These Celebrity Heavyweights Dropped the Pounds and Now Feel Fabulous
Despite the proliferation of body positive and self-love posts on social media, it is still a grim reality that much of society gauges a person’s worth on his or her weight. This is especially true for celebrities who are constantly in the limelight as they often come under fire when they so much as gain a pound. We can’t blame them, therefore, why they go through extremes in the name of weight loss; from fad diets to even drastic cosmetic surgery, these stars have done it all in the name of public and media acceptance. Indeed, until the majority of the public starts embracing a more open-minded, encompassing, and accepting view of weight, the whole movement behind body positivity remains no more than lip service.
Timbaland – ~130 pounds lost
Rapper Timbaland was always larger than life both in talent and in body weight. However, fans were very pleased when he showcased a visibly slimmer and healthier figure with an impressive 130 pounds weight drop and a visible athletic build. Most impressively, he did not need a lap band procedure to achieve it. Timbaland achieved his big weight drop just by using a healthy diet and doing exercise.
Sean Connery – Unknown amount of weight lost
If you’ve seen Scottish actor Sean Connery’s earlier movie roles, you would know that he has been bare bodied in a lot of them (including in his James Bond movies) and he was always in peak physical condition, even lifting weights and having a six-pack a couple of decades ago. But as he aged, he started taking on lesser projects and putting on weight as he was obviously enjoying his retired life.
Of late, there have been many sightings of Connery, now 88, looking drastically slimmer than before. It did spark a few rumors and some concern over the actor’s heath and wellbeing, but the actor chose not to address any of these stories and whispers. Such a ‘Bond’ thing to do!
Ed Sheeran – ~50 pounds lost
Singer Ed Sheeran was an overnight success, indeed, but much of his early career was marred by talk of his heavy figure. In fact, the media and the public constantly referred to him as “chubby.” When he finally started following a diet plan and exercising, the same critiques were very much impressed by his transformation. He has reportedly lost 50 pounds in total through the years.
Zach Galifianakis – ~60 pounds lost
Actor and comedian Zach Galifianakis both shocked and impressed everyone when he debuted a noticeably trimmer body on the Emmys red carpet in late 2017. He lost an estimated 60 pounds, which prompted the media to speculate that he either had plastic surgery or was even suffering from a disease. However, Zach claims that it was actually a result of him giving up alcohol for good.
Amber Rachdi – ~400 pounds lost
The world was first introduced to Amber Rachdi when she appeared in TLC’s My 600-lb Life, which focused on the struggles of the world’s most obese. This paved the way for Amber to do something about her situation and she was able to lose a massive 400 pounds in total. Most impressively, she did not even need plastic surgery for it as she did so with just exercise and a controlled diet.
Christina Aguilera – ~49 pounds lost
Whether she was sporting a tiny, wisp-like body or noticeable curves, singer Christina Aguilera has always been a bombshell who had no qualms about showing off her body. Her success as a singer and a performer is uncanny. However, she really turned heads when she looked her fittest after having lost a whopping 49 pounds. So how did she lose weight? She simply swapped her diet for a better one.
Christian Bale – ~70 pounds lost
Christian Bale is one actor who is very much well-known for his complete dedication to his roles, going as far as drastically losing weight—or in some cases, gain weight—for his performances. His most amazing weight loss to date is no doubt the 70 pounds he lost for The Machinist in 2004. What makes it even crazier is that he was only paid $250,000 for the performance, which, for some people, just makes it not worth the trouble.
Claire Sweeney – ~56 pounds lost
English actress Claire Sweeney had a problem on her hands when she gained a lot of weight, postpartum, as most women do. She has one child, a son named Jaxon, who was born in 2014. The weight she gained was considerable but, she was concerned enough for her body image and reputation that she soon adopted the SlimFast diet, which helped her lose 56 pounds.
Chris Hemsworth – ~33 pounds lost
Chris Hemsworth is known as a perfect human specimen. However, he had to say goodbye to his pecs and six-pack when he starred in In The Heart of The Sea, in which he played a sailor stranded at sea. It was a role that demanded a 33-pound weight loss, which is a far cry from his Thor body. Thankfully, he has since bounced back and in the recent Avengers: Endgame movie he used prosthetics to achieve a weight gain illusion.
Ruben Studdard – ~119 pounds lost
Ruben Studdard was catapulted into fame when he won the top prize for the second season of the reality show American Idol. Back then, he weighed a whopping 462 pounds, making him a large presence on and off the stage, indeed. Years later, he joined The Biggest Loser, and with the help of the show’s personal trainers, he was able to shed off 119 pounds, proving that he is always a big winner, no matter what.
Mo’Nique – ~80 pounds lost
Mo’Nique is one of the industry’s most sought-after and talented comedians. Despite her obvious talent, however, she has constantly been under fire for her weight, over the years. It didn’t help that she developed problems with her health because of the extra pounds. She was finally forced to take matters in her own hands when her doctor recommended that she go on a special diet, which has helped her lose a whopping 80 pounds, as of this writing.
Anne Hathaway – ~25 pounds lost
Academy Award-winning actress has never had to worry about weight as she has always been trim and fit. However, the demands of being a high profile A-lister forced her to lose weight—25 pounds, to be exact, which is already a lot considering her small frame. However, the same role of Fantine in Les Misérables earned her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar, so Anne’s dedication definitely paid off.
Kirsten Vangsness – ~40 pounds lost
We all know Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia from the popular TV show Criminal Minds. She reprised her role in all later spin-offs much to our delight. The fans were definitely impressed when she debuted a much leaner figure in the show’s most recent seasons. Kirsten reportedly lost a very cool 50 pounds by using a kind of spiritual method by Renee Stephens, a personal trainer and author, called Full-Filled.
Phylicia Rashad – ~35 pounds lost
Actress Phylicia Rashad had been looking considerably plump, in recent stages of her caree, which began in 1972. That is until she landed a lucrative deal with the Jenny Craig program in 2009. By adopting the diet, she lost 35 pounds and has become a real inspiration for many. She claims that her motivation is to have a better quality of life.
Wendy Williams – ~50 pounds lost
Wendy Williams shocked the whole world when she lost a whopping 50 pounds in weight. She achieved it through diets and exercise. Wendy particularly credited being pescatarian and doing Pilates and cardio for her success. She was also unfortunately diagnosed with Graves Disease, which is a thyroid condition. This also forced Wendy to adopt a much healthier lifestyle as well and she has managed to keep it off so far.
Star Jones – ~160 pounds lost
Star Jones had been obese for most of her life, even weighing 300 pounds at her heaviest. In 2003, she made the choice to undergo lap band surgery, which helped her lose 160 pounds. She claimed to have lost the weight naturally at that time, but she finally came clean in 2015 after gaining 80 pounds back. Star also talked about her personal struggles on Oprah, saying how she pushed her fans away and neglected her career during the weight struggle.
Raven-Symoné – ~70 pounds lost
It was easy to see that Raven-Symoné was going to grow up to be large when she starred as a teenager in her own show, That’s So Raven. She inevitably struggled with her weight when she reached adulthood, even forcing her to leave show business, for a time, to work on her health.
During this time, she worked with a celebrity nutritionist who put her on a strict diet and incorporated exercise into her routine, and she successfully lost 70 pounds. This was back in 2007 and she has managed to keep the weight off to this day.
Melissa Joan Hart – ~50 pounds lost
Melissa Joan Hart, a well-known actress from Clarissa Explains It All and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, did not escape the pitfalls of motherhood when she gained a lot of weight postpartum. However, this did not stop her from getting her fitness back. She switched to a special diet, which led to a weight loss of a whopping 40 pounds. Now she is one of the fittest actresses in the industry.
Queen Latifah – ~20 pounds lost
Queen Latifah was always proud of her curves and we can freely say they are something of a trademark of hers. However, after she was too far gone she got tired of being overweight and hired a personal trainer to help her get fit. She lost 20 pounds in the process, while still keeping much of her curves. Latifah has since talked about some dark times she endured, as she called them, which were all connected to her being overweight.
Matthew McConaughey- ~45 pounds lost
Matthew McConaughey has one of the best bodies in Hollywood, no doubt about it. However, he sacrificed his perfect physique for the love of his craft when he played an emaciated AIDS patient in Dallas Buyers Club, which would become the performance of his life. This role demanded that he lose 45 pounds, which took him four months to accomplish through a special diet that even affected his sleeping habits.
Whoopi Goldberg – ~30 pounds lost
Whoopi Goldberg is one celebrity who is not a stranger to massive weight loss, only to gain it all back. She had been a SlimFast endorser in the early 2000s but gained the weight back when the deal ended. In 2014, she became the spokeswoman for the Pound-a-Day diet but also gained the weight back once her contract ended. However, when she tipped the scales at 215 pounds, she finally decided to take control of her weight for her health, not just for the payout. She has lost 30 pounds since and has kept most of it off.
Mila Kunis – ~20 pounds lost
Mila Kunis is another physically fit actress who underwent drastic weight loss for a role. This was for the film Black Swan in which she played a ballerina who was even thinner than the naturally waif-like Mila. She lost 20 pounds in five months in order to reach 95 pounds, which is definitely dangerous for someone who stands at 5 feet, 4 inches. Thankfully, she is now back to her former healthy self.
Tyra Banks – ~30 pounds lost
Tyra Banks is real proof that even supermodels can gain weight when she was photographed looking considerably heavier following her retirement from the modeling industry. Although she was heavily criticized for the weight gain, Tyra spoke publically about positive body images we as a society have today. Nevertheless, this prompted her to work on her weight loss and she was able to drop 30 pounds easily.
Kelly Osbourne – ~50 pounds lost
As the daughter of rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, Kelly Osbourne has spent much of her life in the limelight. As a chubby teen full of angst, she starred in a reality show along with the rest of her family. When she began to pursue a career as a television personality in adulthood, however, she started feeling the pressure of looking good on TV, which she did by sticking to an effective diet and a rigorous exercise routine. She has since lost 50 pounds and has been successfully keeping it off.
Seth Rogen – ~30 pounds lost
Actor and comedian Seth Rogen did not mind that he was always on the heavy side for many years and even made his own weight the gist of his many of his jokes. However, when he was offered to star in The Green Hornet, he took it as an opportunity to get fit. He did not get cosmetic surgery, however, but instead, lost 30 pounds by adopting the 5-Factor Diet, which demanded that he only eat meals that took no more than five minutes to prepare.
Perez Hilton – ~70 pounds lost
Perez Hilton gained fame through his very popular blog that made fun of celebrities. However, when he found himself on the receiving end of the same criticism that he dished out to others, largely due to his weight, he decided it was as good a time as any, to lose weight. He did so by giving up junk food, as well as sticking to a strict exercise routine, which has served him well to this day.
Lisa Riley – ~168 pounds lost
English TV presenter and actress Lisa Riley was always an important presence on TV, so her massive weight loss was received with a lot of shock and awe. Many have speculated that she had plastic surgery, but in reality, Lisa just chose to adhere to a healthier diet and take up Zumba, which she credits for the 168 pounds that she has since lost.
Tom Arnold – ~100 pounds lost
Actor Tom Arnold was in his 50s and at his heaviest at 287 pounds when his son, Jax, was born. This forced him to take stock of his weight and health as he wanted to be around for a long time to see his son grow up. He soon switched to a strict diet and worked with a personal trainer to develop an exercise routine comprising of circuit training and cardio. He lost a whopping 100 pounds in the process.
Sam Smith – ~50 pounds lost
Early in his career, singer Sam Smith always claimed that the extra pounds that he was sporting were down to his penchant for emotional eating. So when he debuted a considerably slimmer figure in late 2017, the world was quite delighted. He credits his weight loss to Amelia Freer’s diet plan which helped him cut out sugar and gluten from his life.
Mischa Barton – ~30 pounds lost
Most people remember Mischa Barton for being rail-thin when she starred in The O.C., so when she gained a lot of weight some years ago, she was met with widespread disbelieve and criticism. However, it wasn’t long before she was looking back to her former self when she got back into her yoga and Pilates practice, as well as adopted a more nourishing diet.
Oprah Winfrey – ~80 pounds lost
Oprah Winfrey is the queen of talk, but also the queen of weight fluctuations. In fact, being so visible to the public eye, we have all been witness to her yo-yoing weight over the years. Most recently, however, Oprah has been consistent in keeping her weight at a healthy 160 pounds—80 pounds less than her heaviest. This is all thanks to a killer and effective diet and a real desire to stay healthy. Definitely, Oprah is the inspiration most of us didn’t know we needed.
Kirstie Alley – ~50 pounds lost
Kirstie Alley is one actress whose constant battle with her weight is public knowledge and even often reported by the media. Known for erratic dieting, fluctuations in Kirstie’s weight was not at all an uncommon sight in years past. However, she seems to be keeping the weight off much more consistently of late, thanks to the Jenny Craig diet program for which she is the spokesperson of. In fact, she credits the program for helping her lose at least 50 pounds.