“I was overweight, 18 stone 252 pounds. The Real Housewives of New Jersey star was nearly unrecognizable after the 41 months he spent in prison for fraud. “I’ve adjusted my diet and upgraded my fitness routine and I’m down 21 pounds since Nationals in August! Host Jang Do Yeon had heard that the actress had cut back on food for her health. "No doughnuts!" was the host's one strict food rule when shedding pounds back in 2010. When a friend commented on her new look via Instagram, the singer said she lost 85 pounds. Osbourne lost even more weight, revealing the number in August 2020. "I took more hell for being fat than I did for being an absolute raging drug addict," Osbourne, who checked into rehab for addiction three times prior, told Us Weekly in February 2010. "I knew I had to transform my body to get myself into her physical skin." To play real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in 2003's Monster — for which she won the Best Actress Academy Award — Theron gained 30 pounds on her model-esque frame. "It's really just math," she said of gaining and losing weight for the movies. "I had to be obsessive about it — the idea was to look near death," she later said of her diet, which consisted of two squares of dried oatmeal paste a day. “Between gyms closing, a running injury (I have a torn meniscus) and survival eating at work, I gained a good amount of weight in 2020,” the Kann restaurant founder wrote. "You have to almost have a complete divorce breakup ... and start back bit by bit and find out the things that work with your body." "You have to change the way you think about food," the Name That Tune star explained in a 2022 tip for his company Unify Health Labs. The singer also changed his diet to remove fast food while ramping up his exercise regimen to five days a week. “Drinking caused weight gain but it also weighed down my mental state,” he told Today in an interview published on September 27, 2022. The Backstreet Boys member lost 32 pounds over the course of a year after he stopped drinking and became sober. NeNe addressed whether or not his health crisis could have been due to his body frame in an October 2022 Instagram Story post. He suffered a stroke in September 2022, and shed the weight in the months that followed. Theron gained 50 lbs for her role in 2018's Tully by eating mac and cheese in the middle of the night. “I basically abused my body for a long time. Williams followed a strict health regimen for her role as Catherine Dior, a French resistance fighter and the younger sister of designer Christian Dior, on the Apple TV+ show The New Look. He told The Hollywood Reporter that the transformation, which he made for his role as two-time UFC heavyweight champion and MMA icon Mark Kerr, was something he was “really hungry to do.” I think he’s tall but he’s just really wiry,” Tatum told Variety at the time, noting that while he planned to only hit 185 pounds, the weight kept “coming off” and he ended up at 172 pounds. Tatum revealed in September 2025 that he underwent a nearly 70-pound weight loss for his role as Jeff in Roofman, a robber who is known for being able to slip into small spaces. Ed Sheeran — 50 Pounds The former American Idol judge underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2003, and he's since kept off the 114 pounds he initially lost. “I don’t think I’ll ever do that again,” he told British GQ at the time. The country crooner cited "eating clean," cutting out alcohol, "walking 7 miles a day" and some weightlifting as the secrets to his success. The 2018 World’s Strongest Man winner shed the weight for an upcoming boxing match against Devon Larratt. The 6’9” Icelander has dropped nearly 100 pounds since the show wrapped and is now completely ripped. I really struggled with it, and for me it was a time of feeling really out of control.” Jodie added, “I have severe anxiety and depression anyway, so it really didn’t do any favors for my mental health. In May 2020, the Good American founder revealed she dieted for months following the birth of her daughter, True Thompson.It’s the dream,’” Khloé told sister Kourtney Kardashian during a segment with Poosh.com.Serve the story while protecting the performer’s health with medical oversight and a clear plan to restore weight afterward.(McConaughey won a Best Actor Oscar for the role.)"I did it in as healthy a way as I found possible," the Greenlights author told the BBC in February 2014, adding that he "chewed a lot of ice" during the shoot.The Mike & Molly alum is nearly half the man he used to be after losing a whopping 150 pounds.“I was overweight, 18 stone 252 pounds. In that time, she warmed to training and made better food choices. “When Adele and I started our journey together, it was never about getting super skinny. Adele and more stars have shown off their wellness journeys on social media — and fans are loving their transformations. According to Jia Ling, she lost 50kg in six months to play a boxer. "Just eating as much as I could and just trying to lift weights, no cardio." At first, they shared positive comments, including one middle school teacher who saw the movie encouraging her to help her lose weight by working out. YOLO is about an overweight woman, Leying, who loses weight through boxing training while finding herself and learning to love herself through the sport. Jia Ling stars in the new movie YOLO, which was written and directed by her. Her plan coordinated gentle weight reduction with strength work so long walking takes and stair runs could be repeated reliably. Zoë Saldana cut weight to achieve a compact, agile build for tight spaces and quick foot chases. White confirmed that he gained 40 pounds of muscle to play Kerry Von Erich in The Iron Claw. Five years later, he went in the opposite direction, shedding about 40 pounds to play an HIV-positive character in Dallas Buyers Club. Leto famously gained weight to play Mark David Chapman in 2007's Chapter 27. But he says it's more difficult to transform his body now that he's older. "I was eating a lot, like, a pretty tremendous amount," he told Entertainment Tonight in November 2023. The married father of four has gained and lost weight for movies throughout his career. Three years after packing on major muscle to play the title role in Prince of Persia (right), Gyllenhaal again made over his body for a movie. "I love eating food and drinking beer and having fun with my life. I was also kind of depressed a little bit when I was fat and there's probably people out there who can agree and understand what that feels like." The Academy Award-winning actor has gained and lost weight for multiple movies in the past, including 2000's Cast Away. In a string of tweets, Jia Ling detailed the process, which involved not only losing weight but also building muscle.The 6’9” Icelander has dropped nearly 100 pounds since the show wrapped and is now completely ripped.This section will analyze a case where the weight loss appears more gradual and integrated into a holistic lifestyle change.The Backstreet Boys member lost 32 pounds over the course of a year after he stopped drinking and became sober.The Mike & Molly alum got real about his weight loss — going from 370 pounds at his heaviest to "floating between 205 and 210," he told Entertainment Tonight in April 2023.He once weighed more than 500 pounds but has since dropped down to 265 pounds as of January 2026.Sisters star underwent gastric bypass surgery in September 2022 and proceeded to cut down on her “sodies” and other bad habits.“In early January 2020, Adele reported that she lost 100 pounds, but it’s unknown within what timeframe.The Parks and Recreation star famously showed off his slimmed-down, bulked up physique on Twitter while preparing to film 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy.Kim Ji Won explained that the diet was for her health, yes, but also because her character needed to wear many different outfits. June Shannon The movie "Hot and Spicy," which stars Jia Ling as a boxer, has also received praise for its portrayal of the character's weight loss transformation. Even before the film was released, it gained attention after the lead actress, Jia Ling, lost 50kg for the role. Training centered on bodyweight circuits and agility drills while a supervised eating plan supported long stunt rehearsals without halting the visible change. To portray weeks at sea with limited food, Shailene Woodley slimmed down under a plan that synchronized weight changes with the survival timeline in the script. Her schedule combined technique classes with conditioning focused on turnout, core control, and footwork, while a supervised eating plan paced her weight loss across the rehearsal calendar. Because the film jumped through time, the crew maintained a detailed map of her appearance at each point. For a wartime setting that emphasized rationing and strain, Keira Knightley trimmed down with guidance from trainers and nutrition experts. Renée Zellweger returned to a lighter frame to play Roxie Hart after earlier projects that required a different body type. I think he’s tall but he’s just really wiry,” Tatum told Variety at the time, noting that while he planned to only hit 185 pounds, the weight kept “coming off” and he ended up at 172 pounds."Who would ever think that a pro rugby player would get stuck with me and that he would change my whole life? He's more than a coach. He's a mentor," Smith told Today in May 2020.Tatum added that there was a "sadness" to losing the weight, sharing, “I would see myself and just seem hollow.”“Didn’t lose 70 pounds that was during my Under Construction album,” Elliott wrote on Twitter in 2014.After suffering a near-fatal heart attack in February 2018, Smith’s physician told him to lose 50 pounds.However, Jia Ling explained that her initial weight loss had included a period of gaining weight to make her transformation look more realistic.In August 2024, she confirmed that she’d lost 500 pounds since the surgery.I really struggled with it, and for me it was a time of feeling really out of control.”At first, they shared positive comments, including one middle school teacher who saw the movie encouraging her to help her lose weight by working out. “They didn’t realize I was just thinking about, yo, I really wanna be here for a long time. It’s so good but so bad,” Post revealed on ” The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast in August 2023. I love anything True’s eating.” I gave myself four months to lose the weight. The Mud star shed nearly 50 pounds to play Ron Woodruff, a real-life Texan who founded an underground medication distribution group after being diagnosed with HIV. By the time she filmed Bridget Jones’s Baby, however, the Oscar winner was tired of talking about her weight. While some actors rely on prosthetics for movie transformations, some actually gain or lose weight to embody their characters. Celeb Weight Loss Weight Gain Jared Leto “So that was my biggest thing, but changing my diet and everything else. Switching to a vegan diet and living a more active lifestyle made a 20-pound difference! “When someone loses a sizable amount of body fat, the greatest indicators are in the belly area and around the face, which Joe has clearly done.” It could possibly be even more, even up to around 70 pounds,” said the pro. After wrap, Kravitz followed a planned restoration period supervised by her medical team to recover strength and stabilize weight. Wardrobe engineered multiple jacket and pant sizes as measurements shifted, and stunt coordinators rehearsed grapple work to ensure safety at the lower weight. To move between eras of Deena Jones’s career, Beyoncé dropped weight to capture the character’s early stage image. Wardrobe cut multiple versions of each costume at different measurements to keep movement safe as her body changed. Natalie Portman moved from daily cross training into long ballet sessions while reducing weight to match a principal dancer’s silhouette. MORE: 13 Celebrities Who Almost NEVER Smile in Photos “Bridget is a perfectly normal weight and I’ve never understood why it matters so much. I also put on some breasts and a baby bump,” she told British Vogue in August 2016. In the meantime, she drinks plenty of water and coffee. Park Min Young dropped down to 37kg (approximately 81.5 lbs) for the role. Netizens were quick to notice the changes to Kim Ji Won’s face that came from losing weight for Queen of Tears. Once filming and promotions were over, Kim Ji Won planned to be less strict about her diet. She avoided certain foods while filming and hadn’t eaten any Chinese food for a year. During an appearance on the YouTube show Salon Drip, Kim Ji Won was asked about her diet. “And it’s only in the last four years writing and directing my movie, Mid90s, that I’ve started to understand how much that hurt and got into my head.” “I spent most of my young adult life listening to people say I was fat, gross and unattractive,” he told Ellen DeGeneres. “I was 350 pounds to 150 pounds and now I’m back up to 200 pounds. “She seems to be exuding happiness and she is,” a source told the site in June 2018. The retired NBA star confirmed in May 2023 that he was down 62 pounds after adding the Mounjaro shot into his regiment six months prior. The Pitch Perfect actress has maintained her weight loss, telling Us in June 2024, “There’s no magic fix. “The last time I saw Dr. Smith was about nine months ago and I was around 420 pounds. Before going on the Netflix show, she started to run and watch her eating habits, which led to her dropping down to 175 pounds. Chinese comedian and actress Jia Ling, 41, has been super low-key in the past year-and-a-half. He doesn't really have too much time to spend on himself,” Melton explained to Entertainment Tonight in November 2023. The Riverdale star had a physical transformation to play Joe Yoo in the movie May December. “Didn’t lose 70 pounds that was during my Under Construction album,” Elliott wrote on Twitter in 2014. “Proudly to say it’s been 4 months I have only drank water no other juices or soda & I cut out bread & Lord knows that’s been the hardest for me! Elliott flaunted her new body on Instagram in May 2018. By May 15, 2018, Smith had shed 37 pounds. Khloé Kardashian worked out five to six days a week to tone her post-baby body. New start’ approach,” the source continued. In fact, since 2019, the model says she’s dropped 30 pounds. "When I gained it back, it went to completely different areas. All the weight that left my chest went to my side hip, my stomach. ... I'd be happy if my ass got bigger." "Either I was wrong, or things have changed drastically. Maybe it's both. This was full-bore. Many times I felt like throwing up." "I played college football at Columbia. I thought I knew my way around exercise," he said of his grueling, five-month circuit training regimen for the role. The Lost alum was almost unrecognizable after losing 40 pounds to play a cage-fighting assassin in 2012's Alex Cross. Times Actors Lost or Gained MAJOR Weight for a Role Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Longtime fans of Keeping Up With the Kardashians have seen Rob’s past struggles with his health. Jenna Jameson has put in major work to achieve her weight loss goals. Only one month later, he was half way to achieving his goal, and by May, Kevin lost 37 pounds. "Diet is difficult, and you’re hungry, but when you are dehydrating for three days, you get to the point on the last day where you can smell water nearby," he said at the time. After The Witcher hit Netflix in 2019, Cavill revealed that he had to dehydrate for three days before a shirtless scene. I’m joking and not really joking,” Day said during Variety’s Actors on Actors in January 2021, of her commitment to the role of Billie Holiday for The United States vs. Billie Holiday. “So many people keep asking me about his weight. “Focus on you until the focus is you,” he wrote in the caption, adding the hashtag, “#100 pounds down.” The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star debuted a noticeably slimmed down figure when she attended the Billboard Women in Music Awards on March 1, 2023. The Mike & Molly alum is nearly half the man he used to be after losing a whopping 150 pounds. (McConaughey won a Best Actor Oscar for the role.)“I was 350 pounds to 150 pounds and now I’m back up to 200 pounds.While serving time in prison, the 90 Day Fiancé star turned to fitness and debuted his more than 120-pound weight loss.It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as you get it,” about being healthy."It's just eating better and working out! It's definitely a daily thing." The Idol winner added that she got her sweat on with high-energy dance classes such as Zumba, in addition to portion control.This section will address the mental health implications of weight loss transformations, exploring the potential for disordered eating, body dysmorphia, and other psychological issues.The Mud star shed nearly 50 pounds to play Ron Woodruff, a real-life Texan who founded an underground medication distribution group after being diagnosed with HIV.He’s cut out the junk food and is sticking to a high-protein diet, although he does has ‘cheat days.’” "I'm really proud to look in the mirror and not hate every single thing I see," she told Us. "I love food and I love to eat. My thing was, do I really need seconds or do I want it just because it tastes good?" "It's just eating better and working out! It's definitely a daily thing." The Idol winner added that she got her sweat on with high-energy dance classes such as Zumba, in addition to portion control. "There is no secret," she told Us on the red carpet. Aguilera whipped her body back into prime form by working out with fitness guru Tee Sorge and practicing yoga. “I decided to get into this sort of transformation, or this sort of journey, with my health and fitness at the end of 2019.The actress has been open about her weight loss struggles in the past, but fans think she looks better than ever these days!The actress told Entertainment Tonight in April 2018 that it took her a year and a half to shed the weight.The journey continues,” hinting that he’s going to keep working at firming up his physique.The pop diva showed off her noticeably slimmer figure and estimated 20 pound weight loss at the season 4 premiere screening of The Voice in March 2013.The Blind Side actor revealed in February 2022 that he went from 559 pounds to 462 pounds after gaining weight during the coronavirus pandemic.I just stopped eating."The gaining and the losing of weight may have had something to do with it," he confessed. Jordyn Woods has revealed on a number of occasions that working out is her therapy, particularly after her father, John Woods, passed away in 2017. I have loved getting up these last four weeks and having a routine and a challenge to start the day. “A clear start, a clear finish and something that I could totally commit to. The actress says she did 30 minutes of exercise a day 5 days a week for a month. The brunette beauty coped with the pandemic using “comfort food, comfort clothes and throwing my fitness routine out the window. The songstress is “thrilled” with her 25-pound weight loss.The change happened alongside extensive physical prep that included fight drills, motorcycle training, and time with a dialect coach so performance work advanced while her body adjusted."My shape is different. When I got down to 95 pounds, I was muscles, like a little brick house, but skin and bones," she told Harper's Bazaar."You have to almost have a complete divorce breakup ... and start back bit by bit and find out the things that work with your body."“The last time I saw Dr. Smith was about nine months ago and I was around 420 pounds."You have to change the way you think about food," the Name That Tune star explained in a 2022 tip for his company Unify Health Labs.A source exclusively told Us at the time that Wilson turned to “high intensity interval training” (HIIT) to help her slim down.In a January 2026 cover story for Men’s Health, the country singer opened up about all the ways his life has improved since shedding the pounds, including a better sex drive and more.But, man, I’ve worked really hard and lost the weight the right way. "They wanted the Crow to be ripped, but the character Eric shouldn’t be. So we did a lot of weight training and ate a lot of protein,” he explained. “We kept adding a little bit of weight onto what I’d already been doing, but I didn’t want to be too big either,” Skarsgård shared. Bill Skarsgård went all in for his role in the 2024 reboot of The Crow. Jonah Hill — 30 Pounds Real Housewives of Atlanta alum NeNe Leakes‘ son Brentt Leakes showed off his 100-pound weight loss in a series of January 17, 2023, Instagram photos. It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as you get it,” about being healthy. I really want to be healthy. “Here I was, giving confidence to oversized people, and they felt like I flat left them,” he told the publication at the time. Kevin Smith — 37 Pounds The Mike & Molly alum got real about his weight loss — going from 370 pounds at his heaviest to "floating between 205 and 210," he told Entertainment Tonight in April 2023. “It’s helped me tremendously that, over the last six or seven years, I’ve lost 100 pounds,” the Matlock actress told Variety in September 2024. The plus-sized star recently revealed that she was losing weight for an upcoming role during her hiatus. The star, who nabbed a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in Tom Hooper's 2012 adaptation of the Broadway musical, famously lost 25 pounds (10 before shooting, 15 during) to play tuberculosis-afflicted prostitute Fantine. "I lost 10 kilos about 22 pounds in three weeks," Ahmed told IndieWire in 2021 about his role in Mogul Mowgli, which he also wrote. The Jersey Shore star showed off her dazzling post-baby body on the cover of Us Weekly in March 2013. The Here Comes Honey Boo Boo alum also shed pounds by working out with a trainer two to three times a week. ” The “Work It” rapper — who looks fantastic now, though her weight has fluctuated a bit — not only showed off a slimmed-down figure, she also said her new diet helped her skin glow and made her feel less sluggish. After suffering a near-fatal heart attack in February 2018, Smith’s physician told him to lose 50 pounds. The choreography load was mapped week by week with a nutrition plan that supported rehearsal blocks while still creating the visible change the role required. The production scheduled those sequences early so her lowest weight aligned with the story’s timeline, and her team monitored the change with regular check ins. Serve the story while protecting the performer’s health with medical oversight and a clear plan to restore weight afterward. It was about getting her healthy,” her trainer, Pete Geracimo, wrote via Instagram at the time.Meanwhile, Jelly Roll has been on a steady weight loss journey since 2022.To play real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in 2003's Monster — for which she won the Best Actress Academy Award — Theron gained 30 pounds on her model-esque frame."I lost 10 kilos about 22 pounds in three weeks," Ahmed told IndieWire in 2021 about his role in Mogul Mowgli, which he also wrote.To lose 50kg in the short span of six months is an impressive feat, to say the least.Netizens were quick to notice the changes to Kim Ji Won’s face that came from losing weight for Queen of Tears.Aguilera whipped her body back into prime form by working out with fitness guru Tee Sorge and practicing yoga."I worry that young people might see Jia Ling's weight loss journey as a one-size-fits-all approach to health and fitness," wrote one user. (She said, “I eat to cope,” but with her meds she’s no longer “anxiously eating.) Since season 7 filming wrapped, Jiles has continued to slim down with the help of cleaner eating and getting on anxiety medication. “Let’s all appreciate our health, our families, our friends, and have the best year of our lives. Jelly Roll continued, “I don’t have a goal weight, I have a feeling weight, and I don’t feel it yet. "I wanted to show the struggles and the hard work that goes into weight loss from a genuine perspective," she explained. However, Jia Ling explained that her initial weight loss had included a period of gaining weight to make her transformation look more realistic. Some commentators accused her of appearing too thin, suggesting that she had achieved this through unhealthy means. It is believed that the movie isn’t centered around the weight loss of Jia Ling’s character, but it’s not surprising that such a transformation has become a hot topic after the film’s release earlier in the month. For many actresses, it has meant losing a significant amount of weight under close supervision to meet a character’s physical reality. We will emphasize the need to be mindful of potential biases and to develop healthy skepticism towards sensationalized claims. This section will directly address common misconceptions surrounding weight loss, emphasizing the importance of sustainable lifestyle changes, balanced nutrition, and regular physical activity. The discussion will incorporate research on body image issues, eating disorders, and the psychological consequences of societal pressures. We will analyze the impact of these standards on actresses' self-perception, mental health, and career trajectory. Hot Mama! “I’m super envious of those who have the strength to go put their mind to losing so much weight,” wrote one netizen. To lose 50kg in the short span of six months is an impressive feat, to say the least. In 2023, she announced that she was working on her second film Re La Gun Tang, which she will both direct and star in. In 2021, Jia Ling’s starred in her directorial debut Hi, Mom. The Blind Side actor revealed in February 2022 that he went from 559 pounds to 462 pounds after gaining weight during the coronavirus pandemic. In July 2022, the Black Widow actor revealed that he dropped 80 pounds for his role in season 4 of Stranger Things. Barkley revealed he started out at 352 pounds and was “down to 290” with the help of the drug. In May 2020, the Good American founder revealed she dieted for months following the birth of her daughter, True Thompson. “Khloé and Tristan have been helping Rob with his weight loss and are acting as his personal trainers,” a source previously told Life & Style. Despite these concerns, Jia Ling's weight loss journey remains a source of inspiration for many. While Jia Ling's weight loss journey has been well-received by the Chinese public, some have expressed concerns about the potential influence of her transformation on young viewers. In July 2022, the Black Widow actor revealed that he lost 80 pounds for the fourth season of Stranger Things. To get down to 114 pounds, he "stopped eating," he told The Wrap. (He also lost weight for 1996's Courage Under Fire.) "When I did The Informant, I put on 40 pounds. ... That's the guy I'm most comfortable being." (He shed 50 pounds to play a man stuck on a desert island.) He told reporters at the BFI London Film Festival that the yo-yo dieting may have contributed to his type 2 diabetes diagnosis. "I got the means to lose the weight in a really healthy way," he insisted. Kim Ji Won starred alongside Kim Soo Hyun as the rich heiress Hong Hae In, who exuded icy-cold beauty. Actress Kim Ji Won underwent a a physical transformation for her role in the K-Drama Queen Of Tears. Every K-Drama actor needs to get into character to portray their roles. "I lost my weight the healthy and good old fashioned way," Lambert wrote. “I’m not really ‘on a diet’ I just started caring more deeply about what I was putting in my body,” Baltierra tweeted at the time. “I lost 30 eating healthy/work out to @shauntfitness T25 videos.” The former adult film actress started her new diet regimen at 202 pounds a year after welcoming her daughter, Batel, in April 2017, and had been tracking her progress on Instagram. This case study will examine how media portrayal influences public perception of an actress's weight loss journey. Park Min Young’s teasers for the show highlighted the actress’s weight loss, which was done to show the impact cancer can have on a person’s body. “To jumpstart the weight loss, I cut out carbs (besides toast in the a.m.) filled up on fruit, smoked fish, & vegetables for lunch & ate lean meats, vegetables & salad for dinner.” Hill first revealed his 30-pound weight loss before production began on 21 Jump Street back in 2011. Since starting her intense diet and fitness regime, Jordyn has lost a considerable amount of weight. Fat Joe revealed he lost 200 pounds while being committed to his health during a July 2023 cover interview with Men’s Health. "I worry that young people might see Jia Ling's weight loss journey as a one-size-fits-all approach to health and fitness," wrote one user. Jenna reportedly meal preps and typically sticks to a similar diet. After welcoming her third child, she implemented lifestyle changes which helped her drop 60 pounds. “I was overweight, 18 stone. Gordon Ramsay revealed that he worked on his appearance to impress his wife. Blake Lively opened up about her post-baby body on Instagram in February 2018. Her training favored functional strength so weight loss did not reduce power for fights or sprints. The change happened alongside extensive physical prep that included fight drills, motorcycle training, and time with a dialect coach so performance work advanced while her body adjusted. Her team coordinated the timeline so the slimmer look aligned with specific musical numbers and press conference scenes, then restored weight for later story beats.