Kathy Bates is opening up about her weight loss journey.
In an interview with People on Wednesday, the 76-year-old actress revealed she lost 100 pounds over the last seven years! Incredible, right! Her secret? Kathy admitted she — like many other celebrities — used Ozempic to help slim down. However, she’s not chalking up her hard-earned success to the drug! The American Horror Story alum says she lost 80 pounds by changing her diet and lifestyle first — then the other 20 on Ozempic. She told the outlet:
“There’s been a lot of talk that I just was able to do this because of Ozempic. But I have to impress upon people out there that this was hard work for me, especially during the pandemic. It’s very hard to say you’ve had enough.”
Related: Jelly Roll’s Wife Bunnie Xo Says She Is ‘Microdosing’ Weight Loss Medication!
Her wake-up call came in 2017. Kathy was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes that year, which “terrified” her to the point where she chose to focus on her health:
“I ate because I was afraid, and I ate because it was a FU to my self-esteem. [Diabetes] runs in my family, and I’d seen what my father had gone through. He had had a leg amputation. One of my sisters is dealing with it very seriously, and it terrified me. It scared me straight.”
Oof.
That ultimately kick-started her health journey. The first thing the Titanic star did when it came to changing her lifestyle — before using Ozempic? She listened to her body more, a good piece of advice her niece gave to her. She even stopped eating after 8:00 p.m. Kathy explained:
“When we’re full, we experience an involuntary sigh. I just pushed the plate away.”
The Oscar winner also switched up her diet, as she “used to eat terribly” like “burgers and Cokes and pizza.” While Kathy is eating healthier than she used to, that doesn’t mean totally restricts herself! She likes an occasional cheat day! She recalled:
“We’ve been having trucks come to the lot over at Paramount to thank the crew, and yesterday we had Pink’s Hot Dogs. Oh, my God, I hadn’t had a hot dog in such a long time. Today I’m getting back on my track.”
Her diet isn’t the only big change. She’s also figuring out a workout routine after finishing up the first season of Matlock:
“That’s going to be my next thing that I’m worried about because I won’t be on set running back and forth. I have a treadmill here at the house, and I might try Pilates. People always ask, ‘Don’t you want a trainer?’ No, I really don’t. I don’t want anybody over my shoulder. It’s just very important to me to keep this going. I don’t want to slip.”
The main reason she doesn’t “want to slip” on her journey is because for the first time in a long time, she feels great. Her weight loss “coincided beautifully” with her new Matlock as she is “capable of doing this show” now “physically.” Kathy continued:
“I don’t have to sit down. I can stand up all day long and walk and move and breathe and do so many things that I couldn’t before.”
Being physically fit isn’t the only benefit so far. For those who don’t know, Kathy was diagnosed with lymphedema, a condition that causes swelling due to lymph fluid buildup in the body, after she had a double mastectomy following her breast cancer diagnosis in 2012. Since shedding the pounds, she’s seen a positive change in her symptoms there, too:
“It’s been a tremendous benefit for me. I’m lucky that I don’t have to wear my compression sleeves every day. It’s such a thrill to be able to put my arm into a jacket and it fits.”
What an amazing feeling! And Kathy looks fantastic after all her hard work! See (below):
WOW!!!
Good for Kathy! We applaud her for being so honest about her weight loss journey! Watch her discuss it more (below):
Reactions, Perezcious readers? Share ’em in the comments!
[Image via Nicky Nelson/WENN, Adriana M. Barraza/WENN]