While everyone’s shrinking on Ozempic, I gained 12 Kilos (on purpose)

How I traded pasta for protein (well, mostly), picked up weights, and finally built a body that works

While half the planet is shooting themselves with Ozempic to melt into a pair of size 0 jeans, your girl did the exact opposite.

I went rogue. I ate. I lifted heavy things. I built muscle. I gained 12 full kilos. And guess what? I’ve never felt stronger, healthier, or happier in my skin.

This is not a story about getting “toned” for summer or chasing the latest fitness trend. This is about what happens when your body crashes, your hormones riot, your ass disappears (literally), and you decide to fight for your health—not for a number on a scale, but for your actual life force.

So if you’ve ever felt exhausted, confused, bloated, underweight, judged, or just sick of being told how you “should” look… keep reading.

Because this one’s for you.

(3 years ago VS now)

A few months back, I shared with you my struggles with my thyroid. At the time, I didn’t realize how bad things were, but looking back now, I see it clearly. I lost 12 kilos in less than a year—without dieting, without trying. I was eating a lot, and by “a lot” I mean like an Italian teenager with a sweet tooth and no rules. Pizza, croissants, pasta, cakes. Every type of fat and sugar was going into my body, and still, I was losing weight.

At first, I didn’t really question it. I mean, who complains about eating like a pig and still being thin? But I was exhausted all the time. I was eating, but not feeding my body. I was surviving on carbs and sugar, with no real nutrients. My hair was falling out. I couldn’t sleep well. I had no energy. And my body… my body felt like it was giving up on me.

At my lowest, I was 48 kilos. And I’m 5’11” (182 cm). I was so skinny I couldn’t sit on a chair without pain. Even lying in bed hurt—my bones were pressing through my skin. I had bruises on my ass just from sitting too long. I was tired. Always. And still, I didn’t quite understand what was wrong. I thought I was eating plenty—but in reality, I wasn’t nourishing myself at all.

While I was trying to figure out my thyroid issues, I started eating a bit “healthier.” But “healthier” back then meant more vegetables… and not much else. My diet became mostly vegetarian. I’ve got nothing against plant-based eating—some people thrive on it—but for me, it made everything worse. I was constantly tired. My hair kept falling out. My skin was a mess. My hormones were chaos. I later learned that my body was missing essential nutrients—protein, iron, zinc, B12—everything it needed to function.

There’s also a strong genetic side to all this. My family has a long history of hormonal issues. My mom died of hormonal cancer. My cousin had thyroid cancer. I knew I had to be careful. But I also knew I didn’t want to just pop pills and hope for the best. I wanted to go deeper and understand my body, my system, and try to rebuild my health from the inside out.

Last summer, everything changed. A friend came to visit me in Puglia. We’re the same body type—tall, slim, naturally lean. But she looked strong. She had muscle. Beautiful, lean, healthy muscle. Her legs weren’t the skinny sticks I had; they were toned and full of life. Her posture was powerful. Her energy was magnetic. And I asked her, “How did you do it? How do you look like that without getting bulky?”

She said two things: protein and lifting weights.

I was shocked. I had always been scared of lifting weights. I thought I’d look like a bodybuilder. I thought I’d become bulky and masculine. She just laughed and told me, “To be lean, you have to build the foundation. Muscle is your body’s structure. Without it, you’re just skin and bones.”