When it comes to celebrities and weight loss, people tend to be caught up and obsessed over getting the latest scoop on how they did it. Usually, the same people often find themselves trying to follow the same path as these celebrities in order to shed a few extra pounds.
Remember Kelly Clarkson? The former American Idol winner that’s now a singer and daytime talk show host, known for hits like ‘Since U Been Gone’. She has become an internet sensation with multiple reports about her most recent body transformation.
Having been in the public eye throughout her career, it’s no surprise that when the singer lost weight, it became a topic of widespread speculation. Deciding to be open and candid, Kelly has finally shared the secrets behind her remarkable transformation.
How Much Weight Did Kelly Clarkson Lose?
Previously in 2018, Kelly Clarkson made headlines after a shocking weight loss transformation, losing 37 pounds. While she hasn’t revealed the amount of weight lost this time, her transformation has resulted in many speculating about the use of Ozempic. Ozempic, initially designed as an injection for managing type 2 diabetes, has gained infamy as a weight loss aid for celebrities.
However, the singer denies the use of Ozempic and instead shared about how she “dropped weight”.
The Start Of Her Weight-Loss Journey
Kelly first revealed her weight loss on The Kelly Clarkson Show, on January 29. On the show, she mentioned a health scare that she had which became the turning point of her weight loss journey. When she initially received a pre-diabetic diagnosis from her doctors, it didn’t come off as a shock or a wake-up call for her. Kelly knew that was a tiny bit overweight, above the normal.
Kelly believed that it was okay, explaining that, “They were like, ‘You’re pre-diabetic. You’re right on the borderline.’ And I was like, ‘But I’m not there yet,” she said jokingly. “And then I waited two years and then I was like OK, I’ll do something about it.”
Kelly only started to take her wellness seriously upon making her mind up about it.
What Changes Did She Make?
Kelly cited several factors that have contributed to her weight loss such as exercising, eating healthier and other techniques. Here are some of the changes that she mentioned on her show.
Walking
Upon relocating to New York City, Kelly found herself in the position of needing to walk more in order to get to places. Kelly claims that walking in the city turned out to be ‘quite the workout’ for her. With this increased physical activity, she was ultimately able to lose weight.
Walking is an underrated exercise that no one really talks about when it comes to exercising for weight loss. Walking contributes to weight loss because it increases the amount of energy that you lose in a day. The more energy that you need to use, the more calories that you burn.
A 2015 review also estimates that walking for at least 300 minutes/week combined with a change in eating habits can result in weight loss.
Eating A Healthy Mix Of Foods
Besides walking as an exercise, Kelly has also made changes to her diet. Now, she tries to eat a healthy mix of foods in her diet and focuses on eating more protein. On why she consumes a protein-rich diet, she reveals that “I’m a Texas girl, so I like meat—sorry, vegetarians in the world!”
Although she is following a diet, Kelly still makes it a point to indulge in occasional treats such as frozen yogurt and snacks.
Cold Plunges
Besides the above-mentioned, Kelly also talks about introducing cold plunges and infrared saunas into her new lifestyle. According to her, the reason why she started decided to get a cold plunge was that people were ‘wearing her down’.
But it’s not just Kelly Clarkson who does cold plunges. In fact, it is popular among athletes and fitness enthusiasts. Cold plunges are said to have many health benefits such as relieving sore muscles, reducing stress and boosting metabolism [2].
Infrared Saunas
Infrared saunas were the other practice that Kelly has been really into. According to studies, infrared saunas can help to boost heart health and reduce blood pressure. As your body reacts to the heat of the sauna, you will start to form beads of sweat and an increase in heart rate. This mimics the act of physical exercise thus, making it beneficial for one’s health.
Other benefits also include pain relief, soothing of muscles, achieving better sleep and relaxation.
On Keeping A Healthy Mindset About Weight Loss
Another factor that has allowed Kelly to lose the weight and maintain it, is by keeping a healthy mindset. While Kelly has said that she loves losing weight, she also had times when she would much rather prefer being heavier. Having dealt with scrutiny over her weight in the past and mental health struggles, she wasn’t always the most confident.
However, going to therapy and hearing a fresh perspective from a mental health expert was what helped her to gain back that self-confidence and self-acceptance.
Summary
Overall, it is amazing to see celebrities like Kelly Clarkson being transparent about their weight loss and advocating positive lifestyle changes. The reality is that beyond the glitz and glam of Hollywood, celebrities are the same as any of us.
Rather than obsessing and idolizing our favorite celebrities, we should only take their experience as a form of inspiration and empowerment to start our own journey towards a healthier lifestyle.
Other Resources
For more weight-loss-related content, check out these resources:
How did Kelly Clarkson lose her weight so fast?
Did Kelly Clarkson take Ozempic?
Beever R. (2009). Far-infrared saunas for treatment of cardiovascular risk factors: summary of published evidence. Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien, 55(7), 691–696.
Gordon, S. (2024) What is Cold Plunging? [online]. Available at: https://www.health.com/cold-plunging-8424040
Hirsch, C. (2019) Meet the doctor behind Usher’s and Kelly Clarkson’s weight loss [online]. Available at: https://pagesix.com/2019/05/28/meet-the-doctor-behind-usher-and-kelly-clarksons-weight-loss/
Trolle Lagerros Y. (2015). Aerobic physical activity and dietary advice advocated in obesity and overweight. Lakartidningen, 17(112), DRAL. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26574810/