Sara Davies is a ray of sunshine on Dragon's Den, bringing positivity and enthusiasm to the BBC show.
At 40, the business mogul is feeling healthier than ever since dropping three dress sizes, but it certainly hasn't been an easy journey for the star.
Though she has lost a significant amount of weight after years of yoyo dieting, Sara notes that her looks are not a factor in her decision to overhaul her lifestyle, and instead, it's all about health.
© Getty"I'm a big personality and I'm no different when I'm three dress sizes smaller – it really doesn't bother me at all. What does bother me is the health side of it," she tells Prima, explaining she is at risk of developing type 2 diabetes in later life, after having gestational diabetes during both of her pregnancies.
Sara continually monitors her health, and a health check last summer showed she has polycystic ovaries, so she needs to limit her sugar intake.
Sara Davies' health and fitness routine
1. No sugar
"I spent the end of last year cutting our sugar. And when I say cutting out sugar, I don't just mean I stopped eating chocolate and cake. I stopped drinking fruit juice or eating fruit, and cut down my alcohol intake. It was really just lifestyle changes," she told Prima, adding: "I'm not following a fad diet. I'm just understanding how my body processes sugar and I'm making lifestyle changes to support that."
© Getty2. Exercise
Sara takes fitness seriously too, sharing that she runs half-marathons and works out "consistently for months and months," but is aware that menopause is likely around the corner, throwing another spanner into the works.
READ: Dragons' Den: meet the children of Sara Davies, Peter Jones and more
3. Planning for the future
"I'm conscious that the next step for me will be menopause and I'm thinking it will be so much more difficult to try to shift the weight then. So I'll make good lifestyle changes now, while I can."
Sara's polycystic ovary diagnosis is also important for her to keep in mind as menopause approaches, says PCOS dietician Jodie Relf, who told HELLO! that perimenopause can be worse for women who have PCOS.
This is something Leila Martyn, founder of MyOva experienced. "PCOS masked my perimenopause symptoms, making it challenging to distinguish between the two," she says.
"Both conditions share several overlapping symptoms, such as irregular periods, mood swings and weight changes. Because of this, it can be difficult to recognise where perimenopause begins and PCOS ends. The hormonal fluctuations that characterise both conditions can blur the lines between them."
Luckily, Sara's move to a healthier lifestyle should help her transition into perimenopause and beyond.
READ: What is Sara Davies net worth? How the TV star and entrepreneur made her fortune
4. Positive approach
Though she is three dress sizes smaller, Sara notes that she doesn't attribute her self-worth to her size. "I don't feel any different about myself when I'm in this size 12 body than when I was in the size 18 body," she says.
"I'm still as happy about the women that I see in the mirror. I wouldn't say I wasn't happy when I was bigger [but] I'm happier that I can run around after the kinds and not be out of breath. I've been through a health transformation."
Read the full interview with Sara Davies in Prima's December 2024 issue
