“RHOSLC’”s Heather Gay Says She Felt ‘Pressure’ to Take Ozempic, It Showed Her 'Body Positivity Was All a Big Lie’

The 'Bad Mormon' author has lost nearly 30 pounds since she began taking the prescription diabetes drug for weight loss

Heather Gay is happier with her body than ever before — and she has Ozempic to thank.

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star, 49, discussed her journey taking the diabetes drug for weight loss on ABC News on Friday as she admitted she’s been made to feel like she “sold out” in her method of losing weight.

Gay said she’s felt as though she’s “given up the banner” of being a “relatable” figure for her body image journey.

“And it’s disappointing and sad to know that body positivity was all a big lie,” she said of her takeaways from the response to her using the drug. “Because it’s better to not be overweight.”

The Bravo star said that she “absolutely” felt "pressure" prior to using the drug, which she also referred to as a “last hope” for weight loss.

“I didn’t wanna show up at another party and see all of my friends 20 pounds thinner and just be resentful.”

Related: Stars Who've Spoken About Ozempic — and What They've Said

Since she began taking Ozempic — an FDA-approved prescription medication for people with type 2 diabetes — several months ago, Gay has lost close to 30 pounds, and has “started to feel seen for the first time.”

People tell her, “‘You look great, you look thin, what are you doing? Are you on Ozempic?’ ” she shared.

“Even after being on television, writing a New York Times bestselling book, for the first time, I was being valued — by my castmates, by the public — in a way that I had never been valued before,” she said. “And that felt, to me, sad.”

The Bad Mormon author also opened up about how she plans to navigate “tough” conversations about body image with her three daughters, Annabelle, Ashley and Georgia.

“I want them to feel empowered,” she said of her daughters as she admitted it’s a “very nuanced razor's-edge” to be a mother of young girls.

“Because I don’t want to lie to them and say, ‘It doesn’t matter. What matters is on the inside.’ But it does matter. I don’t know why that’s the way it is in the world, but that has been my experience,” she said.

“I have beautiful, vibrant, empowered daughters and I would hate for them to think that their value is limited to their dress size.”

Related: TikTok Star Mikayla Nogueira Denies Using Ozempic for Weight Loss amid Her Eating Disorder Recovery

Gay previously told PEOPLE that when it comes to her daughters, she values "self-divination and informed consent."

“I don't think I would ever tell 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 who you want to be. Define who you want to be and pursue it relentlessly.”

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Previously, at Variety's Women of Reality TV event in L.A. in November, Gay said she'd been on Ozempic for "a long time," but hadn't seen "massive results."

“You lose five pounds, people are nicer to you,” she shared of how she's been treated differently since her weight loss. “I don't know why. It's just the way the world works, and that makes me sad for women. But happy that I'm down five.”

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