Pop superstar Lizzo is opening up about her dramatic weight loss transformation, revealing the personal shifts that helped her shed 16% of her body fat without resorting to trendy drugs or quick fixes.
In a candid TikTok livestream on Tuesday, the four-time Grammy winner detailed how she made the changes—and why it had more to do with her mindset than the scale.
“I’ve been working to get my anxiety under control for years,” Lizzo told fans. “And then I decided that I want to release and I’m ready to stop waiting to be myself like fully and be happy.”
The 36-year-old singer, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, explained that a major turning point came when she realized just how many empty calories were sneaking into her routine through sugary Starbucks drinks.
“I wasn’t aware that my ‘two to three’ Starbucks drinks were contributing around 1,200 calories to my daily intake,” she admitted.
Rather than turning to weight-loss medications—like the Ozempic rumors she previously denied—Lizzo said she embraced a basic but powerful principle: calorie deficit.
“The only thing that worked for me across the board, science-wise, is calories in versus calories out,” she said. While she doesn’t love the idea of counting calories, she described it as a helpful tool “to fight against the American food system.”
She cut out coffee completely and shifted her focus to eating “super savory” items in the morning, moving away from her usual sugary breakfast habits.
Lizzo, who has long been a champion of body positivity, made it clear that her journey wasn’t about conforming to anyone’s standards but rather about listening to her own body and reclaiming her energy.
“Everybody’s body is different. Find out what works for you,” she encouraged.
Her transformation has been as much about emotional growth as it has been physical. “I feel lighter, energetically and emotionally,” Lizzo said, reflecting on how she once used food, alcohol, and even chaotic situations to avoid dealing with internal struggles.
“I loved to distract myself with people. I loved to distract myself with food. I loved to distract myself with drinking. I loved to distract myself with problems that I would create,” she said. “And I stopped doing that.”
With a renewed focus on her mental and physical well-being, Lizzo is not only looking different—she’s feeling free, grounded, and ready to step into the happiest version of herself yet.