'I was worried my weight loss would be detrimental to my business.'

As I sat nervously waiting in the doctor's room, I felt the bad news coming. I had been unwell for weeks. It was the festive season, and I thought my lethargy and faintness was from doing too much socialising. But as my doctor read out my blood results ("they’re too high, you’re literally one Paddle Pop away from Type 2 Diabetes") I knew what needed to be done. I had to lose weight.

Having a family with a history of Type 2, and myself having Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), the daunting thought of shifting the weight that has taken me years to gain gave me an intense feeling of dread. For so long I have tried dieting, exercise and horrific weight loss pills, but nothing worked.

After doing research on PCOS, it’s unbelievably easy to gain weight. Sugars, carbs and basically anything that was indulgent would be the worst thing I could possibly consume.

I broke down in tears, explaining that no matter how hard I tried in the past, it was so hard for me to shed kilos. It’s impossible to believe someone with as much energy as me with ADHD, who literally never stops, couldn’t lose weight.

But heck, I tried. And then the doctor suggested something, a diabetes management drug. She explained to me that it would help me lose weight, and therefore reverse diabetes.

However, there was a catch. There always is. She wouldn’t put me on it unless I changed my lifestyle habits. I needed to see a nutritionist with knowledge of pre-diabetes and I needed to start exercising way more than one walk a day.

Watch: The facts on Type 2 Diabetes. Post continues after video.

How was I going to fit this in? I am a mum of two who runs a full-time business. I just didn’t have the time. But after changing that mindset, I did what she instructed.

The first few months, I felt on top of the world. My need for snacking at ridiculous times of the day became less frequent, my craving for sugar, carbs and even alcohol was nonexistent, and I actually started to get into a good habit by joining a gym that supported my needs. Who even was I?

Within a few months of being on the medication and changing my lifestyle, my weight started to drop, people kept saying, "Oh my god, look at you, skinny minny" and immediately I felt icky.

I LOVED my body before I was diagnosed, and having a female empowerment business that revolves around being body positive, I started becoming ashamed of taking this drug, I was worried that my weight loss would be detrimental to my business and people would think I was a phoney.

I preach to my community daily to "love the skin you’re in" no matter what size you are. I was conflicted. Body positivity isn’t about how you look, and it took me 35 years to love myself even at my heaviest, and my confidence was still the same then as it was for me now. Putting my weight aside, loving my body allowed me to give myself a break, talk better to myself and wear whatever I wanted to without caring what others think.

After all the news stories about celebrities taking this drug to maintain their already trim physique, I didn’t want others to assume that I was taking the easy way to lose weight. But this WAS my last resort. I needed to change my way of thinking and realise that this was the kick-start I needed to become a happier and healthier me. It made sense. If I did something now, it was better than waiting for the worse case scenario.

Most people I tell are unbelievably supportive, because they know I’ve tried everything to keep healthy. However, I still get judged from some pharmacists when I attempt to fill my script, telling me because I am not diabetic I go to the back of the line in this major shortage, and every part of me wants to scream "if I DON’T take this I will end up WITH diabetes."

As I walked into my six-month appointment with the GP, she had the biggest grin on her face. "Congratulations Amy, you’ve just added another 10 years to your life." My bloods were back to normal and after months of routine and dedication (which trust me, wasn’t easy) I managed to reduce my chance of getting diabetes, something that contributed to the downfall of the health of my parents, who have now passed away.

When you lose your parents at a young age, and have your own kids, your health is something you don’t want to take a chance on. This isn’t just a weight loss drug, it’s a small push to get you started. It aids in those little peeves that contribute to weight gain, but you still need to do the work.

I’m one of those people that is motivated to do more if I see even the tiniest of results, and it did just that! I’m not ashamed now to admit that I take it. Because if I hadn’t had this huge wake up call, I figured I’d be on it forever, and to me, that was not an option.

This article is one individual's account and should not be taken as medical advice. If this article raises concerns for you please consult a healthcare professional or visit your GP. If in immediate danger, call 000.

Featured image: Supplied.