The Most Stunning Weight-Loss Transformations Hollywood Has Seen

When it comes to weight loss, stars really are just like us. As people in Hollywood know, the subject of their weight is often a big topic, sparking countless articles and tabloid features. And it can be frustrating to carry on a few extra pounds when it affects your quality of life. So for a variety of reasons, health being a major one, a number of plus-sized celebrities have made big transformations in their bodies. Each of them has followed her own path, but all are pretty amazing. Like for Shonda Rhimes — learning how saying yes to things helped her change her body. And for Rosie O'Donnell — she got a real wake-up call thanks to a major health issue. Oprah Winfrey says she has "finally made peace with food." Read on to see how these celebs changed their lives.

Shonda Rhimes said yes to getting healthy

TV producer Shonda Rhimes decided to change her life after her sister Delores confronted her in 2013, saying, "You never say yes to anything." Those words were the basis of the Grey's Anatomy creator's best-selling book The Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person, where Rhimes started to change that way of living.

Rhimes told Oprah Winfrey on the show Super Soul Sunday in 2015 (via Parade) that she thought at the time: "I really need to start saying yes to the things that scare me. If I never say yes to anything, I need to start saying yes to things that I would always say no to automatically." So one thing that was important for the mother of three to say yes to, she said, was good health, so that she could be there for her kids.

And her eventual weight loss of over 127 pounds was she called a "byproduct" of saying yes, and also of "having an epiphany," she said. "I work so hard at everything that I do. I work my butt off at work and I work hard at being a mother, why do I think losing weight would be easy?" Just realizing that made a big difference for her. Rhimes also acknowledged that she wouldn't like it, telling Extra (via Popcrush), "I changed everything I ate — and I hated all of that — and then I hate exercising and I did that, too. I hated it the whole time." She admitted she still hates it, but she keeps on track for her health and for her family.

Melissa McCarthy wants to dress women of every size

Actress Melissa McCarthy has been making people laugh for years on the TV show Mike & Molly and in movies like Bridesmaids and Spy. She has also been what Refinery29 calls a "role model" for plus-sized women. But she told the website in a 2016 interview, "It never occurs to me in terms of being a role model, though, because I don't know any perfect women. If I, off the top of my head, name 20 of the most amazing women in my life, it's all shapes, sizes, ages, colors, jobs." Besides, as this Hollywood insider knows, even the perfect are not so perfect. "I know some of those women in those magazines who get called perfect or whose butt is supposedly better," she shared, "and often they don't even look like that in person."

As of this writing, the Ghostbusters actress has lost a significant amount of weight that In Touch Weekly estimated to be 75 pounds, although McCarthy has not revealed the exact number. When Refinery29 asked her about it, she shared, "I have, but I'll be back again. I'll be up, I'll be down, probably for the rest of my life. The thing is, if that is the most interesting thing about me, I need to go have a lavender farm in Minnesota and give this up. There has to be something more."

In 2014, McCarthy started a fashion line for women of all sizes. She told WWD that she has been "every size on the planet," noting, " I have experience dressing me as a 6, a 12 and more. And when you go above a size 12, you don't lose your love of fashion."

Kirstie Alley is in an on-off relationship with Jenny Craig

Actress Kirstie Alley once got up to 219 pounds, but she was in a little bit of denial over her weight loss until the tabloids not-so-helpfully pointed it out to her. "Honestly, I didn't know how fat I was," she said on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2004. "Thanks to the tabloids I went, 'Damn, girl, you're fat!'" Ultimately, Alley lost 75 pounds, and kept a promise she made to come back on Oprah and wear a bikini, albeit with some pantyhose under it.

Alley "broke up" with Jenny Craig shortly after that. Unfortunately, within a few years, she had gained all the weight back and then some. Then she started her own weight loss company, Organic Liaison, lost 100 pounds, and went on Dancing With the Stars in 2011. But, according to an interview with People magazine, Alley found herself getting back together with Jenny Craig in 2014 after she put on 30 pounds.

"I love that you have a consultant," Alley told People. "It's like being an athlete. No athlete is going to do well without having a coach. We have to equate that to life." By 2017, Alley had lost a total of 50 pounds, and has kept it off. She revealed to People in January 2017 that she avoided her three top trigger foods, cheese, linguini with clam sauce, and sugar cookies, watched her calories, and kept up with exercise. And she's still enjoying life. "I can have anything I want, I'm just counting the calories," she noted.

Slow and steady works for Wendy Williams

Daytime talk show host Wendy Williams has struggled with weight all of her life. The divisive television personality told People magazine, "My first diet was in the first grade! Tuna fish and mustard with yogurt on the side. Weight was a big thing for me to overcome." The host gradually shed 50 pounds over three years and kept it off. "Slow and steady is the name of the game," she shared. "It's not going to happen overnight. I no longer believe in fad diets, crash diets. I don't believe in diet pills. I don't want my heart to race and pop out of my chest."

Williams said she no longer eats meat. She also works out regularly, saying, "I go to the gym because it's not about me losing weight at this point, it's about me trying to fight heart disease."

She talked to E! News in 2017 about her fitness journey and how her fans inspired her. "I did it on my own and I love it because I no longer have to do that fight with clothing. 'Wah, wah, wah, I don't wanna wear sleeveless... does this make my butt look big?'" she noted. "Those things get in the way of being a good host for the people." Now she's feeling great about herself in segments like gossiping with Shady Shallon.

The host also said she prioritizes eating breakfast now. "I've learned to be extremely healthy regarding morning eating," now choosing things like green juices and fruits. "I was doing it all wrong before."

​Lena Dunham has no use for tabloid coverage of her weight loss​

Actress/writer Lena Dunham is very philosophical about her weight and how it relates to her happiness — or not. "I feel I've made it pretty clear over the years that I don't give even the tiniest of s**** what anyone else feels about my body," Dunham said on her Instagram account in 2017. "I've gone on red carpets in couture as a size 14.... I've accepted that my body is an ever-changing organism, not a fixed entity—what goes up must come down and vice versa. I smile just as wide no matter my current size because I'm proud of what this body has seen and done and represented."

She has worked out with celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson, but told People that it was about wanting to be healthier and stronger, not thinner. "I came to her and was like, 'I have endometriosis, I have chronic physical pain, I just want to feel stronger. I just want to have a stronger core, I want to feel like I have more power throughout my day, how do I get there?'"

Dunham did lose some weight in 2017, and, when she showed up on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (via Self) with a slimmer body, she talked about how she got called names for losing weight. "I had this experience of my body changing and suddenly I got all these people being like, 'You're a hypocrite! I thought you were body positive! I thought you were a person who embraces bodies of all sizes!,'" she said. She replied, "I do, I just understand bodies change." 

Dunham later mocked tabloid coverage of her weight loss, insisting that her "20 slimdown tips" came from things like health issues and stress, as well as "marching your ass off" and "a quiet rage that replaces need for food with need for revenge." She may have lost weight, but she hasn't lost her sense of humor.

A heart attack was Rosie O'Donnell's wakeup call

Comedian and former talk show host Rosie O'Donnell struggled with her weight her entire life. She said on The Dr. Oz Show in 2015 (via ABC News) that she had even tried the vegan diet that former president Bill Clinton lost weight on, but "I just couldn't do it" over the long haul. Finally, a heart attack when she was 50 made her consider gastric bypass surgery.

O'Donnell then got the gastric sleeve procedure in 2013 and started to lose weight. But she acknowledged that weight loss wasn't a panacea for her real-life problems. "It's not like all of a sudden you change and, boom, you lose the weight, everything's fine, you got on a size 10, life is great. You're having amazing sex. Nothing is wrong. It doesn't work that way," she told Dr. Oz. "So all of the stuff that you carry with you as a heavy person in the world will still be there when you're a thin person in the world." To that end, she decided to alleviate stress and ended her time on The View, as well as her two-year marriage to Michelle Rounds.

By 2014, O'Donnell had lost over 50 pounds. "In my opinion, [this surgery is] something that needs a little more attention for people who have suffered with morbid obesity their whole lives," she told People. "This has really, really helped [me]." but added that the surgery was "not a magic pill." She also said she was happy she got the surgery to help her health. Fortunately, she's been doing great.

Jennifer Hudson doesn't let pancakes intimidate her

Singer/actress Jennifer Hudson is known for her 80-pound weight loss nearly as much as she is known for winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the 2006 film Dreamgirls, a role she had to gain 20 pounds for. She initially started to lose weight for the title role in the 2011 film Winnie Mandela. "Whatever it takes to morph into the character, I'll do it," she told People. However, she shared, "I wasn't going to starve myself for anyone."

Hudson first hired Harley Pasternak, a top celeb trainer. Then she started doing Weight Watchers. Hudson admitted that she had tried to diet in the past, but this time it took thanks to it being less restrictive. She also started working out regularly. In 2014, when she stopped doing the ads, she said, "My experience with Weight Watchers has truly been life changing. I am grateful for what I have learned throughout the process and will always take it with me."

And she's also managed to keep the weight off. JHud explained one of her secrets to Yahoo! Style, "I throw the pancakes across the room! I don't let the food intimidate me," she said. "If it's too much, I just get rid of it, but I make sure to watch what I put in my body. And I make sure I know what it is. It's all about portions for the most part. I don't work out a lot, but I do like to be active." She does admit to still indulging on chocolate. "I always have to have chocolate around — it's my cigarette," she shared. "I don't smoke, but it calms me so well."

Gabourey Sidibe rides a tricycle for fun

Since she rose to fame in the 2009 film Precious, Gabourey Sidibe has seemed very comfortable in her own skin and with her weight, although she points out that "it's not easy." She admitted in a speech (via Vulture) that "It's hard to get dressed up for award shows and red carpets when I know I will be made fun of because of my weight." And the comments on social media can be very vicious. "There's always a big chance if I wear purple, I will be compared to Barney. If I wear white, a frozen turkey. And if I wear red, that pitcher of Kool-Aid that says, 'Oh, yeah!'" she noted. Harsh.

But when she found out that she had type-2 diabetes at age 32, Sidibe knew she had to change her life. She quietly got bariatric surgery in 2016 and has been on a weight loss journey ever since. 

"I just didn't want to worry," Sidibe told People about her health. "I truly didn't want to worry about all the effects that go along with diabetes. I genuinely [would] worry all the time about losing my toes."

She hasn't yet revealed how much she has lost, but she has shed a good amount of weight so far. "The surgery wasn't the easy way out," she notes. "I wasn't cheating by getting it done. I wouldn't have been able to lose as much as I've lost without it." She's also started working out, eating better, and even riding an adult tricycle!

Ricki Lake has mixed emotions on weight loss

Actress and former talk show host Ricki Lake shot to fame in John Waters' 1988 movie Hairspray. She got the part because she was overweight. "Being fat worked, and I think that was what was confusing for me for a long time in my career," she told ABC News. She said that she had put on the weight in the first place because of being "sexually abused as a child." She said "it was my way of, you know, protecting myself, I think," she shared, "and maybe stuffing my feelings with food."

When she reached 260 pounds and her acting roles dried up, she decided to take drastic measures. "I was starving myself. I mean, it was really not the way to do it, which is why I continue to say I'm not an expert on weight." But it did relaunch her career. She got her own talk show and more acting roles. And she kept the weight off for a long time. "To have almost 130 pounds on top, I mean, almost twice what I weigh, I can't fathom what that feels like today," she said. "Being a size 6 feels better than being a size 24."

But the struggle continued for her. After being thin for over a decade, she started putting on weight, but then lost it in a more healthy way while filming Dancing With the Stars in 2011. Lake still continues to battle with her weight, and explained her struggle to Oprah Winfrey in 2015 on Where Are They Now?. "I became famous for being a certain size, and I was a role model for so many young women. But I loved when I lost weight and felt good about my body. I loved telling the world!" Lake shared. "At the same time, I felt like I was perpetuating this obsession that we have with weight." She noted, "You're damned if you do, you're damned if you don't."

Oprah Winfrey's struggle shows what women in Hollywood face

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most accomplished women in the world. The billionaire talk show host/actress/mogul has been living her best life, as she would say, for decades. But as powerful as she is, she still has had issues with food. Winfrey wrote about it in Food, Health and Happiness, her 2017 cookbook. Winfrey shared that her "powerful need to please everybody on a never-ending basis" led her on the road to weight gain. Even when she became famous as the host of The Oprah Winfrey Show, she had to deal with Joan Rivers asking her about her weight on The Tonight Show. How embarrassing.

She admitted, "When I feel emotionally depleted or deprived, when I'm overwhelmed by life's pressures, food has always been my drug of choice — the way alcohol or gambling or shopping might be for someone else. But none of these are fixes," she noted. "They're all just empty promises. They don't actually fill you up inside. They're like junk food for the soul." It's humbling to know that the most powerful woman in American feels that way — sharing the struggle that millions of women in this country face as well.

In 2015, Winfrey bought a share of Weight Watchers and finally started changing her thinking about food for good. "When I manage to nourish myself with the stuff that really matters, food tends to be much less complicated," she writes. "These are the moments when I'm just genuinely hungry for a wonderful meal, a good sipping tequila, and a long talk with a few old friends." She told People in 2017 that she had lost 42.5 pounds on the Weight Watchers plan, saying, "I finally made peace with food."

Mama June turned her weight loss into a reality show

When we first met reality star Mama June during her Here comes Honey Boo Boo and Toddlers and Tiaras days, part of her hilarious appeal was her laid back relationship to food. She was overweight and she knew it — according to E! News, Mama June weighed 460 pounds at her heaviest. But in 2017, she started a new reality TV venture in an attempt to get healthy and lose weight. Her show Mama June: From Not to Hot followed her weight loss journey through a gastric sleeve surgery and skin removal surgery along with a new diet and exercise plan. In an interview with Wendy Williams, Mama June revealed that she lost over 300 pounds (and spent $75,000 on it along the way).

Rebel Wilson tried a weight loss retreat

Rebel Wilson, whose character in Pitch Perfect is typically referred to simply as "Fat Amy," told The Telegraph that when she first started out in the entertainment industry, she noticed that being fat somehow earned more laughs from the audience. "I saw my size as being an advantage," she said. 

However, she told Cosmopolitan in 2015 that she's committed to living a healthier lifestyle. "Living in LA you learn a lot about health. I now drink green juices and I'm trying to do gluten-free." In 2016, she even attended a fitness retreat where she lost eight pounds in just four days. She's not too strict on herself, though, and says she realizes she'll never be that stick thin woman on the screen. "I wouldn't ever want to compete with what I call 'the glamours' — the really gorgeous people. I'm about the brain, the heart and what's on the inside. I feel really lucky to be the body type I am," she told Cosmo.

Chris Pratt put in hard work at the gym

Actor Chris Pratt rose to fame as the chunky Andy Dwyer in Parks and Recreation — a role that he actually purposely gained weight for. "I would eat four burgers at every read. I became really fat and got up to almost 300lbs," he revealed to Men's Health in 2015. But then, when he starred in Guardians of the Galaxy, he showcased a thinner, fitter figure thanks to a strict diet and workout regimen. According to Pratt, the secret to his weight loss is moderation. "I keep close to what I need to be, but I have to live my life as well," he said during a press event for Guardians of the Galaxy.

Jonah Hill turned to his actor friends for inspiration

Funny man Jonah Hill's weight loss journey has seen tons of ups and downs over the years. When he appeared in 2007's Superbad, he was definitely on the heavier side. His weight loss journey reportedly began in 2011 when he was working on the set of Moneyball. Hill later spoke out about his weight loss to ABC News revealing, "It was mostly diet. I wish there was some crazy thing that I did, like a pill or a genie or something, but I went to see a nutritionist, and he told me what to eat and to change my habits and stuff."

In 2016, Hill faced a setback when he gained weight for his role in War Dogs. But now, Hill is looking better than ever — and this time, he has his actor friend Channing Tatum to thank. Hill told Jimmy Fallon that he called Tatum and asked him, "If I eat less and go to a trainer, will I get, like, in good shape?" To which Tatum apparently replied, "Of course you will."

Kelly Osbourne danced the weight off

Kelly Osbourne has spent much of her life in the public eye, thanks to her famous dad and her family's MTV reality show. For her, life in front of the cameras wasn't easy, especially when the media focused on her weight. "Having your local radio station talking about how fat you are? It really hurt," she told People. She turned to drugs to numb the pain, but, luckily, she attended rehab in 2009. Once she left rehab, however, she told Shape that instead of drugs she turned to food. 

But when she appeared on a season of Dancing With The Stars later that year, she says her partner helped her get her health on track. "He made me eat turkey burgers and salads and explained to me that a high-protein, low-carb diet would keep me energized," she revealed. "Then I started losing weight and realized, 'Oh, it's true what they say: Diet and exercise really work!'"

Here's how Jordin Sparks dropped 50 pounds in 18 months

When Jordin Sparks won Season 6 of American Idol, the singer was a mere 17 years old. It's easy to imagine someone so young might not be prepared to put their wellbeing first in the face of newfound celebrity (and a hectic touring schedule). 

Fast forward to a few years later, when Sparks realized she simply wasn't healthy. "I had gotten really sick," she told Today's Jenna Bush Hager in 2014. "I was about to celebrate my birthday and I was like, I should be in the prime of my life right now. I shouldn't be feeling like this. I really need to make my health a priority." So, that's precisely what she did. By "eating less and exercising more," Sparks dropped 50 pounds in 18 months, and has kept it off. 

According to her trainer, David Ashley, the singer stays on track with 30-minute workouts — at a high-intensity level. "The high-intensity training spikes the metabolism," Ashley revealed to E! News in 2014. "The metabolism is still spiked for the next 24-hours; we are creating that metabolic consistent."  

Zach Galifianakis' weight loss secret? Cut the alcohol and fast food

Since first making his mark on Hollywood in 2001 with comedic fare like Out Cold, Zach Galifianakis has capitalized on his shtick as the kinda chubby but oddly charming (and funny!) friend. But in 2013, it became apparent the hilarious actor had started dropping pounds. By 2017, his dramatically slimmed-down physique on award show red carpets had everyone doing a double-take. 

Galifianakis hasn't divulged just how much weight he's lost, although Muscle and Fitness guesstimates it's somewhere around 50 or 60 pounds. However, Conan O'Brien apparently has the magic touch when it comes to getting Galifianakis to talk. In 2013, when the late-night host commented on Galifianakis' new look, Galifianakis said, "I stopped drinking and I just, kind of, put the weight off. I was having a lot of vodka with sausage... delicious, but bad for you." 

Then, in 2016, Galifianakis jokingly told O'Brien he'd "had a lot of plastic surgery" before admitting, "I tend not to eat food advertised on television. Fast food you can't do. You have to eat whole grains and that kind of stuff. And you have to cut out whipped cream pizzas." Sounds like he was drawing inspiration from the TMNT on that last one.

Khloe Kardashian doesn't think of herself as the chubby one anymore

As Khloé Kardashian shared on Instagram in 2017, she always considered herself the "chubby one" of the Kardashian-Jenner clan. Shedding that image (along with weight) proved to be a very personal journey for Kardashian — one which, naturally, played out in the public eye.

"It started around 2012. I was having a hard time with [then-husband] Lamar [Odom]. It was toward the end of our union, and there was so much drama. I needed a release," she told Women's Health in 2015 about her foray into fitness. "At first it was so hard. It was baby steps, but I started feeling so much better."

Kardashian maintains her healthier lifestyle through lots of hard work, telling People she works out with a trainer "five days a week" and does cardio on the weekends. She also practices portion control and drinks "like 5 liters of water" every day. Clearly, whatever Kardashian is doing is working. Bonus? She turned her transformation into a show on E! called Revenge Body (we see what you did there, KoKo), which helps others reach their full fitness potential. 

John Goodman's weight loss meant 100 less pounds on the Conners' iconic sofa

During Roseanne's original TV run from 1988 to 1997, Roseanne Barr and John Goodman played a blue-collar couple who, like many of us, packed on a few extra pounds over the years. They were a pair of lovable couch potatoes. So when the series was rebooted in 2018, fans couldn't help but notice that Goodman wasn't taking up nearly as much space on the Conners' iconic sofa. 

Of his 100-plus-pound weight loss, Goodman told AARP in March of 2018, "It was basically just portion control, and 'I don't need it.' I was just shoving everything into my mouth. But I don't want to be an example to anybody when the weight comes thundering back on — when I start eating Crisco out of the can with a spoon and a side of confectioner's sugar." 

Don't let his modesty fool you, though. Goodman works hard to maintain his healthier self, working out six days a week and avoiding sugar in his diet. Per the actor's trainer, Mackie Shilstone, it's unlikely Goodman will revert to his old ways. "He remembers what it feels like to be extremely heavy and it's something he doesn't want again," Shilstone told People

Raven-Symoné lost the weight, then missed it

Raven-Symoné made her television debut as precocious Olivia on The Cosby Show at the tender age of three, and she's since been surrounded by people directing her — not just on set, but also regarding her lifestyle choices. In 2011, the star opened up to People about her 70-pound weight loss, revealing that she's been told to slim down "ever since I was very young."

Still, Raven-Symoné insists that she feels confident at any size. "People say, 'You look so pretty!' But I was pretty before," the body-positive star told the outlet, adding, "Whether or not I'm this size, I always preached, 'Be comfortable with yourself,' and I will preach that forever." 

That's not to say Raven-Symoné doesn't try to hold onto a happy medium somewhere between her former fuller figure and her dramatic weight loss. "I was proud at the time. I was. And I am," the Raven's Home star told Oprah in 2015 (via Huffington Post) of her body. "I love my thicky, thicky self. But now that I lost weight, it's like, 'OK, wait, let me go back in the gym and get it together.'"

Al Roker made major lifestyle changes

In his memoir Never Goin' Back: Winning the Weight Loss Battle for Good, Al Roker admitted that his "weight will continue to be a lifelong battle," but he admitted that he is "prepared to face it head-on and slay the dragon." At his heaviest, the Today show host and weatherman weighed 340 pounds, as noted by Parade. In 2002, he opted for bariatric surgery. Eight months later, Roker was a hundred pounds lighter. Despite his initial dramatic weight loss, Roker ended up regaining most of the weight he'd shed over a five-year period. Still, he didn't give up. 

In late 2008, he caught up with a friend who'd lost a significant amount of weight with the help of a nutritionist. Roker decided to meet with said nutritionist — a decision he now dubs "fate." Roker told Parade, "For the first time, I realized that I had to change not only the quantity but the quality of food that I was eating. Even more importantly, exercise has finally become a big part of my life." In 2019, Roker also credited the keto diet with helping him stave off weight gain (via Today).

Mo'Nique put in the work

Comedian and actress Mo'Nique took to Instagram in March 2018 with a big personal announcement. "Since I've been 17 years old I've been over 200 pounds. Today was the first time in my adult life that I've been under 200 pounds," she revealed. The star, who once weighed 300 pounds, also shared a picture of the reading on her scale: 198.4 pounds. 

In addition to losing an astonishing amount of weight, Mo'Nique revealed that she did so without the help of any weight-loss programs. "For me, it was with no surgery, no prepackaged foods, not listening to no spokespeople saying, 'It's easy, you can do it.' It was just putting in the work and not giving up on me," the actress told her fans. Instead, Mo'Nique turned to eating more raw food and dancing — all to give herself "a chance to live the best life [she] can live."

Drew Carey changed his whole belief system

America came to know and love Drew Carey first through his eponymous sitcom, which ran for nearly a decade beginning in the mid '90s, and then through the hilarious game show Whose Line Is It Anyway? In 2007, Carey took over for Bob Barker as the host of The Price Is Right. Despite his professional accolades, though, Carey admitted to Success that he hadn't been taking care of his health. "When I was doing [The Drew Carey Show], I was eating a lot of garbage, I was drinking a lot, so I had a lot of mood swings. I had diabetes," he explained. In 2001, the star had to undergo a coronary angioplasty, a procedure to widen narrow coronary arteries (via Mayo Clinic). 

Nine years later, Carey decided he wanted to get healthy. Not only did he lose 100 pounds, but he also was able to manage his diabetes through his eating habits. And all without fad diets. "I had to change my whole belief system. It wasn't like, Eat this for 90 days and lose 20 pounds," he explained. "It was: Eat like this for the rest of your life."

Queen Latifah is more about heart health than weight loss

Despite having been a spokesperson for Jenny Craig and losing over 20 pounds on the program, Queen Latifah revealed to People that she doesn't "really diet." The actress and rapper explained, saying, "I kind of keep everything in moderation, exercise and eat right. I eat a lot of vegetables and lean meats, and I drink a whole lot of water." However, that's not to say she never eats carb-laden meals. She told the publication, "Mac and cheese...I gotta have it!"

Latifah was nearly 40 years old by the time she started making her health a priority and, although she feels age is just a number, she admitted that she wishes she'd learned about getting healthier when she was younger. "Then I would have kicked it up a lot sooner," the star divulged.

Latifah is also focused on heart health. When speaking with Essence in 2017, she revealed that her own mother had been diagnosed with heart failure. After the initial shock of her mom's diagnosis, Latifah decided to become an advocate and campaign spokesperson for the American Heart Association in an effort to help other women pursue heart health.

Graham Elliot is now the skinny chef

"Never trust a skinny chef" is an old adage, but is it accurate? According to celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, it's "BS." He told Insider that you can "trust a skinny chef because you know they haven't indulged and eaten everything." Ramsay added, "It's the customers that should be eating, you should be tasting, staying fit and in front of your brigade, to set an example."

Masterchef judge Graham Elliot, however, embarked on his weight-loss journey not to be a more trustworthy chef, but for his family — specifically, his children, as reported by People. In 2013, at nearly 400 pounds, Elliot underwent a sleeve gastrectomy, a weight-loss surgery in which a large part of the stomach is removed. Less than one year later, Elliot shed one third of his overall weight and lowered both his blood pressure and cholesterol levels, according to Express. He's also adjusted the way he views eating. "I now look at food as fuel and focus on my protein intake. I'm in love with 'pure' flavours, things that are natural and delicious, minimally fussed with, that showcase the season. I combine that with portion control," he told the Mail Online (via Express).

Sherri Shepherd says her weight loss is not a fad

While losing over a hundred pounds in a short amount of time is an incredible feat, there's something to be said for getting healthy slowly. Sherri Shepherd, actress and former host of The View, revealed on Instagram that she lost 25 pounds over the course of nearly nine months. Like Al Roker, the star credits the keto diet for much of her success. In addition to losing weight, Shepherd said she has more focus, patience, energy, and "clarity of thought and mind" since cutting out sugar. "This is not a fad — it's my life that is at stake," the celeb stated. "It feels so good to feel #good."

In January 2019, Shepherd shared a video of herself with other selected to pose for a Swimsuits For All campaign. Although the star admitted she was scared to put on the suit for the world to see, she said she did so to "encourage you to run towards the very things you #fear [because] there are amazing #blessings on the other side."

Kevin Smith got healthy after a terrifying health scare

In late February 2018, filmmaker and actor Kevin Smith suffered a massive heart attack known as a widowmaker. At 256 pounds, the star knew he needed to make some changes and get healthy. By February 2019, Smith had dropped over 50 pounds, and he became an ambassador for WW (previously Weight Watchers). "I just want to stress to those out there who care, it was never about dropping the weight. I wasn't sitting there like 'I wanna look good!'" he explained to Us Weekly. "It was about 'Get this out of your system.'"

At 198 pounds, Smith told the publication, "I honestly never thought I'd get to even 200, so getting under it is crazy town." The Jay and Silent Bob actor revealed that he needed to change the way he viewed food and to stop looking to eating as a reward. And although he says he "f***ing [hates] vegetables," he's even managed to go vegan.

Kathy Bates learned the secret

At 70 years old, Oscar-winning actress Kathy Bates revealed to Us Weekly in January 2019 that she lost a whopping 60 pounds without the aid of any kind of fad diet. The star said that she simply learned how to stop eating once she was full. She explained further, saying, "My niece told me this little secret, I guess it's no secret, it's a biological thing, that at some point when you're eating, you have this involuntary sigh and that's really your brain and your stomach communicating that you've had enough." She added, "The trick is to pay attention to that and push your plate away."

That's not to say Bates' weight loss happened overnight. In fact, she said it took several years. Still, she thinks it was worth it. Her only complaint is that she wishes she'd started earlier. "I have never been in such good health," she told the publication. "I just had a physical. I'm doing great ... I feel like a completely different person."

DJ Khaled continues to lose weight on WW

"A year ago I told y'all it's coming OFF!" music producer DJ Khaled revealed on Instagram in February 2019. According to the star, he dropped 43 pounds since joining WW in January 2018. "I'm not racing! I'm not speeding! I'm cruising!" he explained to fans. Khaled shared why he initially joined forces with the popular weight-loss program in a statement provided to People at the time. "To be great is to be healthy; to be healthy means a shift in my lifestyle, and the new WW Freestyle program is all about healthier habits for my life," he revealed.

Khaled also said he joined the program in an effort to get healthy for his son, who the star referred to as "my love, my life." As of this writing, Khaled's mission is to continue his journey, as evidenced by his February 2019 Instagram post. As such, it's likely that the DJ will lose even more weight.

Drew Barrymore said losing weight was hard AF

"When I look at Instagram, I am made to think I should be at my best self," actress Drew Barrymore revealed in a since-deleted Instagram post (via Us Weekly). "But most days, I lack consistency due to real life." We hear that. The Santa Clarita Diet star continued, saying that our goals can be met "with the right people." For Barrymore, that meant trainer Marnie Alton.

Barrymore shared a photo of herself before losing 25 pounds and then a picture after dropping the weight. Although fans could easily view Barrymore's progress, Barrymore's weight loss didn't happen in the blink of an eye — and it wasn't it easy. "This takes me so much work," she revealed. "Diet and exercise and fighting like a lion for it. Damn you genetics!" Even if it was "hard AF," as Barrymore opined, the star feels it was well worth it to pursue a healthier lifestyle.