Oprah Winfrey has been quite vocal about her deeply personal weight loss journey.
In the late 1980s, she lost a significant amount of weight on a liquid diet, which made her transformation famous on television.
She later admitted, “I starved myself for four months… and what I learned is that starving yourself is not the way to lose weight.”
Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Oprah repeatedly lost weight and gained it back. Acknowledging the emotional roots of her struggle, she said, “I’ve tried every diet… and what I know for sure is that diets don’t work.” These experiences led her to move away from restrictive diets and toward sustainable lifestyle changes.
In 2015, Oprah joined Weight Watchers (WW), marking a turning point in her approach. Emphasizing balance rather than deprivation, she famously declared, “I love bread,” emphasizing that no food needs to be completely restricted.
In recent years, the talk show host has reframed weight management as a medical problem rather than a personal failing.
In 2023, she revealed that she was taking a GLP-1 receptor agonist drug (such as Ozempic or Wegovy) as part of her weight loss health plan. About this shift, she said, “I now use it as I feel I need to, as a tool to keep me from yo-yoing.”
She has also been candid about the challenges of maintaining weight loss without medication, acknowledging, “If I stop taking the meds, I’ll gain the weight back.”
In addition to physical changes, Oprah Winfrey has emphasized the importance of emotional and mental well-being.
She explained: “For me it’s not about the weight… it’s about being healthy and strong.” Her journey now focuses on self-awareness, balance and overall well-being.
