Oprah Winfrey, an inspiring figure for many who have dealt with obesity, has recently revealed to People Magazine the details of her ongoing weight loss journey. The media mogul was candid as she revealed that she’s been taking a a weight-loss medication as part of her wellness regimen.
When speaking about her history of going public with her lifetime journey, the star, who is turning 70 next month, says she’s tired of playing the blame game about her weight. “It was public sport to make fun of me for 25 years,” she says. “I have been blamed and shamed, and I blamed and shamed myself.”
As far as her recent weight loss success, the star says she’s close to her goal weight and it all started after she took control of her health after knee surgery. “I started hiking and setting new distance goals each week. I could eventually hike three to five miles every day and a 10-mile straight-up hike on weekends,” she says. “I felt stronger, more fit and more alive than I’d felt in years.”
Many fans have speculated online that Oprah had also taken Ozempic, the weight loss drug that has been branded by many as a Hollywood quick fix. The star says it was just recently that she started on a drug for maintenance but says the majority of her loss came from her lifestyle changes.
“I eat my last meal at 4 o’clock, drink a gallon of water a day, and use the WeightWatchers principles of counting points. I had an awareness of [weight-loss] medications, but felt I had to prove I had the willpower to do it. I now no longer feel that way…I was actually recommending it to people long before I was on it myself.”
Winfrey says she started to consider taking the drug when taping her “State of the Weight” special for her Oprah Daily Life You Want series. “I had the biggest aha along with many people in that audience,” she recalls of the discussion, which posted online in September. “I realized I’d been blaming myself all these years for being overweight, and I have a predisposition that no amount of willpower is going to control.” She goes on to say, “Obesity is a disease. It’s not about willpower — it’s about the brain.”
“The fact that there’s a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift, and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for. I’m absolutely done with the shaming from other people and particularly myself.”
When referring to her success, Winfrey adds that it’s not just the drug that has helped her stay in shape after her surgery. “It’s everything. I know everybody thought I was on it, but I worked so damn hard. I know that if I’m not also working out and vigilant about all the other things, it doesn’t work for me.”
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, Winfrey says she noticed the drug was useful in helping her stay on track. “I knew I was going to have two solid weeks of eating,” she says, and “instead of gaining eight pounds like I did last year, I gained half a pound . . . It quiets the food noise.”
Now that she’s shared this info with the public, it’s no doubt she will continue to inspire more people on their obesity journey. “It was a second shot for me to live a more vital and vibrant life,” she says.
