Weighing over 17 stone, police officer Heather McCall knew she needed to take drastic action after being continously attacked for her size from criminals and squeezing into mens size uniform11:49, 11 Jul 2026Shedding over three and half stone in just five months, police officer Heather McCall's life has completely transformed her life. Squeezing into an extra-large's men's police uniform and living on a diet of takeaways and sugary drinks, the 36-year-old weighed just over 17 stone at her heaviest.‌Having struggled with her weight her entire life, Heather, from Virginia, US, had accepted she was always going to be a "bigger" girl.‌However, her life has changed dramatically after she started taking a newly available daily weight-loss pull - an oral alternative to the GLP-1 injections like Wegovy - which became available in the UK this week.‌While weekly weight-loss injections have been the only option so far, the daily tablet version is now an alternative to people who don't want to inject themselves.According to online pharmacy SheMed, 40% of new GLP-1 patients are now opting for the oral tablet over the jab, making it the single most popular treatment option across its platform‌The daily pill contains a GLP-1 receptor agonist that mimics the body's natural satiety hormones, effectively silencing 'food noise' For patients who suffer from needle phobia, travel frequently, or simply dislike the idea of self-injecting, a daily tablet offers a far more accessible alternative.While it sounds simpler, experts warn that the guidelines are strict. Unlike standard vitamins or painkillers, this medication requires precise timing to be effective.Abdal Alvi, Chief Clinical Officer at Simple Online Pharmacy, says the biggest hurdle for patients is overriding their usual habits.‌He said: "The Wegovy pill is a major development because it gives patients another way to access semaglutide without self-injecting. But it is not a tablet you can simply take with breakfast or your morning coffee."The way it is taken has a direct impact on how well the medication is absorbed, so patients need to understand the routine from day one."It must be taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, with a maximum of 120ml of plain water.‌People must wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking coffee, taking supplements or taking other medications.Mr Alvi said: "The most common mistake people are likely to make is taking the Wegovy pill like any other tablet. You should take it after an eight-hour fast - for most people, this would be first things after waking up - and before coffee, food or other medication. Even drinking too much water can reduce how well it is absorbed."The tablet must also be swallowed whole, as breaking the outer coating can interfere with how the medicine is absorbed.‌For Heather, her physically demanding job meant she was struggling to keep up."I am a police officer and I am only 5ft3 and if I was running after a suspect I could only run a few feet before I was out of breath and going upstairs was terrible for me," Heather told the Daily Mirror."Because I had gotten so heavy, my uniforms were getting tight and I was already in a men's extra large size, at that point I knew I needed a change. It was not fun and it was so unflattering with the weight."‌Heather found her weight started creeping up when she started working as a call dispatcher, where she worked 12-hour shifts up to six days a week, sat behind a deskShe said: "In the morning I would get a large Starbucks Frappuccino with extra whipped cream and a Danish [pastry]."By lunchtime I would get a soda, a cheeseburger, medium fries and another soda, maybe a bottle of water as well. Then at dinner I would have another fast food, another fries and soda too. My diet consisted of nothing but fried or processed foods. Something I could just grab on the go," she explains.‌The physical strain she faced was compounded by the toll of her public-facing role."If we had to deal with someone who was rude or irate, they were always going to pick on me because I was the big girl," she said."I'd get called a fatass or a fat b****, everything was always to do with my weight."‌Within just one week of starting the pill, which costs her £222 a month ($299), Heather lost five pounds in the first seven days.Five months later, she has lost nearly four stone, and now wears a women's medium uniform."I can't tell you the last time I've had fast food, I just don't want it anymore," she said. "From the first month, I couldn't believe how much it had cut out the food noise. I used to eat breakfast thinking about what I was going to have for lunch.‌"Food was at the forefront of my mind for everything. If I was bored I'd grab a snack and I would have them at my desk. It would be either gummies or chips, the thoughts were always there," she adds.Now weighing 13 stone (186lbs), a weight she hasn't seen since her early twenties, she will eventually transition to a lower maintenance dose, once she meets her target weight of ten stone.Clinical trial findings indicate that patients taking the Wegovy pill can shed a considerable amount of weight when it is taken correctly alongside dietary and lifestyle adjustments.‌During trials, participants taking the 25mg daily dose lost between 14% and 17% of their body weight over 64 weeks, depending on adherence.With the pill, similarly to the injections, the most common side effects are gastrointestinal disorders such as nausea, diarrhoea, constipation and vomiting. These are slightly more common with the pill according to Simple Online Pharmacy, whoThe Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency urges anyone experiencing side effects to talk to their healthcare provider and report symptoms directly to the official UK Yellow Card scheme.Article continues belowFor Heather, she said the pill has helped her rewrite her lifestyle, adding: "I make a habit out of doing some type of activity, even if it's a light activity, I want to go out. I go out and walk my dog, I couldn't handle him before but now I have the energy to do so."If you are considering taking any type of weight loss medication, it's always recommended to chat to a healthcare professional first. The daily pill is licensed specifically for weight management (alongside a calorie-controlled diet and exercise).