A grandmother whose weight resulted in alarming health concerns feared she wouldn’t live to see her grandchildren grow up, then she took a leaf out of the book of her ‘idol’
A grandmother has revealed how exactly she has shed more than five stone in less than a year – reversing her pre-diabetes in the process.
Self-confessed yoyo dieter Sheila Hogan, 60, feared she wouldn’t live to see her grandchildren grow up. Over the course of 40 years, the social entrepreneur saw her weight go up to just under 17 stone and down to 11 stone more than five times, and in August 2023, she began to suffer worrying health concerns.
At size 22, Edinburgh-base Sheila found she could barely climb the stairs, and suffered from digestive problems. She knew she had to make a serious change when, prior to going on holiday in August 2023, she had a fall, with a subsequent X-ray showing she had arthritis in her knee. Sheila’s doctor also informed her that she was pre-diabetic and had high cholesterol.
Known as the ‘chubby’ child growing up, Sheila put on six stone following her first pregnancy in 1992, and struggled to lose it. After moving to Scotland in her 30s, Sheila kept the pounds at bay but found the weight just kept piling on again. In her 40s, Sheila ended up caring for her mother, who was terminally ill with cancer, and, by controlling what she ate, saw the scales drop back down to 11 stone – the weight she was before her first pregnancy.
After her mum passed away, however, grief-stricken Sheila’s weight soared once again, this time up to nearly 17 stone – a number she says was her ‘tipping point’. According to Sheila: “Lockdown was actually extremely good for me in terms of my weight. I’m a very social person, I’ve got lots of friends and I do lots of things. Being locked down – and feeling out of control – meant I controlled what I ate, and I lost it again.
”But it all went back on again when the restrictions were lifted and we could go out again. That 17-stone point was my tipping point. That’s the boundary in my head. That’s when I feel as though it’s affecting my health; I couldn’t walk or breathe.”
Sheila, who previously appeared on Dragons’ Den to request funding for her digital legacy vault company Biscuit Tin, believes she goes into ‘self-sabotage mode’, whereby she eats junk food and large portions and doesn’t exercise until she reaches just under 17 stone. Then she drops back down again to around 11 stone. After her grim health scare, however, she knew she had to break the cycle.
Sheila revealed: “When the doctor said I was pre-diabetic, I thought ‘I need to sort this out, and for the rest of my life, not just for a while’. I knew in order to change it would be with real food, not special packs and protein shakes. There isn’t a quick fix to this, and I didn’t care if all I lost was a pound a day. I thought I wouldn’t be alive to see my grandkids for very long if I didn’t sort this out.”
After carrying out research online, Sheila began looking into bariatric surgery but then discovered that her ‘idol’ Oprah Winfrey had spoken about weight loss injections, and decided to investigate further. Sheila’s research led her to Second Nature – an NHS-backed healthy eating plan that helps users ‘rewire’ eating habits through behavioural science. It also offers medication-assisted programmes such as Mounjaro, or Tirzepatide – which treats type-2 diabetes and weight loss – and Wegovy, or Semaglutide.
Sheila, who has tried ‘every diet’ over the years, said: “I’d seen Oprah Winfrey overweight and slim over the years, and she said she’d taken semaglutide and it was the best thing that she’d done. I wouldn’t just put any drug into my body but I felt confident with the NHS support for Second Nature, in terms of their programmes and all the other research I’d done on the drug itself.
”So I applied, and I started injecting a low dose every four weeks from August 2023. I didn’t have any side-effects and I noticed a positive difference within just three days. I no longer had any appetite; I just didn’t feel hungry.
”Before this, there was a constant looking for something. That constant feeling of always wanting something. And going to the fridge for something. ‘What can I have to eat now?’ And eating large quantities too. But I didn’t feel that any more.
”By January, I’d lost more than three stone. I turned 60 and I joined a gym. I felt great. It’s helped me to learn not to eat too much, as otherwise I’ll feel really unwell. Before, even if I’d eaten enough, I would force a pudding in. And my digestive problems, although not completely stopped, are now down to 10%. It feels like a miracle that the GLP-1 hormone in the semaglutide has slowed down my digestive system and allowed it to heal, whereas previously I was in a vicious circle.”
Now 11 and a half stone and full of energy, Sheila has slimmed down to a size 12 and has completely overhauled her eating habits. Instead of bacon rolls for breakfast, Sheila now enjoys Weetabix with yoghurt and fruit and makes sure to rustle up protein-and-vegetable-based meals in the evening. And the changes have had a very positive impact on her overall health.
She added: “The doctor has told me I am no longer prediabetic, my cholesterol levels are back to normal. I can eat carbohydrates in moderation, and my arthritis isn’t as painful. This has completely changed my life. I feel fitter than ever, and have more energy. What’s more, I’m going to be around for many more years to see my grandkids grow up, and that to me, makes it all completely worthwhile.”
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