Tyra Banks
It can be easy to convince yourself that celebrities who appear to have it all don’t struggle with their weight, simply because they’re physically attractive and well… famous. But nothing could be further from the truth. Breaking news: Celebrities are actually human, and deal with many of the same issues that you, your neighbors, and your friends do.
The main difference between celebrities and “regular” people, however, is that in many cases, their livelihood depends on the maintenance of their physical appearance. For this reason, it’s always at least somewhat surprising to learn that a celebrity has “let themselves go,” or even gone out of their way to harm their appearance in the name of a method-acting pursuit.
In case you’re a visual type and would like a viewable reminder that even the most famous people in the world can have weight issues, look no further. You’ll be equal parts surprised and inspired by some of these before and after photos of your favorite famous people…
Kim Kardashian
She broke new ground by being the first African American woman to appear on the covers of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and GQ, then went on to host America’s Next Top Model for 12 years. Unhappy with her weight, she put the effort into shedding 30 pounds, but wasn’t interested in being as thin as she was a s a supermodel.
Christina Aguilera
As part of the celebrity Kardashian clan and their hit reality TV show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Kim gained 80 pounds during her second pregnancy, topping out at 200 pounds. Post-birth has seen her putting a lot of effort into losing the baby weight, and she’s come back down to 130 pounds.
Drew Carey
Rising through the ranks of child singers to become the Princess of Pop, traditionally petite Aguilera ballooned up to nearly 200 pounds after the birth of her second child. Committing herself to health and wellness, she’s since dropped more than 40 pounds and now looks better than ever.
Aubrey O’Day
After making it big with The Drew Carey Show and hosting the improv hit Whose Line Is It Anyway? Carey is now firmly established as the host of The Price is Right. Heart surgery and Type 2 diabetes however made him realize that healthy living needed to take the spotlight. Improving his diet and hitting the gym six days a week resulted in dropping 80 pounds, which cured his diabetes.
Janet Jackson
While never excessively overweight to the point of obesity, this Danity Kane singer’s weight loss has been noticeable, and she’s not shy about showing off her new beach bod.
Jonah Hill
This pop icon holds the record for the most consecutive top 10 hits of the Billboard Hot 100, making her one of the most successful artists of all time. When Jackson re-emerged in the spotlight in 2007 following an extended absence, she’d gained a lot of weight. She’s lost it all since, however, and now looks better than ever.
Queen Latifah
Hill made a name for himself as a comedic film actor, but has also taken on dramas like Moneyball and The Wolf of Wall Street. It was Brad Pitt in Moneyball who encouraged him to start losing some of his 250 pounds. A low-carb diet and workouts resulted in a shedding of 50 pounds, but as of this writing he’s unfortunately gained most of it back.
Raven Symone
This successful singer and actress wanted to set a good example for her fans by getting rid of excess weight. She lost 30 pounds using the Jenny Craig system and became a spokesperson for the company.
Jessica Simpson
A child star who got her start on The Cosby Show and went on to her own show on The Disney Channel, Symone gained a good deal of weight when she transitioned from television to the big screen and didn’t like the idea of being the object of gossip and snide remarks. She lost 70 pounds and has kept it off thanks to an improved lifestyle.
Jerry Ferrara
This pop diva was looking to shed baby weight from her second pregnancy and managed to do so, dropping 60 pounds using Weight Watchers. She’s since pivoted to a vegan diet, which has helped her lose even more weight.
Star Jones
Famous for playing the role of Turtle in HBO’s Entourage, Ferrara showed up to the first day of filming the spin-off movie a full 50 pounds lighter than when the series wrapped two years prior! It took him a year to do it, but he’s kept it off and looks great.
Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi
From New York prosecutor to NBC correspondent to nine years on The View, Jones was 300 pounds and concerned about the health effects of being morbidly obese. Gastric bypass surgery helped her lose 160 pounds and she’s kept it off by drastically improving her diet and discovering regular exercise.
Jennifer Hudson
Although the most she ever weighed was 150 pounds, she’s only 4’8” tall, which meant the former Jersey Shore star was very overweight. More recently, she’s lost just over 50 pounds by eliminating alcohol, working out regularly, and keeping an eye on calories.
Kirstie Alley
She may have come in 7th place on American Idol in 2004, but Hudson went on to become an Oscar-winning actress thanks to Dreamgirls. Becoming a Weight Watchers spokesperson in 2010, she lost 80 pounds over four years.
Zach Galifianakis
A successful movie actress who became a household name by taking a role in the sitcom Cheers from 1987-1993, Alley has seen her weight yo-yo for years. Her most recent high was 228 pounds, but she’s since been showing off a new figure after losing 50 pounds using Jenny Craig. She’s now in her mid-60’s and looking fantastic.
John Goodman
One of the funniest guys in Hollywood, Galifianakis has been working on his weight now for several years. First he stopped drinking, then improved his diet and got serious about getting more regular exercise. The result? He’s dropped 60 pounds and looks very svelte.
Oprah Winfrey
Goodman’s breakout role as an actor came in 1988 when playing Dan on Roseanne, and he went on to many more television and movie roles. Eventually tired of being cast as a “big guy,” Goodman switched up his diet and exercise routine to shed a grand total of 100 pounds, and has maintained it ever since.
Jared Leto
She’s the true queen of media, and she’s always had a tumultuous relationship with her weight, with the primary culprit being carbs – especially bread. In the 1990’s she got up to 237 pounds, dropped it back down to 160 in the early 2000’s, but then crept back up over 200. Recently, however, she shed 30 pounds using Weight Watchers.
Rosie O’Donnell
Leto has always looked sharp, except when he had to gain 60 pounds for a movie role he wanted. Don’t worry though, because he’s already lost it all and says he’s not interested in ever doing that again.
Aretha Franklin
From stand-up comedian to movie actress to daytime television host, the one constant has been O’Donnell’s struggles with her weight, topping out at 240 pounds in 2013. Realizing she wanted to be a healthier role model for her five children, she jump-started her weight loss with a gastric sleeve surgery that helped her shed 75 pounds in two years.
Christian Bale
Ranked as one of the best-selling vocal artists of all time, and the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Franklin continued to gain weight until she eventually reached over 300 pounds and a diabetes diagnosis. Cutting out fried and highly processed foods has allowed her to shed 85 pounds and counting, so far.
Matthew McConaughey
An intense actor who has appeared in many major movies, Bale has put his six-foot body through large weight fluctuations for specific roles. He gained weight to reach a 190-pound goal for Reign of Fire, then dropped 70 pounds for The Machinist, then gained 50 pounds of pure fat for American Hustle. It’s hard to say where he’ll end up next!
Mariah Carey
It was truly painful to see a normally hunky McConaughey appear in Dallas Buyers Club looking completely emaciated. He was losing 7 pounds a week to get where he wanted to be for the part by simply not eating, which unsurprisingly made him very cranky.
Chris Pratt
One of the best-selling pop singers of the 21st century, Carey went through pregnancy with twins that saw her gain 70 pounds of baby weight in 2011. She’s worked hard to lose those pounds with a combination of diet and exercise.
Tom Arnold
Pratt was given the opportunity to audition for the role of Scott Hatteberg in 2011’s Moneyball movie but was initially turned away thanks to weighing in at 280 pounds. Thanks to a Paleo diet and religious CrossFit workouts, he lost enough weight (30 pounds) to eventually land the role, then kept going to earn himself a totally ripped body, as well as the title of second-sexiest man alive by People magazine in 2014.
Jake Gyllenhaal
Carving out a successful television career for himself, Arnold was always a pretty big guy. But after becoming a father, he wanted to get healthy. He lost 100 pounds by doing some basic things – cutting carbs, counting calories, eating less, and working out at least six times a week.
Ricky Gervais
Gyllenhaal didn’t have a problem with weight but still had to lose a lot for his part in Nightcrawler. Since shooting ended, he’s wasted no time in getting back up to his preferred weight, and has regained almost all of it back.
Dr. Dre
He didn’t make it as a pop singer like he wanted, but found huge success as a British comedian who created the hit series The Office. After hosting the Golden Globes in 2011, he wanted to stop feeling so out of shape. Swearing off snacks and taking up running, he dropped 40 pounds and to this day stays motivated by looking at photos of his old self.
Wendy Williams
Rapper-turned-producer, Dre was 270 pounds in the early 2000’s. Eventually though, he became devoted to a grueling daily workout that has left him looking buff and in better shape at age 51 than most guys 20 years younger.
Kelly Osbourne
After making a name for herself as a sassy radio host, Williams went on to become a successful daytime maven with The Wendy Williams Show. In recent years she’s a full 50 pounds lighter than her younger years, thanks to conquering her love of junk food and committing to daily workouts.
Al Roker
As the daughter of the man who practically invented heavy metal, Osbourne rose to game through the hit reality show The Osbournes. She then went on Dancing with the Stars in 2009 and lost 50 pounds during the course of the season, thanks to a better diet and increased physical activity.
Ruben Studdard
America’s favorite weather anchor landed his Today show gig in 1996. He had tried in vain many times to lose weight, and finally turned to gastric bypass surgery in 2002 when he had reached 320 pounds. He dropped 100 pounds in the first eight months and another 40 after that – and he’s still keeping it off.
Seth Rogen
When Studdard won the second season of American Idol, he was a big guy: 6’3” and 462 pounds. In 2013 he was on The Biggest Loser and dropped 119 pounds. This kickstarted a weight-journey that Studdard is still on today.
Perez Hilton
Making an acting name for himself as a one of Hollywood’s funniest people, Rogen decided to get into better shape for his starring role in The Green Hornet. He went from 220 to 190 pounds, but unfortunately has since gained most of it back due to marijuana-inspired munchies.
50 Cent
Hilton built a huge following as a celebrity blogger, but all that time sitting at the computer wasn’t doing his health any favors. He got serious with cardio, cycling, and yoga to drop an impressive 70 pounds, and loves his new look.
Lauren Alaina
After dealing drugs and nearly being killed after taking nine bullets in a shooting, 50 Cent decided to make his mark in rap music and has produced six studio albums. Planning to star in his own upcoming movie, he started a strict regime of running for three hours a day and radically modifying his diet, to drop from 214 to 160 pounds in only nine weeks.
Ronnie Ortiz
After finishing second on American Idol in 2011, Alaina has produced several top 40 singles and has also decided to tackle her weight issues. She’s managed to lose a total of 40 pounds through a low-carb, high-protein diet, along with better portion control and plenty of workouts at the gym – especially squats.
Paula Deen
After starring on MTV’s Jersey Shore for six seasons, Ortiz had problems with kidney stones, which resulted in significant weight gain. To get it back under control, he had to commit to five or six workouts a week, combining cardio and weights to replace fat with muscle.
Adam Richman
As a star on the Food Network, Deen valued flavor over nutrition. This caused her to let go of her weight, which resulted in a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. She eventually took notice of her reality, and has since lost a ton of weight, thanks to a vastly improved diet.
Kevin Liles
After starring in TV soap operas and the family drama series Joan of Arcadia, Richman created his own show on the Travel Channel called Man v. Food, traveling the country to sample regional dishes and take on crazy eating challenges. Needless to say, he gained a lot of weight over his four years on the show – after which he dropped 70 pounds by adopting a soccer player’s training regimen and vegan diet.
Abby Lee Miller
Liles was a rapper in the 1980’s, but eventually moved behind the scenes as a producer and record label executive. He was always a big guy, which made him unrecognizable during a 2007 red carpet appearance after he’d dropped over 100 pounds. He’s been looking good ever since.
Chaka Khan
Miller took over the family dance studio at the tender age of 14 and was later cast in Lifetime network’s reality show Dance Moms, along with several spinoff series. The constant stress made her gain many unwanted pounds, but she’s recently gone from a size 24 to a size 16 as she deals with diabetes and her still-busy filming schedule.
Alec Baldwin
Dubbed the Queen of Funk, the 63-year-old Khan is still performing music but up until recently with a little more weight to carry. In 2014 she decided enough was enough and wanted to get her weight, high blood pressure, and diabetes under control. She adopted a vegan diet and started gym workouts to lose 60 pounds, and feels great in her signature spandex and sequins once again.
Chaz Bono
A hugely successful Broadway, television and film actor, Baldwin found out in 2011 that he was pre-diabetic. Not wasting a minute, he gave up sugar entirely, went on a low-carb diet, and took up Pilates and spinning. He shed 40 pounds quickly and has been enjoying his new, healthier lifestyle ever since.
Nicole Richie
The child of pop icons Sonny and Cher, Chaz was born a girl named Chastity but came out as a transgender man in 2008 and made the physical transition shortly thereafter. A turn on Dancing with the Stars spurred him to lose weight through diet and dancing, losing 85 pounds by eliminating junk food, getting stress-eating under control, and sticking with a diet of meat, fruit, nuts, and veggies.
Randy Jackson
When she was on The Simple Life, Richie was much heavier than she is now. Some wonder if her rapid weight loss in 2006 was due to anorexia. As you can tell from the image to the right, there’s certainly such a thing as losing too much weight.
Ricki Lake
With a poor diet from being constantly on the road as a music producer for such iconic acts as Bob Dylan, George Michael, Bruce Springsteen and Mariah Carey, Jackson weighed 350 pounds when he became one of the first judges on American Idol in 2002. After finding out he had diabetes, he opted for gastric bypass surgery to quickly drop 130 pounds. His weight continues to fluctuate to this day, but within a much tighter range.
Angie Stone
Splashing onto the scene in 1988’s cult classic hit Hairspray, Lake went on to become the youngest host of a talk show in 1993 when she was only 24. Her battles with depression saw her weight fluctuate wildly, and at time she weighed as much as 260 pounds. She lost a lot of it by cutting calories and running daily, but was having trouble keeping it off. She then joined Dancing with the Stars and lost another 20 pounds.
Shonda Rhimes
Stone started her singing career in a hip hop group called The Sequence, then sang with stars like Lenny Kravitz, and finally became a solo artist in 1999. Diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, she got serious about weight loss and dropped 75 pounds, now looking healthier and younger at 54 than she has in years.
Jill Scott
Working her way up into the television scene in Hollywood, Rhimes hit the big-time as the creator, head writer, and executive producer of Grey’s Anatomy. She had also gained so much weight that she couldn’t even buckle up on flights. Finally in 2014, she embarked on a one-year weight loss journey that saw her lose 127 pounds!
Graham Elliot
After successfully writing for other artists, Scott launched her own solo career as a singer/songwriter, and then started landing roles in television and movies. After the birth of her son, she ballooned to 263 pounds, which is when she finally decided it was time for a change. With a better diet and regular exercise, she’s managed to lose 63 pounds and counting.
America Ferrera
After becoming the youngest four-star chef in Chicago at age 27, Elliot went on to become a judge on both MasterChef and MasterChef Junior. He also weighed over 400 pounds. With the help of surgery to limit the amount of food he ate, Elliot shed 150 pounds and continues to lose more through exercise and a cleaned up diet.
Paul Wall
Ferrera has lost a lot of weight since her days on Ugly Betty, but she’s not one to talk details. Her focus is feeling good about herself and keeping her talent sharp.
Mark Wahlberg
Wall has wowed the music industry with his southern rap style, but also really wanted to get into acting. His weight, however, felt like a barrier. Thanks to gastric sleeve surgery, Wall has seen his weight fall from a high of 320 pounds to being less than 200 for the first time in his adult life.
Jordin Sparks
While typically pretty buff, but Wahlberg had to slim down for a part in The Gambler – to the tune of losing 40 pounds. Since filming wrapped, Wahlberg has worked to gain back most of the weight that he lost.
Austin “Chumlee” Russell
She became the youngest winner of American Idol in 2007 at age 17. Sparks then decided to tackle her weight issue head-on in 2013, improving her diet and hiring a personal trainer to work with her five days a week. She’s lost 50 pounds and looks amazing.
Gabourey Sidibe
The 320-pound cast member of reality TV show Pawn Stars on the History Channel decided to take on his weight issues after his father’s death. With the support of his girlfriend, he gave up junk and processed foods, began working out at the gym, and has managed to lose 75 pounds – and keep them off.
Mama June
Sidibe debuted as an actress in the film Precious and earned an Oscar nomination for it. She’s gone on to be a successful television actress on several different shows. She’s managed to lose 75 pounds and so far and is working hard to keep going.
Sara Rue
After having her first child at 15, she couldn’t lose the baby weight. By 33 she was a grandmother who knew she had to lose weight if she was going to keep up with grandchildren. She lost 100 pounds by reforming her poor eating habits, especially cutting back on soda.
Carrie Fisher
She became a spokeswoman for Jenny Craig and quickly lost 50 pounds. She’s also managed to keep it off in spite of having a baby in 2013.
She’s been in tons of movies, but will always be remembered most as Princess Leia in the Star Wars movies. After the original three movies, she gained a lot of weight and finally decided to do something about it when she was invited to be Princess Leia again in 2015’s The Force Awakens. She lost a total of 40 pounds and feels great as she turns 60.