Grammy-award-winning singer Lizzo has been making headlines not only for her music but also for her openness about her health and body image journey. She has openly shared details about her fitness routine and diet, explaining that she’s not interested in doing anything dramatic. Her approach emphasizes a "weight-release journey," rather than weight "loss," focusing on a mindful and slow shift for her body. Lizzo's journey is a testament to prioritizing health, both physically and mentally, while maintaining a strong sense of self-love and body positivity.
Debunking Ozempic Allegations
Recently, Lizzo has had to address rumors about using GLP-1 medications like Ozempic to achieve her weight loss. She has candidly shut down these speculations, emphasizing that her progress is the result of dedication to weight training and maintaining a calorie deficit for the past five months. In an Instagram video, she lip-synced, “When you finally get Ozempic allegations after five months of weight training and calorie deficit.”
Her trainer, Corey Calliet, has also refuted these claims, stating, “She never wanted to do it, not one time. Ozempic doesn’t get this credit. She’s really working. She’s earning that body that she wants.”
The Three Pillars of Lizzo's Transformation
Lizzo credits her weight loss success to three key healthy habits: a high protein diet (with plenty of animal-based protein), a caloric deficit, and strength training.
High Protein Diet
Lizzo, a self-described “former vegan,” highlights the importance of a high-protein diet in her transformation. She transitioned back to animal-based protein after discovering its positive effects on her energy levels, weight management, and mental clarity. In a video entitled “What I eat in a day as a former vegan,” she explains how she was reintroduced to animal-based protein during a trip to Japan when a friend suggested she try a Japanese diet. “After tests and research, I found that animal proteins helped me have more energy, lose weight, and helped with my mental fog,” Lizzo said. “This is the diet that’s helped me reach my goals and helped me feel good in my body.”
Read also: Exploring Lizzo's Evolving Health Philosophy
Throughout the video, the singer shows off what she eats throughout the day, which includes a variety of protein-rich, low carb meals. Her meals often include:
- Egg white cups with cauliflower hash browns and fruit
- A buffalo chicken lettuce wrap
- Grilled chicken, asparagus, and carrots
Kristin Kirkpatrick MS, RD, a nutritionist at the Cleveland Clinic and co-author of Regenerative Health, told Healthline, “Protein fills you up (satiating), and anytime we increase one macronutrient, we often decrease another. Therefore, effective weight loss could be the result of both increasing protein, as well as lowering carbohydrates - both may be effective for weight loss.”
Kirkpatrick also emphasizes the importance of choosing quality protein sources, recommending options like wild salmon and eggs over processed red meat, and incorporating beans and legumes into the diet.
Caloric Deficit
Maintaining a calorie deficit is another crucial component of Lizzo's weight loss journey. Alyssa Kwan, MS, RD, a Clinical Dietitian in Cardiology at Stanford Medicine, explains, “A calorie deficit is when you burn more calories than you consume. In other words, the number of calories in must be less than the calories out. If you consume fewer calories than you expend, this may lead to gradual weight loss.”
While a high protein diet can support a calorie deficit, it is not a guaranteed outcome. The key is to ensure that the number of calories consumed is less than the number of calories expended through daily activity and exercise.
Read also: Lizzo's Well-being Secrets
Strength Training
In addition to diet and calorie management, Lizzo has incorporated strength training into her routine, hitting the gym five days a week. Her trainer, Corey Calliet, explained to Business Insider that Lizzo’s training focuses on high intensity circuit training. Strength training or resistance training refers to weightlifting or bodyweight exercises rather than cardiovascular exercise, like using a treadmill.
While cardio is effective for burning calories, strength training is essential for building and maintaining muscle mass, which improves metabolism in the long run. Kirkpatrick notes, “Resistance training and aerobic exercise should both be considered for optimal health. However, resistance training can specifically assist in building and maintaining muscle mass. Since muscle burns more calories at rest, it’s essential for both weight loss (to ensure loss of fat over muscle while losing weight) and weight loss maintenance.”
Lizzo's Evolving Perspective on Body Image
Lizzo has been a prominent figure in the body positivity movement, advocating for self-acceptance and challenging conventional beauty standards. She celebrated the results of that approach in January 2025, revealing on Instagram that she had reached her "weight release goal."“I did it," she said on Instagram Jan. 25. “Today when I stepped on my scale, I reached my weight release goal. 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!”
She’s Intentional About How She Talks About Her Weight and Weight Loss. While speaking with Jay Shetty on his podcast in April 2025, Lizzo explained that she considers her words carefully when it comes to weight. She uses the term "weight release" instead of "weight loss" to emphasize that the process is a mindful and slow shift for her body. "I want to be very intentional with the words that come out of my mouth," Lizzo said. "Because there's young people who are watching me and they're experiencing what I'm putting into the world and they're applying to their own experience and their own life like I did when I was a kid.""I saw how the media treated people who gained and lost weight and how that affected my brain chemistry."
However, her perspective has admittedly changed a bit over time.“The idea of body positivity, it’s moved away from the antiquated mainstream conception,” she said. “It’s evolved into body neutrality.”With this in mind, the 36-year-old is now more honest than ever when it comes to how she feels about her body.“There are some days I adore my body, and others when I don’t feel completely positive,” she said.
Read also: Evolving Wellness Journey
She's proud to be an inspiration In a September 2025, Instagram post, Lizzo wrote: "Somebody told me “thank you for giving me a safe space to celebrate my health journey wins” 🥲 all I wanna do is inspire people to enjoy their bodies no matter what." She also includes a before-and-after video of herself dancing while wearing workout attire.
She Doesn’t Exercise To Be Thin. When it comes to working out, being thin isn't Lizzo's end goal. “Heavy on the not trying to escape fatness,” she said.The singer then explained that she simply wants to live a healthy lifestyle and focus on her mental health. “I think a lot of people see a fat person that way and immediately just assume everything they’re doing is to be thin,” she said. “I’m not trying to be thin. I don’t ever want to be thin. Will my body fluctuate from this size? Will I get a little smaller depending on some of the choices I make or a little bigger, depending on some of the choices I make in my life. Yes, I’m used to fluctuating."
Lizzo's Daily Routine and Diet Adjustments
Lizzo shared the breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack that helped her reach her weight loss goal. “There’s a balance,” she said. “I think that’s what true health is.” She also opened up about her motivation to “release” weight. Lizzo is opening up about her weight loss journey, specifically the three meals she relies on to maintain balance. She opted to transition to a more traditional, balanced diet that focuses on protein and produce. Her go-to breakfast is two scrambled eggs, chicken sausage, and a cauliflower hash brown. For lunch, she will usually have a shredded Thai chicken salad or lettuce wraps stuffed with tuna or sliced chicken breast. Dinner is often turkey meatloaf with cauliflower mashed potatoes and green beans. “I have GERD [gastroesophageal reflux disease], so my body needs time to digest food before I go to sleep, so acid doesn’t roll up to my throat,” she explained. If she’s feeling snacky, she’ll have low-sugar Greek yogurt with honey and blueberries or blackberries. She also enthusiastically indulges the occasional craving for a donut or chicken and waffles. “There’s a balance,” she said. “I think that’s what true health is.” She also exercises five days a week.
She Starts Some Mornings With a Healthy Smoothie. Lizzo shared a video of her healthy morning routine in February 2024 and revealed that from time to time she likes to start the day with a smoothie made of cocoa energy powder, almond milk, banana and ice."My biggest flex is I am now an almond milk girlie. Though it tastes like a--, it has less calories,” she said. Her Meals Look Different Now That She’s No Longer Vegan. In October 2024, Lizza shared a video featuring everything she eats in a day as a former vegan.She starts her day with lemon water, followed by breakfast made of egg white cups, cauliflower hashbrowns and fruit. Next up is a glass of okra water, a buffalo chicken lettuce wrap with some mustard and homemade peach tea. For dinner, the singer opted for grilled chicken, asparagus and carrots.
Workouts and Exercise
She Loves Jump Rope Workouts. Jump rope workouts are a great way to sneak in some cardio wherever you are and can help build motor skills/agility while helping you lose fat and build muscle strength. In other words, it's no wonder Lizzo is a fan of the fun exercise method.In 2020, the singer shared a video of herself doing a jump rope workout outside while her personal trainer cheered her on. “I’m taking the time every day to put some love into my body,” she said. “There is never a day when I regret taking a walk or doing some Pilates.” She Gets Her Cardio In on the Treadmill or by Walking Outside. When it comes to cardio, Lizzo enjoys walking outdoors or on the treadmill but doesn't go overboard. "So because my Pilates regimen is pretty intense, I don't go crazy on the treadmill. I just walk and I would actually prefer to walk outside, but you know.
She’s Seriously Strong. Lizzo doesn’t skimp out on her strength training routine. In recent years, she’s shared several videos of herself killing her workouts at the gym. From weight lifting to rope exercises and everything in between, the singer is seriously strong as hell. She Does Circuit Training. In June 2024, Lizzo shared a video with some highlights of her circuit training workout, which consists of a series of exercises, including squats and weight lifting.“I do circuits. So I do three rounds of three to four different exercises about 12-15 times,” she explained. Lizzo's workout also incorporated moves with an exercise ball and a kettlebell.
Intentional Weight Release
Lizzo has shared that she's been in on "intentional weight release journey" since 2023. "With passion comes hard work and high standards," she wrote on Instagram. "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 an entertainer who is credited for trailblazing the body positivity movement, Lizzo has received pushback for her “weight release” journey, as she calls it. She’s not obligated to explain them, but she did tell Women’s Health that she had her reasons. Firstly, she was dealing with radiating back pain from discs under pressure. She was also on a journey to heal from her anxiety and struggles with binge eating, she explained. “There were times when I would eat so much that my stomach hurt. When I was done, I would be so uncomfortable, I couldn’t breathe and wouldn’t let anyone know. I would hide it,” she said. “I had so much food noise and connected so much emotion to food. If I were sad, anxious, stressed, or working a lot, I would snack and just eat constantly. And then I would wait for everybody to leave, secretly order two separate meals on a food delivery site, then order dessert on a separate one.”
Embracing Body Positivity
Lizzo makes it clear that just because she is a new size does not mean that anyone is unworthy of the spotlight. “Body positivity has nothing to do with staying the same,” she said. “Body positivity is the radical act of daring to exist loudly and proudly in a society that told you you shouldn’t exist.”
She’s Confident in Everything She Wears. In May 2025, Lizzo shared a series of posts modeling swimwear form her brand Yitty. In one video, Lizza dons a bikini, a one-piece with cutouts and swimsuits with more coverage. No matter what she had on, her attitude never wavered as she celebrated styles that cater to various body types and fashion styles.