Jim Gaffigan, the comedian known for his self-deprecating humor often centered around his love of food, has embarked on a weight loss journey that he's sharing with the world. Contrary to some celebrities who avoid disclosing whether they used medication to help them lose weight, Jim Gaffigan released a whole stand-up special, The Skinny, about his personal experience. Gaffigan, who once maintained a healthy diet by avoiding simple sugars and carbohydrates most of the time, has openly discussed his struggles with weight and his decision to use medication to manage it.
The Turning Point: Reaching 270 Pounds
In a 2024 interview with People, Gaffigan revealed that he decided to embark on a weight loss journey after reaching 270 pounds. “I feel good,” he told the publication. This marked a significant turning point for the comedian, prompting him to seek new strategies for managing his weight and health.
Embracing Mounjaro: A Hesitant Decision
The comedian was admittedly hesitant to use Mounjaro, which contains active ingredient tirzepatide. “I had very low expectations, because I did know someone that had tried it and they were like, ‘Oh no, I was just nauseous for a week,’” he said. When Gaffigan’s doctor recommended he take a medication that could help with weight management, he ultimately decided he wasn’t opposed to giving it a try.
The Role of Medication: Challenging Societal Norms
Gaffigan has been candid about his experience with Mounjaro, a medication containing tirzepatide. He lost 50 pounds taking Mounjaro, and made his health evolution a central point of the Hulu special. He also doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with people who take medications like Mounjaro and Ozempic. “It’s weird because we live in this society where people who eat too much are told that they just don’t have any self-control,” he told Us Weekly.
He challenges the societal stigma surrounding weight loss medications, arguing that for some, these medications can be a valuable tool. “The reality is, we can’t,” he responded. “Maybe our brains are a little wonky or whatever." “I would eat when I was hungry and I would eat when I was happy and eat when I was sad, and I would just eat,” he said.
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Lifestyle Adjustments: Diet and Exercise
Gaffigan’s fears of rebound weight gain haven’t stopped him from trying to make healthy adjustments to his lifestyle. He also adopted a very low-carb diet similar to keto, and eventually began intermittent fasting as well. “I’m not exercising as much, but it’s very much a walking city,” he noted to Men’s Health.
The Fear of Rebound: A Comedian's Perspective
Gaffigan also hasn’t been shy about his doubts regarding maintaining his new weight. In fact, he joked to his The Skinny audience that even after his weight loss, he planned to hold on to his “fat clothes.” He adds later: “I’m trying to enjoy being thin, because I know I’m going to be fat again."
A Look Back: Gaffigan's Relationship with Food
When we spoke to Jim Gaffigan in 2020, he said that he made it a point to avoid simple sugars and carbohydrates - most of the time. "I'm trying to not eat bread or sugar," Gaffigan said. "So it's rather depressing, but I would say I cheat, you know what I mean?" Rather than diving into America's best hits of chocolate cake, his idea of a cheat is a little more simple, however: just a bit of bread with dinner, when the recipe calls for it. For the most part, he tried to leave sugar behind, "except for, I'm eating a lot of fruit," he threw in. "A friend of mine made pickles, you know? Pickled things." He happened to have some pickled juice in a mason jar on hand.
Further challenging any preconceptions we might have of the comedian as an all-you-can-eat-buffet dweller, Gaffigan shared that he had also taken up gardening. "This is my zucchini phone, where I talk to people on the phone. It's a zucchini phone from the '80s!" Though he admitted that his seemingly infectious love of vegetables was, at least in part, an act for his children's benefit.
Although he told us back in 2020 that he had largely cut them out of his diet, Jim Gaffigan also made it clear that sweets and snacks still held a special place in his heart. He even kept empty snack boxes in his home office, using them as props, or memorabilia, or both, perhaps. "So this Twinkies and Ding Dong box is what I'm supporting my computer on, because, to make it eye level, I guess? I don't know," he said, holding up an enormous box he'd had his laptop perched upon.
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Gaffigan said that he still got cravings for foods he was no longer eating, though. "I mean, I love chips. I wish I could eat chips. I'm trying to not eat chips. In case you're wondering whether he is more of a salty or a sweet kind of guy, the comic admits that ice cream is his go-to treat. "But I also, I've got kids, so there's candy. I went through my 20s and there was no candy around. And then I had kids, and there's suddenly candy bars," he explained. "So I love a candy bar, and then there's the fake candy bars - there's these KIND bars, which are supposedly healthy, but they're just sugar." Another food Gaffigan dreams about is a relic from his past: "I have a strange attachment to bologna," he shared. "I would say bologna …
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