Weight Loss Journey After Hormonal Disorder

A woman who experienced a significant weight gain of 10 stone (approximately 6.3 kg) due to a rare hormonal disorder now attributes her remarkable weight loss to one daily exercise, achieving this feat over two years without using Ozempic.

Hannah Mai, 37, was diagnosed with Cushing’s disease in October 2020 after gaining the weight in just two and a half years. This condition arises from long-term exposure to elevated cortisol levels, leading to symptoms such as weight accumulation around the torso and a rounded face.

This same syndrome was also identified in comedian Amy Schumer earlier this year, who disclosed her diagnosis following comments about her appearance.

Originally from Coventry, Hannah had a pituitary tumor removed in February 2021 during brain surgery and started a regimen of steroid medications to manage her condition.

By 2023, after discontinuing the steroids, she resolved to shed the pounds she had gained. At that point, she weighed 20 stone 5 pounds (around 129 kg) and wore a size 26 dress.

Through daily pilates and a high-protein diet, Hannah managed to slim down to 10 stone 4 pounds (approximately 65 kg), opting out of the popular weight loss injections gaining traction in the UK.

Discussing Ozempic, which is primarily a diabetes medication but used off-label for weight loss, Hannah remarked, “I think Ozempic can be beneficial for those who need it for medical reasons. It certainly works for some, but I believe that if you give yourself a chance, you can really push through.” She continued, “After I started losing weight, I just kept going.”

Hannah recognized she was gaining weight when she hit 30, inexplicably going from nine stone to 16 stone in just a few months. Despite her concerns and repeated visits to the doctor, she was often met with assumptions about pregnancy or blamed it on hormonal changes.

“I always stayed around nine stone, but suddenly started noticing changes,” she shared. “I knew something was off, but people thought I was just eating more.”

It took until October, over two years after the sudden weight gain began, for Hannah to research her symptoms online and discover Cushing’s disease. Armed with a symptom list, she returned to her doctor for further investigation.

At University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, tests confirmed her diagnosis. “I felt both relieved and frightened,” Hannah recounted. “I had been saying something was wrong for years.”

She underwent brain surgery to remove the tumor, which is a common cause of spontaneous Cushing’s, accounting for roughly 70% of cases.

A benign pituitary tumor leads the gland to produce excessive adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), consequently triggering an overproduction of cortisol and the resulting symptoms of Cushing’s.

While Hannah’s surgery addressed the tumor, she remained on steroids for two additional years until finally tapering off. “It was difficult to lose weight while on steroids, but once I stopped, I felt a change—you know, it was my body, and I felt so much better,” she said.

Hannah committed herself to intense efforts, including eliminating sugar, dairy, and gluten after being diagnosed with celiac disease. “I maintain a low-carb, high-protein diet filled with vegetables and do pilates daily,” she explained.

Now, she has successfully reduced her dress size from 26 back to a size 10—the size she wore prior to her diagnosis. Reflecting on her journey, she admitted, “I’m really proud of myself, though I often worry about gaining the weight back.”

“I feel so much happier now. When I think back to that time, I can’t believe I was that size,” she added. “Looking at old photos makes me sad about what happened, but I also remind myself how far I’ve come.”

Meanwhile, Amy Schumer was diagnosed with a similar condition in February 2024, after discussing changes in her appearance noted by fans.

In a podcast appearance earlier this year, she recounted ignoring comments about her swollen face as mere trolling until medical professionals began expressing concern. “Doctors were telling me that something seemed off, and they were right,” Schumer acknowledged, noting it was during her recovery from surgeries that she experienced Cushing syndrome due to steroid injections.