No matter how motivated someone is to lose weight and get fit, it can be a long and difficult journey — especially for those who live in the public eye while it's happening. But there are so many celebrity weight loss stories that are truly inspiring, if for no other reason than it reminds us of what we can accomplish as people when we put our minds to it. Don't get us wrong, everyone should be whatever size they feel most comfortable. But for some of these stars, that means hitting the gym and changing the way they eat (or even going under the knife) and many of them have seriously buckled down and put in the work.
Over the years, we've seen a lot of stars drop pounds, whether they're doing it to get ready for a role in a movie or just for themselves. Recently, Adele's major transformation has been the one causing people to do a double take when they see her on stage, but she's hardly the first celeb to do it.
There have been a number of celebrity weight loss stories over the years, and these are definitely enough to motivate us to hit the gym next time we need a little kick in the pants. Read on to find out how some of our favorite stars shed the pounds. Many of them seem so proud of the way they prioritized their health, and we love seeing how happy they are today because of that.
Adele
Since her split from Simon Konecki, Adele has been keeping busy, including in the fitness department. As she told British Vogue in 2021, she works out "two to three times a day" while keeping on top of her workout routine, even admitting that she had become "addicted."
Simon Cowell
Former American Idol judge Simon Cowell has made quite a transformation. According to what he told The Sun in 2018, it was all thanks to getting a good night's sleep every night and finding a diet that worked for him.
"I got confused because there's so many different diets — I'm never going to understand what all these things are," he admitted. "Then I met this guy and he made it very basic, and I tried it, and importantly I really felt better. Once I knew I felt better then it was just easy to stick to. Everyone thought I had one of those gastric band things, but no, it really was just cutting out certain things."
Gordon Ramsay
We'd expect that cooking for a living makes it hard to avoid eating that food, but somehow, Gordon Ramsay has made it work. As he told the Daily Mail, he whipped himself into shape and lost more than 50 pounds all because he was worried he could lose his wife, Tana, if he didn't.
"Tana was not impressed with the way I was," he said. "I was overweight, 18 stone [over 250 pounds]. I looked like a sack of s—. I look at the pictures and think, 'How did Tana stay around?' Because Tana has got better-looking and more gorgeous."
Tyler Baltierra
Teen Mom OG star Tyler Baltierra has been candid on Instagram about his weight loss and fitness journey. When he shared this progress photo in 2018, he opened up about how he did it in his caption.
"208lbs to 165lbs!" he wrote. "I've been eating healthy for about 7 months (no processed foods/low carbs/no sugar) but I've only been working out for 3 of those months & I'm finally starting to see results from it!"
'Mama June' Shannon
Fans watched as 'Mama June' Shannon lost 300 pounds between the time she starred on Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and today. While on Mama June: From Not to Hot, fans watched as she underwent gastric sleeve surgery to help her shed pounds. And when her journey was complete, she showed off her slimmed-down figure in a new red dress. Though Mama June has since been struggling to keep off the weight, her transformation definitely turned heads.
Snooki
Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi has come a long way since we first met her on Jersey Shore. She dropped more than 40 pounds after giving birth to her first baby in 2012, and in an interview with People, she said getting fit for her three kids is her No. 1 motivation.
"Even though I want to be healthy for myself and it feels great to be healthy, I mainly want to do it for my kids," she explained. "I just really want to be a fit mom. I want to be able to keep up with them, run after them."
Jordin Sparks
A few years ago, singer Jordin Sparks lost more than 50 pounds, and she told Today that after her health was in bad shape, she decided she never wanted to feel that way again and started taking "baby steps" toward living a healthier life.
"Just doing baby steps and getting more into physical activity and then eventually I found a trainer," she said of the process. "And I've just been trying to keep it up. It's a day-by-day thing. It's been a year and a half, and I feel good."
Ryan Lochte
Sharing these before and after photos on Instagram, Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte revealed two months worth of progress as he prepared to compete once again.
"I've adjusted my diet and upgraded my fitness routine and I'm down 21 pounds since Nationals in August!" he wrote in October 2019. "Not only is it my goal to make my 5th Olympics but it would be an honor to represent USA in Tokyo next summer!"
He didn't qualify for the 2020 Olympics, but says he's still planning to swim competitively.
Joe Giudice
When Real Housewives of New Jersey star Joe Giudice was finally released from ICE in October 2019, he looked much different when he resurfaced on his daughter Gia's Instagram Story. It looks like Joe took the time to get in shape while he was being detained — and all the stress he's been under probably also led to some weight loss. He looks so good!
Jenna Jameson
Jenna Jameson has been all about keeping fans updated about her fitness quest on her Instagram account, including stunning before and after photos like these. In this post, she encouraged her followers to find motivation and happiness. Looks like both of those things have been working well for her!
Kevin Smith
After he had a heart attack in 2018, director Kevin Smith took it as his cue to get healthy. He used Weight Watchers to cut the pounds, and frequently shares photos like this on his Instagram. It couldn't have been easy, but it looks like all of his effort has been worth it, especially when it comes to his health.
Jonah Hill
While talking to ABC News in 2017, Jonah said that diet had everything to do with the weight that he lost. "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 to change my habits and stuff," he admitted, according to the Mirror.
Sounds simple enough, even if changing eating habits is definitely easier said than done!
Chris Pratt
After gaining weight for his role on Parks and Recreation, Chris Pratt had to lose some pounds for Guardians of the Galaxy, which he told Men's Health was accomplished by "three or four hours a day of just consistent, a– kicking hard work." That work led to him dropping 60 pounds in just six months, which is definitely impressive. And in the process, he did it all: P90X, kickboxing, running, swimming.
Whew, we're tired just thinking about it!
Jimmy Kimmel
As late night host Jimmy Kimmel told Men's Journal, Dr. Oz let him know he needed to get healthy after he appeared on his show. And apparently, that was exactly what Jimmy needed to hear at the time to get in gear.
"I decided I was going to have two protein shakes and a very small dinner every day. I did that for eight weeks, then I switched to a strict 2,000-calorie-a-day diet," he said. "I lost 25 pounds that way. Then, for a while, I'd eat a piece of salmon daily for lunch."
He eventually settled on intermittent fasting, and so far, it sounds like that's working for him.
Miranda Lambert
In an interview with People, country queen Miranda Lambert revealed that the way she dropped 20 pounds in 2017 was actually pretty simple: portion control and working out.
"We do cardio, a lot of circuit training," she said at the time. "We do things with my body weight, like lunges. A lot of stuff with [resistance] bands. The stuff nobody loves, but it works!"
That sounds about right!
Kirstie Alley
While on Dancing With the Stars in 2011, Kirstie Alley managed to lose 100 pounds. So how did she do it? As an insider at Us Weekly told the magazine at the time, it was all about her organic diet plan. After gaining back the weight after she tried Jenny Craig, it seems like that diet was what finally worked for her.
Rebel Wilson
According to what Rebel Wilson told Women's Health, she was able to lose more than 70 pounds by eating a high-protein, low-calorie diet, while also learning how to keep her mental health in check.
"The biggest lesson I've learned is how to deal with my emotional eating, learning to process my emotions and deal with my emotions better," she said. "That's what's really changed my life for the better."
John Goodman
Former Roseanne star John Goodman has lost more than 100 pounds, and as he told ABC News in 2016, he attributed it to using the slow and steady method.
"I was just eating all the time," he said. "I was just eating alcoholically. In the old days, I would take three months out, lose 60 or 70 pounds, and then reward myself with a six-pack of Bud or whatever and just go back to my old habits. Then this time I wanted to do it slowly, move, exercise. I'm getting to the age where I can't afford to sit still anymore. And it gives me the energy to work, because work is very draining."
Jessica Simpson
Fashion mogul Jessica Simpson lost 100 pounds after giving birth to her third child, Birdie, while working with celebrity trainer Haley Pasternak. That included being mindful of what she was eating, and eventually working up to walking 14,000 steps a day to create a sustainable new lifestyle change.
Amy Schumer
In January 2022, comedian Amy Schumer took to Instagram to share her new figure, revealing that she'd had liposuction — and she wasn't afraid to admit it. "Never thought I would do anything, but talk to me after your uterus doesn't contract for 2.5 years and you turn 40," she quipped in her caption.
