General Hospital viewers are seeing less of Nurse Lisa Myers, played by actress/singer Lisa Donahey, these days. That’s not because the hospital’s having cutbacks but rather because Donahey has lost 65 lbs. over the 18 months. She’s chatting with Soap Hub about her weight loss journey.
Paging Nurse Lisa
“I had been a Type-2 diabetic for 15 years,” Donahey tells Soap Hub. “I struggled.” The performer, who owns and operates production company, In Tempo Productions, says she got a big wakeup call during a visit with her eye doctor. “One nurse was super hard on me, telling me I could go blind and lose my feet [because of my weight]. She scared me straight.”
After consulting with her doctor, Donahey went on the weight loss drug Mounjaro. “It helps aid the process,” she says. “Losing weight has spilled over into so many areas of my life. There’s a different confidence I have. I’m wearing smaller scrubs when I’m at GH. I carry myself differently. My head is trying to catch up with it.”
Donahey began appearing as Nurse Lisa on GH a little over a decade ago. Her career in marketing led to meeting Frank Valentini, GH’s executive producer, when he was helming One Life to Live in New York. “After Frank moved to Los Angeles, we were having dinner with a mutual friend, who said, ‘Frank, you know Lisa’s a singer and actress?’” Donahey says. “Frank said, ‘I’m putting you on the show for the Nurses Ball.’ I love it when preparation meets opportunity.”
The actress’s on-screen appearances go back to 2013, which was not only GH’s 50th anniversary but also a crucial time for the show as soap fans feared that ABC’s lone serial might leave the airwaves as All My Children and OLTL had done in, respectively, 2011 and 2012. “Frank saved the show,” Donahey says.
Donahey has appeared not only in many Nurses Ball episodes but also in numerous hospital scenes over the years. She’s worked with most of the cast including beloved late actresses Jacklyn Zeman (Bobbie) and Sonya Eddy (Epiphany). “I miss them both so much,” says Donahey, who says it was a privilege for Nurse Lisa to be included in their memorial episodes.
“I was also the nosy nurse who asked Liz [Rebecca Herbst] who sent her flowers,” Donahey says. She also shared a quip with Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) when he and Lulu (Emme Rylan) were having fertility issues.
Weight Loss Storyline
Donahey says she’s dropped so many pounds that GH had to outfit her in a new pair of (smaller) scrubs. “I was a size 22,” she says. “Now, I’m a size 12! I love being a character actor, playing the funny friend. But I’m getting to know the new me. I recently bought a size 12. I’ve never been a size 12! I cried in the dressing room. I’m asking myself, ‘Who is this new person I’ve become?’ I used to make self-deprecating remarks about myself. That was a coping mechanism.”
The actress’s weight loss journey is more than taking a drug. “I started Pilates, and I started moving,” she shares. “I had inflammation from being overweight. Now, I don’t eat a lot, so I have to be cognizant of quality. You have to complement [taking the drug] with a healthier lifestyle and healthier choices.”
There’s a mental aspect to losing weight, too, Donahey says. “I’m afraid I’m going to wake up and be fat again,” she confesses. “But the medicine helps keep you honest. The medicine helps you not overeat.”
Consult Your Physician
Each individual is different, and it’s important to consult your physician before embarking on any weight loss and/or drug program. “I think the sooner we understand that obesity is a disease and is compounded with addiction and emotional triggers [the better we’ll be],” Donahey says. “It’s about having a heart-to-heart with yourself. I was a ‘healthy’ fat person – until I wasn’t. Everyone has their own motivator.”
One of the milestones for the actress was giving away her plus-sized clothes. “I went through my closet and said, ‘This stuff does not serve me anymore,’” Donahey says with a smile.
To learn more about Donahey and her music check out her website here.
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