Heather Gay is happier with her body than ever before – and she has Ozempic to thank.
The The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star, 49, discussed her journey of taking diabetes medication to lose weight on ABC News on Friday, admitting that she felt like she had “sold out” on her weight loss method.
Gay said she feels like she has “given up the flag” of being a “relatable” figure for her body image journey.
“It’s disappointing and sad to know that body positivity was a big lie,” she said of her conclusions from the reaction to her use of the drug. “Because it’s better not to be overweight.”
The Bravo star said she “absolutely” felt “pressure” before using the drug, which she also called her “last hope” for weight loss.
“I didn’t want to show up to another party and see all my friends 20 pounds thinner and just be laughed at.”
The stars who spoke about Ozempic — and what they said
Heather Gay.
Emma McIntyre/Variety via Getty
Since starting Ozempic — an FDA-approved prescription drug for people with type 2 diabetes — a few months ago, Gay has lost nearly 30 pounds and “for the first time started to feel seen.”
People say to her, “You look great, you look thin, what are you doing? Are you in Ozempic?’ “, she shared.
“Even after I was on television, writing a The New York Times bestselling book, for the first time I was appreciated – by my actors, the public – in a way that I had never been appreciated before,” she said. “And that was sad for me.”
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The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 4 Cast: Whitney Rose, Meredith Marks, Monica Garcia, Andy Cohen, Heather Gay, Lisa Barlow, Angie Katsanevas.
Clifton Prescod/Bravo via Getty Images
The Bad Mormon the author also revealed that she plans to have “difficult” conversations about body image with her three daughters, Annabelle, Ashley and Georgia.
“I want them to feel empowered,” she said of her daughters while admitting that being a mother to young girls is a “very nuanced razor’s edge.”
“Because I don’t want to lie to them and say, ‘It doesn’t matter. What matters is inside.’ But it is important. I don’t know why it’s like that in the world, but that’s my experience,” she said.
“I have beautiful, vibrant, empowered daughters and I would hate for them to think their worth is limited by their dress size.”
TikTok star Mikayla Nogueira denies using Ozempic for weight loss amid recovery from eating disorder
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Heather Gay, Monica Garcia, Whitney Rose, Meredith Marks in The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 4.
Meredith Andrews/Bravo via Getty
Gay previously told PEOPLE that when it comes to her daughters, she values ”self-reflection and informed consent.”
“I don’t think I would ever say to my daughter, ‘Oh, if you don’t like your lips, get over it.’ I would just say change it,” she said. “Change your lips, change your life and be what you want to be. Define who you want to be and pursue it relentlessly.”
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Previously, on Varieties At the Women of Reality TV event in LA in November, Gay said she’s been on Ozempic for “a long time” but hasn’t seen “big results.”
“You lose five kilos, people are nicer to you,” she said of being treated differently since she lost the weight. “I do not know why. That’s just the way the world works and it makes me sad for women. But I’m happy to be five times smaller.”
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Source: HIS Education