Two finest buddies took weight reduction medicine on the identical time… what occurred subsequent shocked them each

When best friends AnnaLee Canario and Dacia Benjamin started taking weight loss drugs together, they thought it would be an experience they could share. 

But the two slimmers from Virginia have revealed to DailyMail.com that they went on to have completely different experiences, from varying side effects to their abilities to lose weight.

AnnaLee, 32, started her treatment first in December 2022 on Mounjaro (which contains the active ingredient tirzepatide) while Dacia, 40, got a prescription for compounded semaglutide (the active drug in Wegovy and Ozempic) around six months later. 

While both are GLP-1 drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity, studies suggest tirzepatide is slightly more effective, as it acts on two gut hormones that help regulate blood sugar, digestion, and appetite instead of just one.

Yet Dacia said she was able to lose weight quicker on semaglutide.

However, she experienced far worse side effects.

Both semaglutide and tirzepatide can cause similar gastrointestinal side effects like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but Dacia said at times the nausea and stomach cramps she experienced were ‘paralyzing’. 

Dacia said: ‘My side effects have been pretty hard, I’m not going to lie. I’ve dealt with continuous nausea and constipation, but I think my team and I have found my sweet spot and I’m doing so much better. 

‘I noticed that AnnaLee didn’t deal with as much as I did.’ 

Dacia said she was motivated to lose weight after a terrifying incident that saw her toddler daughter run away from her at the park and into a busy street.

Darcia said she was ‘too out of shape and overweight to go after her’. 

Fortunately, a stranger was able to get to her daughter before a casualty occurred, but she said that incident was a wake-up call. 

Similarly, AnnaLee said she also wanted to be healthier for her children.

The friends are also keen travellers and they said ‘not being able to do things or fit comfortably on a plane is discouraging’. 

When she started her weight loss journey just over two years ago, AnnaLee tipped the scales at 292lbs, while Dacia weighed 220lbs.

Thanks to the weight loss drugs both women have lost almost 40 percent of their body weight, with AnnLee now weighing 184lbs and Dacia coming in at 140lbs.

Both women say that taking on the weight loss challenge together helped them to stay focused and they want their story to encourage other friends to follow suit. 

Revealing how her friendship with Dacia has helped her on her weight loss journey, AnnaLee said: ‘She just motivates me to want to be better and doesn’t really accept mediocre. 

‘She wants you to be successful and will push you but compassionately.’

Meanwhile, Dacia says her strong bond with AnnaLee has made ‘the process so much more manageable and kept me optimistic’. 

She adds: ‘Our friendship has served as built-in motivation. 

‘I have shared things with AnnaLee that I don’t think I’d normally just share. It’s made me realize that we truly aren’t alone in this GLP-1 world when it can be harsh.’ 

After reaching their target weights, the women say they are now concentrating on ‘building strength and just feeling good’. 

While on the weight loss drugs, AnnaLee also stopped drinking alcohol as she found the side effects were worse.

Weight loss drugs have been shown to help users curb compulsive behaviors such as drug and alcohol use.

Scientists believe that they can control the brain’s complex reward pathway that floods the brain with a rush of dopamine when something good happens.

This could potentially reduce alcohol intake and cravings. 

Offering advice to others who are looking to lose weight, Dacia concludes: ‘Honestly, do what YOU need to do as long as you have your doctor’s blessing. 

‘Do NOT let anyone make you feel uncomfortable about the way you choose to manage your health and weight. 

‘This is YOUR journey not anyone else’s. Also, what works for one person might not work for another. 

‘So, if someone has tried something and it didn’t work for them, it might still work for you.’