Everyone likes an impressive before-and-after story. That’s the first thing we click on when we see a news story about a celebrity, that’s the first thing we search when we hear someone famous lost weight or changed dramatically. But we rarely get into the details of how it happened. Let’s face it, most celebrities tend to keep these types of details secret. It’s just a glossy success story without the step-by-step guide. Most celebrities don’t want to share the details. So we decided to look up some of the weight loss transformations that felt more human and showed us the behind the scenes in terms of what motivated them, what they did, and why, and you’ll be surprised that not all of these are vanity-based.
Adele’s “it was never about losing weight” era
Adele’s weight loss shook the internet to its core. There were millions of articles comparing her looks and commenting on her changes. People were impressed and looking for tips and tricks and how she did it. And the answer was surprisingly wholesome: less drinking, more real food, and lots of exercise.
But what’s even more memorable about Adele’s transformation is that she said her changes weren’t about weightless, she was trying to manage her post-divorce anxiety. She found that exercising would make her feel better and she just wanted to become strong and also give herself as much time away from her phone as she could. So we got quite addicted to exercise. She would workout 2-3 times a say, starting with weightlifting in the morning, going on a hike or doing a boxing session in the afternoon and doing some cardio in the evening. She acknowledged that she was doing it while she was basically unemployed and had lots of free time, she also did it all with trainers, so it’s not really doable for most poeple. She didn’t do any extreme diets, or intermitted fasting, in fact she started eating more because of how much she was working out.
Adele said that the reason she thinks people are so obsessed with her weightless is because she didn’t document it online. She just did it for herself over the period of two years and then people just saw the results, which is unusual.
Rebel Wilson’s “Year of Health” (and the reality behind the slogan)
Rebel Wilson took a different approach by announcing on her Instagram that she would be dedicating a year to health. It was a very public process where she basically occasionally updated her followers on how she’s doing and what she’s doing. She focused on more movement, more structure and wanted to have a more intentional relationship with food.
She tried different methods, different workouts, different approaches with food, and even briefly tried a weight loss drug, which she later abandoned. What was refreshing is that it was a very real journey to a better self. She showed us that even when you’re a celebrity, things don’t always go smoothly and according to plan, things come up, you get too busy or too lazy, and you have to just keep trying whatever works in the moment.
Jonah Hill: the transformation that came with boundaries
Jonah Hill is a great example of how people’s comments can get to you. He has been unapologetically body shamed for years, ever since he appeared in Superbad. People said he was fat and unattractive. And while he tried to brush it off, those comments lodged themselves in his head. He’s been experiencing panic attacks and anxiety.
So when he lost the weight and people started commenting on his transformation he politely asked not to comment on his body at all because even if people mean well it still triggers him. He even recently stated that he will no longer be taking part in press tours because it’s his way of protecting his peace. His transformation is definitely not for the attention and praise, he did it for himself, his mental health and he’s still on a journey to protect his peace in an industry that’s so obsessed with looks.
Jessica Simpson’s post-pregnancy reset that turned into a headline machine
Jessica Simpson surprised everyone with her 2019 postpartum transformation. She lost 100 pounds in 6 months. She says that with her pregnancy she gained a lot of weight and ended up at 240lbs. So after Abby was born, she chose to work hard to get her body back. It took hard work and consistency. Her trainer said that she started with simply walking and worked her way up to workout, it was all about structure and perseverance and absolutely no crash diets. They avoided anything that can be described as extreme or radical, and the results speak for themselves.
Kelly Osbourne: the transformation she refused to sugarcoat
Kelly Osbourne struggled with weight fluctuations her whole life, so when she got gastric sleeve surgery, she wasn’t about to hide it. She said that it was the best thing she ever got but it wasn’t a magic solution. You still have to eat healthy and exercise, the surgery just points you in the right direction. So it’s not as effortless as people might think, it was just the right step for her.
Since then she has gained weight during her pregnancy and then lost it all again, and admitted that she went too far with it, but she stopped. She then lost her father and lost even more weight, which made people suspicious that she’s on Ozempic, but both Kelly and her mother have commented that she’s been struggling to eat due to the grieving she’s going through.
Ethan Suplee: from “that guy” to jacked (and the messy middle)
Ethan was known as the big guy in comedies, and then suddenly he became this muscular, jacked dude. Except it wasn’t sudden at all. It took him years of losing weight, gaining some back, trying again, changing his relationship with food, sticking with exercise to grow muscle etc.
People love a quick-fix story, but Ethan actually goes into how complicated his story and transformation was on his podcast American Glutton. He shares a lot about what he went through, how dramatically his weight fluctuated, and how he dealt with this process. He also has an Instagram account, and on it he announced that his goal for 2020 was to get abs. That’s not an easy goal at all, but he stuck to it and got back with an update in January of 2021 with visible abs.
Kathy Bates: the quiet “mindfulness” approach that cut through the noise
Kathy Bates lost a lot of weight, it’s a dramatic change, but her reasons were health-related and she did it mindfully. She was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and she thought about how she lost her father to it and how her sister is struggling with it, and it scared her into action. She learned about the hunger hormones and hunger cues, she learned how to understand when you’ve had enough food and stop, and basically through mindfulness she lost the majority of her extra weight.
She also went on Ozempic recently, because of her diabetes, but she says that it only helped her to lose the last 15 pounds, and it’s not like you get on Ozempic and everything is better, you still have to make the right choices and still be mindful not to fall into bad habits.
Khloé Kardashian: the transformation shaped by TV, criticism, and control
Khloe has been labeled by the public as the fat sister on Keeping Up With The Kardashians from the very beginning. And at first she couldn’t understand whether people were exaggerating or does she had a distorted body image and was bigger than she thought she was. Then came the complicated relationships and more life issues, and something just snapped.
She gave up on yo-yo diets and stuck to healthy eating and exercise—a powerful combo when it comes to weight loss. Then she started her Revenge Body with Khloe Kardashian where she urged others to reach her goals, while showing how she managed to reach hers. Her personal trainer said that Khloe’s secret to success is her work ethic, it’s second to none. She’s very determined and works hard to achieve her goals.
During her second pregnancy, she gained weight and was 204 lbs after giving birth. But she managed to lose 60 lbs by 2020 during the pandemic, and she’s been looking snatched ever since. Kind of makes you want to have her as your personal trainer, doesn’t it?
