Latisha Doty and Alison Bocking’s friendship began in 2022 after they met in a TikTok GLP-1 group. Since then, they have become a source of strength for each other, supporting each other as they face their weight loss challenges.
Their connection quickly became essential, with daily conversations offering motivation and important reminders. “All your life, if you’ve dealt with weight issues, you’re scared. Then, you have somebody on your side who’s motivating you, saying, ‘We can do this. We are not going to stop until we reach our goal,’” Doty told People. “We’re each other’s biggest cheerleader.”
Doty, who has struggled with her weight for years, recalls trying almost every method to shed pounds, from Richard Simmons and Weight Watchers to fad diets like fen-phen, lap band surgery, and gastric bypass. “I’d lose a little bit… and instantly put it back on,” she said. “It was exhausting.” However, since starting GLP-1 medication Mounjaro two years ago, Doty has lost 118 pounds, dropping from 279 pounds. “This medication has given me my life back,” she shared.
For Bocking, her journey with weight loss started at age 11, when she first went on a diet. “It’s a lifelong process of dealing with this beast inside of you,” she said. “There are people who enjoy their larger body. I was not one of them. I had so much joint pain I didn’t want to get out of bed.” She added that people often assume overweight individuals aren’t trying hard enough. “But I tried a thousand times. For some people, it feels like you’re behind bars without options.”
The GLP-1 drugs have given Bocking a new sense of freedom. She has lost 114 pounds using Mounjaro and Wegovy, and says the medications have allowed her to focus on other aspects of life rather than constantly thinking about food. “I thought everyone thought about food nonstop,” she said. “This quieted the food noise. Once I was done with my plate, I was done. It’s life-changing.”
Now weighing 172 pounds, a weight she hasn’t seen since middle school, Bocking describes her weight loss journey as a constant battle of gain and loss. “It’s a painful way to live both physically and mentally,” she said. Her success with GLP-1s has opened new possibilities, including dreams of riding a bike and joining in activities with her youth group, such as playing dodgeball.
Doty, a cancer survivor whose husband passed away from kidney failure in April, now enjoys a more active lifestyle with her 6-year-old daughter, Freedom. A few years ago, she couldn’t join her daughter on amusement park rides due to her weight. “Now I can run around with her and experience the joy she feels when we’re active together,” Doty shared.
“I live life and live through the eyes of my kid,” she added, recalling the happiness she felt sliding down a playground slide with her daughter after starting her weight loss journey. “She was just so elated, and I was so happy.”
Doty, who is pre-diabetic, plans to stay on medication long-term, while Bocking has started taking non-GLP drugs as her insurance no longer covers her treatment. However, neither woman relies solely on the medication to maintain their progress. Bocking walks daily with her dogs, while Doty has incorporated weight training, and both have adjusted their diets to include more protein and vegetables.
“It feels like a magic wand,” Bocking said of the medication. “But you need lots of tools in your tool bucket on this journey.”
Despite their different paths, both women describe each other as family. “We’ve gone through this together. We’re sisters for life,” Doty said. Their shared journey continues, with their bond growing stronger every day.
