Gorgeous Hollywood Starlets Who Gained a Ton of Weight Then Lost It All (PHOTOS)
Hollywood's leading ladies seem to have it all: They wear beautiful clothes, live in gorgeous homes, and have plenty of money. What's not to love? Well, here's one thing: Always being in the public eye is not everything it's cracked up to be -- especially when you put on a few pounds. It's no secret that celebs' private lives are never the same once they become famous. In some cases, it's rarely private anymore. But if there's one thing a woman does not want to do publicly, it's gain weight.
Lucky thing, then, that these Hollywood beauties had the willpower and time to get back to their fighting selves -- not to mention the funds for great trainers, personal chefs, nannies and (oh yeah) a few surgeons here and there. It seems to have been worth it because these starlets look pretty amazing these days.
Image © Amy Harris/Corbis
Janet Jackson: Heavy
Jackson has struggled with her weight all her life and has admitted that food is her "comfort place." In recent years, stress related to her brother Michael Jackson's death and the trial of his doctor were reportedly triggers for weight gain.
Janet Jackson: Slim
Ms. Jackson toned up thanks to her longtime trainer, who kept her from getting bored with exercise by switching between water sports and basketball as well as using a Core Stix machine designed for strength training.
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Miranda Lambert: Slim
Lambert was motivated to lose weight by her fans."When you have to walk out there in front of thousands of people, it does feel good to know that your s--t's not jiggling," she once said.
Jessica Simpson: Slim
The singer/actress/fashion designer lost a lot of weight for her role in Dukes of Hazard years ago, then gained it back before finally shedding it for good (or so it seems). Just check out her Instagram account to sneak a peek at her toned physique, courtesy of workouts five days a week.
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Christina Aguilera: Slim
After famously saying she'd gotten tired of "being a skinny white girl," Aguilera thinned out again, though not to the waif-like weight of her early career. She's looking pretty good these days!
Kirstie Alley: Slim
To achieve her latest slim-down -- she lost 50 pounds -- the actress returned to the Jenny Craig diet, which previously helped her lose 75 pounds. This time she added a twist, reportedly buying herself a bicycle to keep herself active while running errands or even going out with friends.
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Marie Osmond: Heavy
The singer has long said she developed food issues when performing with her brothers as a teenager. She was pressured by producers of her TV series, The Donnie and Marie Show, to slim down or risk tanking her career. That reportedly set off a string of crash diets and overeating that went on for years.
Raven-Symoné: Heavy
Here's a Hollywood reality check: Symoné says she's been wearing Spanx since her early teens, layering up to three underneath a minimizer. Despite pressure from TV bosses to lose weight, "I loved my thicky, thicky self," she once told Oprah.
Raven-Symoné: Slim
So why did she lose weight? To stop producers from needling her about it. After initially losing 70 pounds, she's reportedly found her happy, healthy medium.
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Sara Rue: Heavy
Stars really are just like us: For a long time actress Sara Rue struggled to fit into a size 14 dress, but she hated exercising. Then eight months before her wedding, she went on the Jenny Craig diet (becoming a celeb spokesperson, natch) in a quest to get lean.
Sara Rue: Slim
Looking amazing in a wedding dress is clearly a great motivator: The Impastor and Rules of Engagement star went from logging 10,000 steps a day at the start of her weight loss to being able to run for more than two hours. She even ran a mini marathon a month before her wedding.