Watch:Lizzo Details the “Soul-Crushing” Toll of Her Latest Album’s Poor Reception
Not all the rumors about Lizzo’s weight loss are true
The “Truth Hurts” singer addressed speculation about her fitness journey, sharing that she’s actually gained 20 pounds over the last year after meeting her goal weight in January 2025
“There are a lot of reasons,” she told The Guardian in an interview published July 11, addressing rumors that she initially lost 60 pounds due to depression. “People always want to make it one single headline, one single thing. A lot of things can be true at once.”
“I was in a place where my physical weight was causing joint pain and aches,” she continued. “I also got to the point where I came off the internet, and all I had was the studio and my thoughts. So I poured myself into the things I could control. My body, my lifestyle. My routines and habits.”
Indeed, Lizzo—who shared in 2024 that she’d given up veganism amid her health journey—changed her diet to mostly protein and vegetables to shed the pounds. But it hasn’t all stayed off
“I’ve gained 20 pounds since last year,” the 38-year-old added, “so everyone can ask me about weight gain, too, if they’d like.”
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Lizzo’s Most Empowering Quotes
Another rumor she wants to clear up is that Ozempic had anything to do with her body transformation, as she denied the weight loss medication was the source
So, what worked for the “Rumors” singer?
“I tried everything,” Lizzo said on the Just Trish podcast in September. “It’s just the science for me. Calories in versus calories out.”
“Ozempic works because you eat less food,” she explained. “It makes you feel full. So if you can just do that on your own and get mind over matter, it’s the same.”
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Lizzo ultimately lost 16 percent of her body fat from January 2023 to January 2025—a milestone she celebrated on Instagram at the time
“I did it. Today when I stepped on my scale, I reached my weight release goal,” she wrote. “I haven’t seen this number since 2014! Let this be a reminder you can do anything you put your mind to. Time for new goals!”
For more about what’s going on with Lizzo amid her health journey, read on
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She had also faced a lawsuit that year, filed by several of her former backup dancers who accused her of creating a “hostile, abusive work environment” and weight-shaming, accusations she vehemently denied.
“With passion comes hard work and high standards,” she wrote on Instagram. “Sometimes I have to make hard decisions but it’s never my intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable or like they aren’t valued as an important part of the team.”
“I know what it feels like to be body shamed on a daily basis, she continued, “and would absolutely never criticize or terminate an employee because of their weight.”
In between albums at the time, the “About Damn Time” artist announced in August 2024 that she was taking “a gap year & protecting my peace.”
“I’m not going to lie and say I love my body every day,” she told The New York Times in April 2024. “The bottom line is, the way you feel about your body changes every single day. There are some days I adore my body, and others when I don’t feel completely positive.”
As she captioned the clip, “Fine both ways.”
“I was doing Stairmaster today, and I was doing a higher level than normal,” the sweat-drenched star explained in October 2024, noting that in order to avoid quitting early, she dropped down to a lower speed. “Sometimes when you want to give up, it’s really just because you’ve been pushing yourself too hard. Don’t give up, just take it easier on yourself.”
She credited the treatment, which targets specific areas to move excess fluid away from tissues and toward lymph vessels and nodes to flush out toxins, along with wood therapy, training three times a week, pickleball, dancing, drinking water, consuming less sugar and more protein, a monthly detox and various other lifestyle adjustments for her health transformation.
