A 41-year-old mother-of-two has lost 10 stone in a year using a prescribed Wegovy injection, while continuing to enjoy McDonald's and other takeaways. Stacie Hird, who now weighs 8st 10lb, said the treatment transformed her health and allowed her to walk down the aisle in the dress of her dreams at her wedding to husband John, 44.
Weight gain over the years
Stacie began gaining weight after having her first child, now 16, when she was 24. She said the weight continued to pile on through her years of motherhood and became particularly bad during the Covid lockdowns, when she found herself doing less and eating more, including crisps, chocolate and takeaways.
At her heaviest, she was a size 22 and weighed 18st 10lb. Before the pandemic, she was 14st 7lb and a size 16.
Accessing Wegovy on the NHS
Stacie initially ruled out weight loss injections because she assumed she could not afford them privately, but then realised she could get them on the NHS. Due to her asthma and anxiety, she was admitted onto the Oviva programme, which provides qualifying patients with up to two years of injections on the NHS.
She said: "I got stuck in a rut and I turned a blind eye. I hit a low when I saw 18st 10lb on the scales, and realised I could easily hit 20st if I didn't change something. I came across the NHS Oviva programme. I felt so lucky to be given the opportunity, when other people had to pay for these medications – so I knew I wanted to give it my all."
Keeping cravings in check
Stacie said she did not deny herself foods she enjoyed. "I would keep my cravings in check because I didn't deny myself foods I enjoyed – I'd just have a child's portion when we got an Indian takeaway, or I'd have a McDonald's Happy Meal," she said.
Last March, she started her course of Wegovy and used the programme's app to log her diet and exercise. She said: "I feel better physically and also in my mind, I feel much more content. The feeling of breathlessness has gone away, I can walk for miles and run around with my son."
Wedding day success
Stacie said her wedding day was the best day of her life. "I could never imagine myself getting married at the weight I was before but I got to wear the dress of my dreams and I felt amazing," she said. "Oviva really has changed my life. I felt amazing wearing the dress I dreamed of, that I previously never had the confidence to wear. It was a dream come true."
