When the menopause set in, Emma Skeates, 58, was hit by a nightmarish medley of symptoms: relentless hunger, rapid weight gain and cholesterol levels that soared dangerously into ‘stroke risk’ territory.
Three stone heavier and miserable, she tried to access GLP-1 weight loss medications for a lifeline, but hit a dead end and was refused prescriptions of the popular jabs by both the NHS and private clinics.
She felt lost… until she discovered a natural (and vegan) supplement that's designed curb appetite, balance blood sugar and support weight loss – just like GLP-1 medications. Enter Dr.Vegan’s Weight Management Support, a daily tablet made by clinically backed hibiscus and lemon verbena extract.
Having previously managed her weight through exercise and a balanced diet, the West Sussex author saw everything shift at age 44, when a full hysterectomy triggered sudden surgical menopause.
The years that followed brought compounding grief and relentless pressure. Losing her mother and stepping into the role of primary carer for her elderly father eventually culminated in a severe, unravelling mental health breakdown.
"My anxiety had been building gradually, but I genuinely didn't see the breakdown coming," Emma explains. She was diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression and prescribed Quetiapine – which she says “absolutely saved” her mental health.
However, months later, the medication triggered relentless hunger. Emma gained nearly three stone, with the weight settling mostly around her tummy. She recalls: "I felt hungry all the time and if I didn't eat, I actually felt quite unwell.”
It genuinely felt as though my body had become a fat-storing machine. I was constantly craving sugary foods and carbohydrates. I found myself eating things I wouldn't normally touch
"It genuinely felt as though my body had become a fat-storing machine," she explains. "I was constantly craving sugary foods and carbohydrates. I found myself eating things I wouldn't normally touch.”
When routine blood tests revealed her cholesterol had spiked to a dangerous 9.2, Emma realised the stakes had shifted from simple weight management to long-term health.
Seeking expert intervention, she explored GLP-1 medications, convinced she was "exactly the sort of person they were designed to help", only to be turned away by both her GP and private clinics.
Emma was gutted. But it spurred her to research alternative routes online, and that’s what led her to Dr.Vegan’s natural, daily supplement that's specifically designed for weight management. She says: "The first thing I noticed was that I wasn't constantly thinking about food anymore. The intense food noise and hunger started to ease."
"Within a couple of months I had lost a stone and more than four inches from my waist. I could fit back into my favourite jeans and, more importantly, I felt healthier and more energetic," Emma adds.
But she says the biggest moment came when she checked her cholesterol levels again and found they had fallen from 9.2 to 4.9. She comments: “That was the moment I realised I'd taken back control of my health.”
Reflecting on her journey, Emma hopes her story encourages anyone feeling stuck between needing help and being unable to access prescription drugs, pointing to natural options like Dr.Vegan’s Weight Management Support as an alternative way to take back control.
"I know there are so many people who either don't qualify for GLP-1 medications or simply don't want to take them – I was one of them," she says. "What I've learned is that there isn't just one route to improving your health. Three months ago, I felt frightened, frustrated and completely stuck. Today I feel healthier, more energetic and back in control of my future."
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