The former “Steps” member, Claire Richards had always struggled with keeping weight off and yo-yo dieting. Her struggle began back in her “Steps,” days when she felt she had to do everything to stay skinny. She admits having an eating disorder. However, when the band split, she began gaining weight. She has gained and loss between 50-80 pounds a shocking 6 times. However, after she had her third child in 2013, she decided to begin a new weight loss journey. She has since lost over 80 pounds!
After publicly announcing her diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, in January 2012, she decided it was time to make a lifestyle change. The TV chef began walking regularly on the treadmill and followed a meal plan. She didn’t want to “diet,” as she has an extreme love for food. She continues to eat the many foods she adores, but just in moderation. She’s lost a total of over 40 pounds. In 2015, she released a low-fat cookbook “Paula Deen Cuts the Fat: 250 Recipes Lightened Up,” to share with the world some her weight loss recipe favorites.
Actress and comedian, Mo’Nique decided to shed some weight, beginning in 2012, after she hit 300 pounds. She changed her diet and added exercise to her daily routine. She likes to do a mix of exercises including lifting weights, yoga, swimming, hiking, and boxing. In June 2016, she celebrated her 100 pound loss by posting a picture of herself in a bathing suit on the beach with friends. She also uses her social media to document her weight loss journey and inspire her fans.
Ricki Lake’s weight has yo-yoed ever since she was first introduced to the public, as Tracy Turnblad in “Hairspray,” in 1988. Her first big weight loss of 100 pounds, she admits was not healthy. She was eating very little and exercising daily. She eventually changed her unhealthy lifestyle and, after gaining a few pounds, learned how to maintain her weight in a healthy way. In 2011, she lost nearly 30 pounds while participating in the TV show “Dancing with the Stars.”
In order to truly portray the ballet culture, Natalie Portman lost 20 pounds in order to play a professional ballerina in “Black Swan.” She saw a nutritionist and ate very small portions of food that would metabolize quickly. She worked out with strength training and practicing her ballet technique a whole year before she started filming. Her performance as the prima ballerina landed her an Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role.
