I was 16 stone and couldn’t look in the mirror – then I dropped 5 dress sizes after change

A mum who was so insecure about her weight she couldn’t look in the mirror has revealed how she dropped an incredible five stone.

Philippa Davis, a 56-year-old Company Director from East Sussex, dropped from a size 18 to a size eight in just 15 months.

At her heaviest, Philippa tipped the scales at a staggering 16 stone (103kg) and was plagued by ‘constant pain’, with back, hip, and neck problems preventing her from exercising despite her desperate need to lose weight.

Philippa felt she had ‘created her own monster’ and attempted ‘every diet under the sun’ to shed the pounds – even receiving a refund from a private diet company after their ‘1,200 calorie a day’ plan failed to make a dent in her weight.

Describing her past self as a ‘wreck’, ‘unable to look in the mirror’ and suffering from severe lack of self-confidence, Philippa was also on a cocktail of medication for anxiety, depression and panic disorder following the death of her children’s father, as well as various treatments for the six TIAs (transient ischemic attacks, or mini strokes) she experienced during menopause.

After gaining even more weight during lockdown – a period in which Philippa started a ‘sewing circle’ that produced over a quarter of a million items for NHS workers, becoming one of the largest CMT (cut, make and trim) enterprises globally – Philippa was at a loss as to how to overhaul her lifestyle and lose the necessary weight.

It wasn’t until 2023 that Philippa found Numan, a leading digital healthcare provider.

Their weight loss programme combines the clinically proven weight loss medications Wegovy or Mounjaro with top-tier wraparound care, including unlimited access to expert clinicians, nutritionists, physiologists, and behaviour experts.

Philippa began Numan’s programme in October 2023, initially prescribed a small dosage of the weight loss medication, Wegovy. She has since switched to a regular dose of Mounjaro to better suit her needs and is ‘feeling happier than ever’ due to the remarkable changes she’s achieved with Numan’s support.

Philippa shares: “My experience with Numan has been amazing. They monitor each individual patient with real care, and everything is tailored to your specific needs.”

Having shed over five stone, Philippa now refers to herself as ‘wonder woman’, feeling as though ‘nothing is impossible’ with ‘confidence off the charts’.

She is currently dating ‘after being rabidly single for eight years’ and feels she can ‘rock any outfit as I have a banging body for a 56 year old’.

In a stunning revelation, Philippa declared she is now ‘entirely medication free’ boasting a ‘completely clean bill of health’. Formerly hindered by her mobility, she now experiences ‘zero pain’ in her neck, back, or hips and has even called off the scheduled surgery to address these issues.

She recounted her doctor’s astonishment upon seeing her transformation, remembering how he was ‘dumbfounded’ given her previous agony, and proudly stated that she feels ‘happier and more youthful than ever before’ following her weight loss.

Delving into her progress, Philippa expressed: “I genuinely believe myself to be the happiest person alive. It’s been the best investment I ever made. I no longer feel as though I need to hide myself and my whole life has been totally transformed.”

Looking ahead with a fresh perspective, Philippa enthused: “For the first time in my life, I’m no longer afraid of ageing. I have added another twenty years onto my life, minimum. Now I feel ready to take on the world, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I’m going to enjoy every single minute of life’s adventure with my new body.”

Keen on guiding others through their weight-loss endeavors, Philippa maintains that while weight-loss drugs can be life-altering, she advises against strategies that lack clinical oversight.

Philippa has praised the comprehensive care provided by Numan, highlighting the significant role of their clinicians and health coaches in her journey. She emphasises the value of personalised treatment, stating: “The support of Numan’s clinicians and broader health coaches and experts across nutrition, physiology, exercise and habit formation has been invaluable for me. I think it’s so important that wraparound care and medication is truly personalised, which is what Numan excels at from my personal experience.”

Philippa continues to advocate for those struggling with similar issues, saying: “I want people like me, who once felt desperate to be happy and disappointed in themselves for health reasons, to realise that weight loss medications – alongside the right wraparound support – could help them take their power back when it comes to their lives, where they may have lost this as a result of weight gain.”

For individuals interested in exploring Numan’s Weight-loss programmes, further details can be found at www.numan.com/weight-loss.