For many of us, our weight loss journeys are personal. We try and set goals for ourselves and do our very best to meet and not exceed them. For celebrities who are always in the public eye, their physiques are always on display and often times scrutinized. Because of that fact, many celebrities are open about their struggles with their weight and weight loss. Some even use their platforms to spread acceptance and encourage others to be patient with themselves. It’s important to remember that celebrities are human too and that they struggle with the exact same issues that everyone else does. We should be patient with celebs as well and not hold them to impossible beauty standards. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of 25 celebrities who’ve lost weight and who have opened up about their weight loss journeys.
25. Amber Rose
Model Amber Rose just gave birth to her son, Slash Electric, and says she decided to jumpstart her postpartum weight loss with liposuction. “I’m about to get my whole body done after the baby,” she shared from her hospital bed in a video. “[The surgeon is] gonna suck all the baby fat out of my stomach.”
Her statement was met with some backlash online, so she posted another video of herself working out with a trainer saying, “Shout out to my personal trainer Deyanira Delarosa of Intense Fitness. Liposuction ain’t sh*t but a head start. I still have to work out like an animal and eat right.”
24. Missy Elliot
Rapper Missy Elliot shared that she lost weight by giving up two things: bread and sugary drinks. In an Instagram post, she wrote, “Proudly to say it’s been 4 months I have only drank water no other juices or soda & I cut out bread & Lord knows that’s been the hardest for me.”
A friendly reminder to all to drink more water.
23. Adele
Singer Adele has been open about her struggles with weight loss over the years. She recently told Rolling Stone that she cut back on sugar and carbs as well. Before she goes on tour she works out, “to get in shape for myself, but not to be a size zero or anything like that.”
Recently, the star attended an Oscars after-party where she turned heads with a new look.
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22. Jonah Hill
A few years ago when actor Jonah Hill wanted to lose weight, he decided to phone a very famous friend. In an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon Jonah shared, “I wanted to get in better shape, so I called Channing Tatum, and said, ‘Hey, if I eat less and go to a trainer, will I get in better shape?’ And he said, ‘Yes, you dumb motherf**kr, of course you will, it’s the simplest thing in the entire world.'”
21. Mama June
Reality TV personality Mama June Shannon documented her weight loss journey on her show, Mama June: From Not to Hot. When she began, she weighed 460 pounds and decided to undergo a gastric sleeve surgery, a tummy tuck, skin removal surgery, and breast augmentation. In the end, she had lost nearly 300 pounds.
“It’s all about portion control for me, it’s not easy to eat like you’re ‘supposed to’ and hit the gym all the time, but I’m just trying to maintain it the best I can,” Mama June told People.
20. Chris Pratt
After actor Chris Pratt was cast in the blockbuster, Guardians of the Galaxy in 2013, he had to get in shape very fast. He lost 60 pounds in six months and increased his caloric intake to 4,000 calories a day. With the help of a trainer and a nutritionist, he was able to hit his goals. He also blamed giving up beer and drinking tons of water instead for his success.
He told Men’s Journal about his water intake, “I was peeing all day long, every day. That part was a nightmare.”
19. Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi
Reality TV star Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi managed to drop 50 pounds after giving birth to her first baby. She took a lot of fitness classes and worked with a personal trainer for her to lose the baby weight. In addition to working with the trainer, she also incorporated her son into her workouts.
In an interview with Us Weekly, she said “If you can’t make it to the gym, you can always work out with your baby. He likes to go up and down. We call him Super Lorenzo so he flies.”
18. Christina Aguilera
Here’s a trick we’d like to try. Popstar Christina Aguilera took time off of work to focus on her health and fitness. In 2013 she was working on The Voice and she decided it would be best for her to step away and work on herself.
She told Us Weekly “I got to have, finally, a break and spend some time with my son, being able to breathe and have time away outside of the camera and get to the nitty-gritty of all things real and personal [gave me the chance] to come back refreshed.”
17. Miranda Lambert
Singer Miranda Lambert didn’t look to trendy diets or fads when she was trying to lose weight. Instead, she just made the decision to eat better. To get inspired for workouts that she actually liked doing, she would look at pictures of Britney Spears for inspiration.
She talked to Women’s Health about dieting and said, “You get tired of any diet. I’ve tried everything. I just literally would make grilled chicken breast, sweet potato salad. There was no miracle.”
16. Kelly Osbourne
Since 2009 after appearing on Season 9 of Dancing with the Stars, Kelly Osbourne has been losing weight. Apparently, her partner for the dance competition helped her find a diet that worked for her which resulted in the loss of 50 pounds.
She told Shape, “He made me eat turkey burgers and salads and explained to me that a high-protein, low-carb diet would keep me energized. Then I started losing weight and realized, ‘Oh, it’s true what they say: Diet and exercise really work!'”
15. Jennifer Hudson
The incredibly talented Jennifer Hudson credits Weight Watchers (WW) with her weight loss success. Aside from being a brand ambassador for WW, she lives it. She went from a size 16 dress size to a size 6. She explained to People that she learned to eat in moderation and started working out every day.
“I’m in the best shape of my life!” Jennifer told People.
14. Alec Baldwin
After marrying fitness guru, Hilaria Baldwin in 2012, Alec Baldwin was able to turn his health around. Alec was pre-diabetic before his weight loss and with the help of his wife, he is much healthier. Hilaria would go on to write a book about wellness, The Living Clearly Method.
“His sugar intake was far too high, not just due to sweet foods and white carbs, but to pasta, sauces with hidden sugars, and snacks. I quietly watched what he ate, only mentally jotting down my secret wishlist of what I’d tell him if he asked,” Hilaria explained to People.
13. Melissa Joan Hart
Actor Melissa Joan Hart struggled to lose weight after giving birth. She turned to her family to help her lose the weight. Melissa’s husband Mark Wilkerson helped motivate her.
She revealed that she dropped two dress sizes and explained to People, “My husband is really into fitness, and I’ve always been big into working out. He’s very supportive and gets me out for runs here and there to keep me active. My boys keep me active as it is.”
12. Khloe Kardashian
Reality TV star and mom Khloe Kardashian says she weighed 203 pounds before giving birth to her daughter True. She’s documented her weight loss journey extensively on social media. Although Khloe has been promoting weight loss shakes (for which she’s gotten criticism), it doesn’t seem like she’s crediting them too much with her success. Instead, she says hard work is the key.
“As soon as I got clearance from my doctor, I was [in the gym],” Khloe told People. “I was so excited to start working out again. Mentally I was there. But physically, I couldn’t do it. I was out of breath. I didn’t know how I was going to get to my end goal. I did it day by day. If I could get through that workout, I did. But you’re not going to get it back in a day.”
11. Melissa McCarthy
Comedian and actor Melissa McCarthy has lost over 50 pounds and looks absolutely amazing. While promoting her film The Boss, she was asked about her weight loss routine or if she had any tricks by Extra.
“No trick, nothing to tell, just super boring life. You bring it real down, you don’t do anything fun and you go to bed at 7:30 — that’s the trick,” she responded.
10. Jordin Sparks
Singer Jordin Sparks decided it was time to make a change and started her journey by simply walking every day. Then, she added hiking, Zumba, and eventually started going to the gym. As far as diet goes, she focused more on portion control than anything else.
She explained to Shape, “I remember thinking, ‘I’m in my prime. I should be happy and fit.’ That was the moment I decided that changes needed to be made.”
And, changes were made. Jordin lost over 50 pounds.
9. Jimmy Kimmel
Late-night TV host, Jimmy Kimmel has a very intense dieting regimen. When he decided to start his weight loss he really went “all in.” He started by having two protein shakes and a small dinner every for two months. Then, he switched to a 2,000 calorie a day diet. He also incorporated intermittent fasting for two days a week which he calls, “starving myself.”
“I definitely feel pressure to keep slim. I don’t want to be the guy who lost weight and gained it all back. But it’s hard. Sometimes I’ll gorge and gain nine pounds in a weekend somehow, and I get bummed about it,” Jimmy told Men’s Journal.
8. John Goodman
Actor John Goodman has struggled with his weight for years. Back in 2011, he admitted to David Letterman that he had been 400 pounds at his heaviest. On The Daily Show in 2016, he brought up his weight again and said that although he had lost weight, he expected to gain it back. Most recently, he spoke to AARP about his weight loss and said that portion control was a priority.
“It was basically just portion control, and ‘I don’t need it,’ I was just shoving everything into my mouth,” John explained.
7. Sam Smith
Singer Sam Smith has said that they have trouble with emotional eating. They explained, “When I was at school and wasn’t having a great time or when music wasn’t going very well, I would eat. When I felt lonely, I would eat.”
Luckily, Sam has found a nutritionist, Amelia Freer and has found a diet that works for them.
6. Shonda Rhimes
Back in 2015, pioneering TV producer and creative Shonda Rhimes said she lost 98 pounds. Although she was able to achieve a lot it’s still not something she’s fond of speaking about.
“Losing weight is not a topic I like discussing. Why? Because there is nothing fun or interesting or great about it. I hated losing weight. I hated every single second of it. And I hate every single second of maintaining my weight, too,” she wrote in a newsletter to her fans.
5. Pink
After giving birth to her daughter, Pink said she struggled to get back to the gym and back in shape. The demands of her performance style added to the pressure she already felt.
She explained to People, “It was slow because I literally couldn’t even do a sit-up,” she told the site. “I’d had to have an emergency C-section so I was numb. And exhausted. I was really afraid because my whole life is based on abs and core.”
4. Beyoncé
Queen Bey, Beyoncé also struggled to bounce back after she gave birth to her twins Rumi and Sir in 2017. She told Vogue, that she weighed 218 pounds after giving birth. She said that “I put pressure on myself to lose all the baby weight in three months, and scheduled a small tour to assure I would do it.”
She also dramatically changed her diet to a vegan one. “I became vegan temporarily, gave up coffee, alcohol, and all fruit drinks,” she said, “But I was patient with myself and enjoyed my fuller curves. My kids and husband did, too.”
3. Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson, who is no stranger to having her weight discussed at length, recently opened up to People about her postpartum weight loss journey after the birth of her third child. But, Jessica was able to lose 100 pounds in 6 months.
“It’s been a lot of hard work, I’ve been working very hard,” she said. “When you’re pregnant, I gain a lot, I mean, a lot. I didn’t expect to gain so much with my third. I thought I’d learned my lesson, but apparently, that’s just the way God made me, very hungry and pregnant.”
2. Oprah
It’s no secret that Queen of America, Oprah has struggled with her weight over the years. Some new outlets have gone so far as to create a timeline of her ups and downs. It’s also no secret that Weight Watchers (WW) have helped her reach her goals including losing over 40 pounds.
“Weight Watchers is easier than any other program I’ve ever been on. It’s a lifestyle, a way of eating and a way of living that’s so freeing. You never feel like you are on a diet and it works,” Oprah said in a release about a Weight Watchers’ ad campaign.
1. Amy Schumer
One of the funniest entertainers out there, Amy Schumer and she’s been a body-positive queen for years. While accepting an award during Glamour UK‘s 2015 Woman of the Year ceremony, Amy shared a story about a hook-up that damaged her self-esteem. She said, “I’m not going to apologize for who I am and I’m going to actually love the skin that I’m in. I’m not gonna be striving for some other version of myself.”
After she shared the emotional story, Amy went on to say, “I’m probably like 160 pounds right now and I can catch a d*ck whenever I want. Like, that’s the truth. It’s not a problem.”
As you can see, every celebrity just like every person has their own insecurities about their weight. Many celebrities have been able to find plans of action to help them reach their goals or just accept their bodies. Because so many struggle with weight gain and weight loss, it’s an important conversation for us to have as a society. One of the ways we get to a more open discussion is for celebrities and other people to share their stories. We must be honest about our bodies and their limitations. Not everyone is going to follow Beyoncé’s workout and end up looking like Beyoncé. We’re all different and we should cherish those differences.