**Social Media Star Nabela Noor Shares Her Journey to Health and Empowerment**
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Nabela Noor, a well-known lifestyle entrepreneur and social media influencer, has candidly opened up about her ongoing struggles with health, particularly how they shaped her views on body image and wellness. Diagnosed with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) in her early twenties, Noor has faced significant challenges, including weight gain, painful periods, hair loss, and a six-year struggle with infertility. These experiences culminated in her becoming prediabetic during her first pregnancy in 2021, and later being diagnosed with diabetes after the birth of her second daughter, Aveena, in 2023.
Reflecting on her journey, Noor admits, “It was tough. I was taking a lot of oral diabetic medication, but I still ended up developing diabetes, and it just dominated my life. It was frightening.” In response to this, her doctor recommended GLP-1 injections to assist in regulating her metabolism—an intervention Noor describes as “life-changing.” Over the past three years, she has lost an impressive 65 pounds, transitioning from a dress size 20 to a 12. However, she emphasises that the transformation extends beyond physical appearance.
“The weight loss is definitely the visible part of the journey,” she explains. “But more than that, I feel empowered. My A1C is down significantly, and just being able to sit with my doctor and go over my blood work and not feel scared—that’s been the biggest win. The goal was never to be skinny. It was to be strong.” Noor’s renewed sense of energy has spurred her to embark on several new projects, including her recent show, “Hosted by Nabela Noor,” and an upcoming cookbook. She regularly engages her 12 million social media followers with content aimed at infusing moments of beauty into everyday life.
Noor credits her parents, Bangladeshi immigrants who raised her in Pennsylvania, with instilling a sense of body positivity early in life. Growing up, she faced bullying due to her weight and appearance, but her parents consistently reminded her that she was more than her size. This early nurturing fostered her confidence, enabling her to start a YouTube channel after completing her education, and to stand firm against online critics of her appearance.
In a notable viral video from 2017, Noor confronted body-shamers by using makeup to write derogatory words that had been hurled at her online, only to blend them away, sending a powerful message about self-acceptance. “I’m so grateful for that,” she reflects, acknowledging her parents’ influence on her resilience.
However, the shadow of diabetes loomed large in her family background, which is where Noor first learned about GLP-1 medications. “I grew up in a family where diabetes was very prevalent,” she recounts, highlighting that numerous family members had incorporated such treatments into their care plans. Thus, by the time she herself was prescribed GLP-1s, she was acutely aware of both their potential benefits and the societal stigma often attached to them.
Noor strongly believes in the medication’s role as a part of her overall treatment plan, stating, “It did not lift the weights for me, it didn’t do the Pilates for me, it didn’t prioritise protein for me. Those are habits that I had to build myself.” Her commitment to health quickly became evident; alongside beginning the injections, she transformed her home by creating a Pilates studio and engaging a trainer for regular sessions.
Together with her husband, Seth Martin, she has instituted daily walking routines and revamped their family diet to focus on balanced, nutrient-rich meals. “We don’t focus on restriction but rather addition,” Noor explains, emphasising a mindful approach to food and self-image. “We’re trying to be positive about how we speak about food and how we speak about our bodies.”
Despite her accomplishments, Noor acknowledges that struggles with body image persist. “I am not going to lie and say that I’m not still insecure in my body in many ways,” she admits, noting that societal pressures can lead to increased self-criticism even after weight loss. To combat this, she celebrates her “small wins” and embraces her body at every stage of her journey.
Looking forward, Noor plans on long-term use of the GLP-1 medication to manage her diabetes and prioritise her health, not weight loss. “I just want to be as healthy as I can for my daughters and to live a long life for them,” she asserts. She is particularly focused on imparting knowledge about health and wellness to her children, Amalia and Aveena, aged four and three respectively, hoping to provide them with insights she didn’t gain from her upbringing.
“I want them to hear me talking about being strong and having energy and feeling healthy,” she says, underscoring that her journey is about pursuing health and wholeness rather than simply societal standards of thinness. By sharing her experiences, Nabela Noor aims to inspire others to adopt a positive mindset towards body image and lifestyle changes, fostering a narrative of empowerment and self-love.