“I’ve lost three stone in six months” - Sonia Hall’s incredible weight loss story with eMed

Struggles with surgery

Having struggled with her weight for most of her life, Sonia previously decided on surgery as the best option for her health. “At one point I was huge. I was a size 24 and I had to make a conscious decision. So about fifteen years ago I had a gastric band fitted.” 

Initially, the gastric band proved to be a success. Until, through no fault of Sonia’s, two more procedures were required. “Because of problems with the band it obstructed and I had to have it taken out. So I had one reversal procedure and then I had a gastric bypass.”

As Sonia explains, while there were some positives to be taken from the bypass, the uncertainty around her care was not only detrimental to her physical health. “The irony was that the gastric bypass resulted in me eating far healthier food than before. But there’s a physical and mental trauma attached to that kind of situation, and you have to take vitamin replacements for the rest of your life.”

Discovering eMed as an alternative weight loss option

After managing to keep her weight down for some time, like many people Sonia found the period during COVID particularly difficult to maintain the same health and dieting routine she’d had before. 

Her nursing background also meant she understood both the reality of needing to lose weight for health reasons, and her limited options having already had surgery.

“The weight started to creep back up, but it’s not as simple for people like me to go on a diet or take more gym classes. Similar to those with diabetes who require insulin, people who are chronically overweight don’t produce enough of the leptin hormone. This causes our body to feel hungry much more often and experience ongoing food cravings.

Sonia’s understanding of her own body is why eMed’s Weight Loss Programme appealed to her so much. “As soon as I found out about the programme I jumped at the chance to become a member.”

Immediate results and ongoing support

Sonia joined the eMed’s Weight Loss Programme in October 2023. The positive results were almost immediate. “The first week I lost six pounds. In total I’ve lost three stone whilst still living a completely normal life!”

This amount of weight loss is impressive by anyone’s standards. But as Sonia alludes to, one of the major benefits of eMed’s Weight Loss Programme is the ease with which members are able to lose weight without having to make drastic life changes.

One reason for this is that after completing an eligibility questionnaire and being accepted onto the programme, eMed sends the weight loss medication directly to new members’ homes. The GLP-1 medication is then self-administered by members in the form of Mounjaro or Wegovy weight loss pens.

Of course, before any of this happens, the doctor-led eMed weight management team provides clear guidance and support to members of the programme on how to take the medication. This includes online check-ins, whereby a member of the eMed team literally shows individuals like Sonia how and where to inject the medication in real time.^*

As Sonia says, this kind of support is invaluable. “I’ve felt completely supported by eMed at all times. There's always someone at the end of the phone or a video consultation to answer any questions I might have. Even practical things like ‘when will the medication be delivered.’”

Privacy, autonomy and trust

The level of autonomy members experience on eMed’s Weight Loss Programme is clearly another major plus-point.

As Sonia explains, “I never have to go out of the comfort of my bathroom to be weighed, which is great. But at the same time, one of the eMed team will always check in on my progress which pushes me to keep moving forward.”

The online weekly check-ins are optional and include a weight check and injection support. Sonia was also keen to point out that her privacy has been respected at all times. “The video check-ins are not intrusive in the slightest. I felt completely comfortable with them from the beginning and the healthcare technician was very helpful, showing me exactly where on my belly to inject the medication to make sure I wasn't doing it wrong.”

No more food cravings

Sonia’s relationship with food has also changed unequivocally since taking the weight loss medication. “The food cravings have gone and once I’m full, that’s it. I actually have to remind myself sometimes that it's dinner time and I've got to eat something.” 

It’s this new reality, combined with the free mental healthcare support^* and physio services^* eMed offer, that has driven Sonia to encourage other people close to her to join the Weight Loss Programme.

This includes Sonia’s friends and husband, who had not previously been as forthcoming as Sonia when it came to trying different weight loss options. “My husband was always quite health shy and was worried about doing the weekly injection himself. Now he’s completely confident doing everything on his own, knowing he has the support available from eMed when he needs it.”

The future of Sonia’s weight loss journey

After many years of struggling to maintain her weight loss goals, not helped by the complications she experienced from surgery, Sonia finally feels ready to look ahead. “I've already got rid of my bigger sized clothes. In the past I would have kept them in the wardrobe just in case, but I'm determined I'm going to continue with the programme so I won’t need them.” 

Perhaps most significantly, the uncertainty Sonia previously experienced during her weight loss journey has led to her having some very clear conclusions about what eMed can offer people. “On reflection, if eMed’s Weight Loss Programme had been available before, I would have avoided surgery altogether in favour of weight loss injections. They've been so successful and I can’t recommend eMed highly enough.”