By Subhasree Nag
When we talk about the “Kelly Clarkson weight loss journey,” we wonder how she has changed her entire lifestyle in the last few years. However, there has been an ongoing debate about whether the way she lost weight was healthy or not.
Before we get to that, let’s discuss who she is and what she did to get where she is today. So, Kelly Clarkson is the first-ever American Idol winner. Born in Texas, she started her journey with the talent show and afterward became popular when she shared her inspiring weight loss journey and grabbed the attention of many.
The story is not just about weight loss and body transformation. It is also about how she transformed her entire well-being after she was diagnosed with autoimmune thyroid issues and prediabetes.
Peeping into Kelly Clarkson’s Life and Career
Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Kelly got her big break in 2002 when she became the winner of American Idol. she grew up in Texas and did her schooling from Pauline Hughes Middle School.
She started her music journey at school, and during her graduation time, she took part in different musicals like Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Brigadoon, and Annie Get Your Gun. After that, she started voice training with the hope of getting a music scholarship in college.
After she graduated, she declined a lot of scholarships and said that she had written a lot of music, and this time, she wanted to try something on her own. She worked hard to finance a demo, but she did not get much response.
She was disheartened because of this low response and was also rejected by almost all major recording labels. After that, she returned to Burleson, and her friends inspired her to audition for American Idol. After winning the show, she did not have to look back.
Her debut album was released in 2003, with different successful musicians like Babyface, Diane Warren, and Rhett Lawrence. And now she has her own show, named the “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”
Clarkson’s Weight Struggle Over The Years
She has been facing issues with body shaming for a long time. She told Ellen DeGeneres that, “I was the biggest girl in the [American Idol cast] too. And I wasn’t big, but people would call me big … I’ve kind of always gotten that.”
She added, “I think what hurts my feelings for people is that I’ll have a meet and greet after the show, and a girl who’s bigger than me will be in the meet and greet and be like, ‘Wow, if they think you’re big, I must be so fat to them.’ And it’s like, you’re just who you are. We are who we are — whatever size.”
She was diagnosed with “a thyroid problem” in 2006 and started her medications. However, she decided to stop taking her medications and make some lifestyle changes. It was not just about being a certain size, and she wanted to get off her meds and lead a healthy lifestyle.
In 2012, there were some weight fluctuations, and she decided to maintain a healthy diet and work out some more to be in shape. However, she was criticized a lot when she gained pregnancy weight in 2016. After that, she started her weight loss journey, and it was a journey worth sharing with people.
The Kelly Clarkson Weight Loss Story
Her life changed when she was diagnosed with prediabetes in January 2024. She candidly spoke about her condition in her talk show. However, it was not societal pressure that got her to lose weight. It was because of her deteriorating blood results.
In one of the episodes of her talk show, she mentioned that she also had to take weight loss medication. She mentioned that it was important to reduce weight after her blood work came, and it indicated declining health.
She also mentioned that being thin does not necessarily mean that you will have better self-confidence. Her journey is all about improving her health and not giving in to societal standards. So, let’s walk through her weight loss journey and how she did it.
The Diagnosis
Kelly spoke about the diagnosis in her talk show openly. Prediabetes is a condition where the sugar levels are high enough to be detected but not as much as it could be classified as Type 2 diabetes. This is what made her take the firm decision that she needed to change her lifestyle.
She also moved to New York City, which played an important role in the entire process. Kelly took in a more active lifestyle and a healthier diet with her prescribed medication. She also adopted a high-protein diet and started exercising regularly.
Strategies Toward Lifestyle Change
Kelly Clarkson relocated her show to NYC from Los Angeles in 2023. This impacted her daily routine, and the city made her more active. She had to walk around the city, and that became a major part of her daily routine.
Using Medication
She was also open to taking medication to reduce weight. She took prescribed medicines along with her daily weight loss routine. Those medicines helped her manage weight more effectively and complemented her other efforts and lifestyle changes.
Change in Diet
She had to make necessary changes in her diet along with changing her lifestyle and with those medicines. She adopted a lectin-free diet that supported her autoimmune issues as well as her thyroid.
Lectins are proteins that are found in plant-based foods like legumes, grains, and vegetables. This often causes health issues and inflammation in some individuals. Her diet included food that needed proper soaking or pressure cooking.
She incorporated healthy fats from avocado and olive oils, fish, and poultry in her diet, which also helped her with weight loss and improved her thyroid health. She mainly focused on a high-protein diet, which helped her maintain muscle mass but shredded the extra pounds.
Exercise Regimen
Kelly Clarkson’s weight loss journey also included an extensive exercise regimen, which played a big part in her transformation. Walking has a lot of benefits and is a very underrated exercise. She included walking in her regimen, walking for at least three hours per week at a pace of 3.7mph.
Kelly also combined strength training with cardio. She ran and swam to burn calories, improve her stamina, and improve her cardiovascular health. All of these together helped in build lean muscles and boosted her metabolism.
Health & Wellness
The entire weight loss journey impacted her overall health. Her diet was one of the major parts that helped in relieving her of her condition. Losing weight improved her energy levels, and she could lead an active lifestyle.
It was not just health benefits, but her mental health also improved. She shared with her audience that she prioritizes health over appearance, and this is how she transformed. And her journey towards feeling better than looking better inspired a lot of people.
Media Coverage and Public Response
Her journey of losing weight has inspired many and has initiated conversations about body image. Her choice of health over appearance inspired many. This has opened up a holistic view of weight loss and encouraged people to prioritize their well-being.
The way she openly discussed her health issues brought the health challenges into light that people face. The journey highlighted the dietary and lifestyle changes she made rather than the aesthetics.
The journey had a major impact on American fitness enthusiasts, and the transition inspired many people to make health-conscious decisions. The media coverage helped in spreading awareness while motivating different people.
Some stories covered her entire diet and the way she adopted a lectin-free, high-protein diet. This educated the readers on building successful strategies. Moreover, her focus on maintaining a balanced exercise routine offered insights for people who are looking for a regimen.
The Kelly Clarkson Weight Loss Journey: What Did You Learn?
The entire timeline of Kelly Clarkson weight loss journey showed her dedication towards health and wellness. Coming from Texas, getting her big break from American Idol, she became an idol for those looking for a healthy way of life.
The way she changed her lifestyle and stayed determined to improve her health, even though she took the help of weight loss medication, speaks a lot about her character. She completed the entire journey with openness, which resonates with people who think of her as a fitness idol.
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