coaches, and personalised assistance every step of the way.
Most importantly, she realised that using medication wasn’t ‘cheating’. It was a valuable tool that gave her the control she’d never felt before.
Since being on the program, Tiffani has been prescribed a range of weight loss medication – including Saxenda, Ozempic and Mounjaro. She jumped from one to another as required due to supply issues.
‘Mounjaro actually made me struggle to eat – it’s that powerful,’ she says.
‘I noticed fairly quickly that it let me pause and ask myself, “Am I really hungry, or just bored?” I finally had control.’
Tiffani says she finally ‘had control’ after being prescribed Mounjaro and was able to identify the difference between genuine hunger and boredom
With new habits taking root and professional help on hand, the kilograms began to drop. Over three years, Tiffani lost nearly 35kg (77lbs/5st 7lbs). Her cholesterol and blood pressure normalised, her body aches faded, and she found herself only 5kg from her goal weight.
Looking back, Tiffani is honest about what it took to lose weight ‘the hard way’ – pure grit, daily sacrifice, and a constant battle with her cravings. Although she dropped 25kg through sheer determination, she remembers how lonely and exhausting the process was. When emotional struggles and life changes came along, the weight returned – and so did the shame.
This time, with the help of weight loss injections, the journey has felt entirely different.
Instead of constant struggle, Tiffani felt supported every step, learning new habits and building a healthier relationship with food, without feeling deprived or miserable.
‘It’s not cheating,’ she insists.
‘It’s not like a magic wand that you wave and the weight falls off. You still have to work hard, make healthy changes, and make an effort. So it’s not cheating.’
Her message is simple: don’t let anyone shame you for using medical support. When done properly and with the right guidance, these treatments can help give your health – and your confidence – a new beginning.
‘As mums, we always put ourselves last, but your health matters. If you’re struggling, don’t hesitate to use what’s available. It’s about doing what’s best for you.’
For Tiffani, the result isn’t just a number on the scales – it’s feeling hopeful, empowered, and finally at peace with herself.
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