Celebrities are so lauded in our culture because they are a microcosm of our own lives. They take elements of our personalities and expand them for the world to inspect and analyze. And that holds especially true for celebrities that have lost weight.
Sometimes this can be discouraging and off-putting, as we glimpse an aspect of ourselves that is imperfect and in need of change. Other times, however, this can also be inspiring, as we glimpse our own potential realized in the public light.
One example of these changes is weight loss. Many people struggle with it, and celebrities are no different. However, many celebrities have incredible stories of how they lost weight and tell their tales publicly for the world to read.
Let’s take a look at these 17 celebrities that have lost weight, and examine the methods they used and the circumstances surrounding their success.
Christian Bale’s Weight Loss Story
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Christian Bale is an example of one of the more famous celebrities that have lost weight. Bale frequently gains and loses weight for the movie roles he undertakes. So, this method is a little different kind of weight loss that most people experience.
Instead of shedding pounds for health, Bale decided to cut down to better emulate an insomniac in the movie “The Machinist.” The idea is that sleep loss leads to weight loss. And Bale achieved the incredible feat of losing over 60 pounds by eating apples, cans of tuna, black coffee, and water each day for four months.
The reasoning behind these food choices is that they boost metabolism and keep you feeling full for longer. Bale has claimed that he also exercised considerably while on this diet to make the pounds come off even quicker.
Also, Bale took many various nutritional supplements each day to ensure that his low caloric intake did not drastically impact his health.
Insights from Christian Bale’s experience
Ultimately, what Bale is showing us with this dramatic transformation of his body is that weight loss is intimately related to caloric intake and metabolism. Even though Bale arguably achieves this weight loss in an unhealthy way, he still exposes the underlying illusion of many dietary fads. Many diet fads advertise supposedly “life-changing” results by eating certain foods. Then, they assure people that they do not have to eat fewer calories or even exercise.
However, this is clearly false. To lose weight, you must eat fewer calories than you burn each day. It’s the only way to lose weight. As Bale shows us, one way of achieving this is by actively burning calories through exercise and restricting your diet to low calorie, high fiber foods.
Furthermore, many people responded to Bale’s transformation with shock and insult. This reaction shows us that we equate health with specific body sizes. Often, people get just as vilified for being underweight as they do for being overweight. As a society, we don’t seem to respect people who can’t manage their health.
Chris Pratt’s Weight Loss Story
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Other actors don’t always ping pong between weights as Christian Bale does. Bale is famous for losing weight and then gaining it back after the movie role is over, sometimes even weighing more than he did going into the part.
Some actors, on the other hand, are certainly motivated by a movie role to lose weight, but they also lose weight for health and energy reasons.
Chris Pratt, a famous movie actor, is another one of the celebrities that have lost weight in this manner. Known as slightly overweight for most of his life, Pratt decided to finally transform, dropping 60 pounds in 6 months thanks to healthy eating changes and copious exercise.
Despite a similar amount of weight loss to Christian Bale, Pratt’s final image looks much healthier than Bale’s. Pratt now has a six-pack and very little body fat, but he also has plenty of muscle. A personal trainer and nutritionist helped in his transformation. Marvel, the company that produced the film that inspired Pratt to lose the weight, arranged the help for Pratt.
After the experience was over, Pratt decided to continue with his healthy lifestyle. He now claims that it has given him more control than ever before. Pratt likely won’t be continuing the 4,000 calories a day workout regime enforced by his coaches. But he will certainly continue to workout and eat right to stay in shape.
Kim Kardashian’s Weight Loss Story
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Kim Kardashian is another example of one of the celebrities that have lost weight. Kardashian is notable for being the wife of Kanye West as well as a prominent television persona. Her weight has fluctuated dramatically over the years. This is especially the case in recent years as she has given birth to two daughters.
Kardashian employed a straightforward technique after having her baby North in 2013. Specifically, she focused on consistently working out each day. She also consistently wrote down her goals. These two methods helped her to gradually get back to her ideal body size while also minimizing stress in the process.
Many celebrities go to extreme measures to look their best. But Kardashian focuses on stability, happiness, and consistency with her most recent approach.
Furthermore, Kardashian has also experimented with meal replacement shakes that help boost metabolism and keep caloric intake the same each day.
Kevin Smith’s Weight Loss Story
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Kevin Smith is a famous movie director and the next of our celebrities that have lost weight in recent years. Influenced by a combination of health and family, Smith made the change by drastically altering his diet.
In particular, Smith went vegan. He excluded all animal products from his diet. Many vegans still eat a diverse range of foods. But Smith focused on simplicity when he first made this dietary change. In particular, he spent the first couple of weeks eating only potatoes. After about a month, he switched to potatoes and corn.
This diet allowed his body to readily cleanse and heal itself from years of poor eating patterns. Also, a vegan diet that focused on corn and potatoes is low in fat, which can expedite digestion and metabolism.
Kevin Smith recently vocalized his support for the diet on the Joe Rogan Podcast, explaining that his vegan daughter also inspired him at the beginning of his journey. Although, what really got him thinking about dietary changes was his heath. A recent heart attack scared him away from continuing his unhealthy lifestyle.
Zach Galifianakis’ Weight Loss Story
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Zach Galifianakis, a famous comedian and actor, is so renowned for his oversized gut that it even became a part of his comedic style, especially in the film The Hangover.
To slim down, Galifianakis focused on eliminating certain foods and drinks from his diet. This minimalist approach paid off, as Galifianakis looks almost like a new person in his most recent appearance on Conan O’Brien’s talk show.
Galifianakis has been particularly vocal about how antagonistic alcohol is to weight loss, claiming that once he stopped drinking, the pounds quickly came off. Like the others on this list of celebrities that have lost weight, Galifianakis has combined this approach to diet with a consistent exercise regimen. This smart move ensures that he maintains his new, healthy weight.
Britney Spears’ Weight Loss Story
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Britney Spears is notorious for shaving her head and admitting herself to a rehab facility. This came after a significant weight gain, addiction issues, and other health complications. But, when viewed in a particular light, these setbacks provided an opportunity for her growth and recovery.
Spears responded to this low point in her life by exercising almost daily and working all parts of her body throughout the week. Spears has asserted that she would allow herself cheat days when she could rest her body and eat whatever she wanted.
These imperfections are critical for Spears’ process, as many nutritionists think that depriving yourself of specific culinary experiences can lead to binging later on.
Spears also utilizes running and tennis as forms of workout. Playing sports is an integral part of losing weight. These fun activities can make us forget the painful nature of exercising.
Melissa McCarthy’s Weight Loss Story
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This famous Hollywood actress admitted that her secret for losing weight was a simple change of lifestyle. McCarthy’s weight was often a central theme of her improvisational comedy, so it’ll be interesting to see how these bodily changes affect her routine. Ultimately, health is more important than laughter, right?
Rebel Wilson’s Weight Loss Story
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Rebel Wilson is another of the celebrities that have lost weight. She first started losing weight in 2016 after feeling unhealthy and overweight for many years.
She credits her transformation to increased exercise, and she often posts images of herself on social media hiking or being active.
Susan Boyle’s Weight Loss Story
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Susan Boyle first became famous when she was featured on the show Britain’s Got Talent.
Once her career as a singer got started, she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, which kickstarted her weight loss efforts. To be more specific, she cut sweets out of her diet and made an effort to walk at least two miles each day.
Gabourey Sidibe’s Weight Loss Story
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Gabourey Sidibe is a famous actress who had weight loss surgery, which limited her hunger and capacity to eat. This has led to her losing lots of weight in recent years. But she has also expressed frustration with being so spotlighted by attention related to weight.
She has correctly said, for instance, that much of the admiration she has received has seemed “misogynistic.” And she thinks that different attention would likely go to male celebrities.
Mama June’s Weight Loss Story
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Mama June is a television personality that lost over 300 pounds through surgery and dietary changes. Since that initial loss, she has kept the weight off by occasionally following the ketogenic diet.
The ketogenic diet advises followers to focus on eating healthy fats and adequate protein while cutting out processed carbohydrates. This diet is an easy way to lose weight when you need some motivation. The keto diet has been seeing increased popularity again.
Adele’s Weight Loss Story
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Adele is a famous singer who recently lost a significant amount of weight by cutting sugar out of her diet following a divorce.
Before losing the weight, Adele had been drinking almost 10 cups of tea each day, each one with plenty of sugar added. Adele also stopped smoking cigarettes as part of this health overhaul. Even though some people say that cigarettes suppress appetite, they also cause bodily stress that may lead to cravings to binge and eat later on.
Khloe Kardashian’s Weight Loss Story
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We can’t talk about celebrities that have lost weight without mentioning Khloe Kardashian. Khloe recently had a baby but managed to lose 30 pounds after the pregnancy. This is unusual, as many new mothers end up having trouble taking off the baby weight.
Kardashian follows a low-carb diet that she combines with intense workouts multiple times per day. She also exercises portion control and eats precise amounts in precise combinations.
Oprah Winfrey’s Weight Loss Story
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Oprah Winfrey is unique in that she recently lost over 40 pounds, yet she’s 64 years old. Most people get heavier as they age, but Oprah has managed to lose weight for health reasons by focusing on realistic expectations. She claims that she does not want to be thin necessarily, only healthy and happy.
She also says that emotional eating can lead to weight issues and that the underlying stress should be removed first. By always trying to be as conscious and aware of her eating as possible, Oprah has managed to lose weight after doctors told her she was pre-diabetic.
Drew Carey’s Weight Loss Story
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Drew Carey has admitted that he struggled with unhealthy eating and copious alcoholic drinking when he was acting in the television show “The Drew Carey Show.”
After being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, he knew that his ways needed to change. He soon lost 100 pounds after changing his diet to a strict, low-carb regime. And he now claims that he no longer needs medication for his diabetes.
Jennifer Hudson’s Weight Loss Story
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Jennifer Hudson is an award-winning singer who lost 80 pounds throughout her journey to success. Even more significantly, she has managed to keep her weight stable for the past eight years. This is unusual for people who experienced drastic weight changes in the past.
She emphasizes how important it is to surround yourself with healthy food instead of unhealthy food, as you will be tempted by what you are around. Furthermore, when Hudson exercises, she tries to make the activity as natural and fun as possible. This attitude encourages her to keep exercising.
Hudson also claims that she focuses on mindful eating when she’s in public, as this can be a place where stressful, emotional overeating is likely. She engages in strict rituals, like always eating at a table, to help prevent eating lots of empty calories.
John Goodman’s Weight Loss Story
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John Goodman was almost 400 pounds at his heaviest but has recently lost over 100 pounds.
Like many other celebrities that have lost weight, Goodman has stated that cutting out alcohol and sugar was very helpful. These two things helped him achieve his weight loss goals. He also worked with a personal trainer to get more active.
Additionally, Goodman has talked about portion control and convincing himself that he didn’t need specific foods. Goodman claims that much of healthy eating comes down to self-awareness and self-arguing. Ultimately, we get bombarded with constant advertising for unhealthy foods. But we have to be able to argue against these unhealthy options effectively.
Our Final Thoughts on Weight Loss and Celebrities
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What these weight loss stories show us is that although many celebrities are incredibly talented individuals, they’re imperfect just like the rest of us.
And just like the rest of us, many of their attempts to lose weight are often unsuccessful at first, forcing them to adopt new strategies. In this sense, their stories can be encouraging and inspirational lesson about persistence.
However, just like we can’t follow a celebrity’s work routine and automatically experience their success, the same holds for celebrity advice about diet and fitness. After all, you’ll note that many of them worked with professional dietitians and personal trainers. So, while the information that celebrities give us about their success can help steer us in the right direction, it’s best to consult a medical professional. And ultimately, each person has unique needs when it comes to finding their optimal weight.
Keep it simple
Weight loss can be as simple as eating fewer calories per day or burning a few more calories per day. It could be as simple as reducing sugar and processed carbs, or even adding a few more fresh vegetables to our plates. Many different techniques exist to manifest these changes, but ultimately, it comes down to how much healthy food you eat and how active you are.
Many celebrities that have lost weight attest to this. They claim that they noticed changes in their body after making very subtle changes, like working out for 10 minutes longer or skipping out on dessert.
Ultimately, if celebrities can popularize healthy eating practices and balanced weight, then that’s the best technique to combat the barrage of propaganda for unhealthy fad diets. Once we believe that our favorite actors and singers can gain weight and then return to a state of balance, we are similarly empowered.
Who’s your celebrity inspiration for getting back in shape? Tell us about them in the comments.
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