From her early days on "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" to "Mama June: Family Crisis," Mama June Shannon has shared a raw look at her life's highs and lows for over a decade. While navigating family drama and her battle with addiction, Shannon also took viewers along for the ride as she embarked on a weight-loss journey in her series "Mama June: From Not to Hot." Mama June has detailed her weight loss journey with fans for years, sharing the positives, negatives, and various setbacks she’s had with maintaining a healthy weight.
Gastric Sleeve Surgery and Initial Weight Loss (2015)
The series "Mama June: From Not to Hot" chronicled Shannon's weight-loss journey, including the gastric sleeve surgery she underwent in 2015. Per the Cleveland Clinic, the procedure "removes a large portion of your stomach, leaving behind a narrow 'sleeve.'" Reducing your stomach helps restrict calories and reduce hunger signals. This surgery is offered to help people with clinically severe obesity achieve effective weight loss," the Cleveland Clinic adds.
Per Shannon, she went from 550 pounds to 311 pounds on the day of her surgery. "And in six weeks, I went from 311 all the way down to 195,” she told her Instagram followers in April 2024.
When she plateaued in her weight loss, Shannon started working with weight loss expert Kenya Crooks. In 2017, he told People how he helped rework Shannon's diet. “We had to change how she looked at food. We had to cut down the portions, because she used to eat really, really big. So we had to change how she ate, how she worked out, and just put it all together!” he said.
In April 2017, Shannon gave ET an update on her weight. “I’m in the 160s. I’m probably four or five pounds off from being there,” she said.
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Maintaining Weight Loss and Lifestyle Changes
June Shannon (a.k.a. Mama June) says that she had already cut out soda by the time she decided to undergo her weight-loss journey. She says she went “cold turkey,” giving up her usual three to four Mountain Dew Code Reds a day after she was in car accident and was told by a neurologist that she needed to stop drinking cola.
Since June was such a soda lover, Kenya suggested trying out fruit-infused water instead. “For people who don’t like to drink water by itself, what we’ve done is we’ve thrown some strawberries and kiwi in there,” Kenya says. But infusing fruit into water takes a little time, so Mama June drinks Propel flavored waters when she’s busy. “Propel has great flavors like Grape and Wild Cherry and Kiwi Strawberry,” she says “Honestly, to me, they taste like soda.
For people with a sweet tooth, Kenya says it’s also a good idea to swap watermelon for less healthy treats to help satisfy cravings. “The cool thing about watermelon is that it’s basically 92 percent liquid,” he says. Chips are also a big no-no, Kenya says-he recommends having apple chips or grapes instead-and Mama June says she’s definitely on-board with the grape swap.
Mama June has been proud of her weight loss and isn’t afraid to show off the results-she’s been posting photos on social media of her slimmed-down body. “I’ve worked my ass off working out, getting healthy,” Mama June said during her show’s finale. “And now I feel like becoming the person on the outside that I always felt like on the inside.”
Weight Regain and Challenges
For a few years after her bariatric surgery, Shannon's weight stayed stable. “Since then, I kinda kept off the weight. I stayed at like 130, 140, 150 and to me I looked super skinny and just wasn’t used to that,” she said in an Instagram video.
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When her daughter Anna Cardwell was diagnosed with adrenal cancer, Shannon became one of her primary caregivers and she instantly experienced an uptick in her stress levels. While focused on caring for Cardwell, who died in December 2023, Shannon didn't have much time to focus on eating properly. “I have noticed over the last year and a half that I’ve really put on weight,” she said in her video.
The reality star estimated that she regained 120-130 pounds of the weight she had previously lost. Per the Mayo Clinic, this is not unusual following weight-loss surgery. "It’s also possible to not lose enough weight or to regain weight after any type of weight-loss surgery, even if the procedure itself works correctly.
Recommitting to Weight Loss and Semaglutide
Earlier this year, however, Shannon acknowledged that she'd gained back over 100 pounds in recent years and was ready to recommit to a healthier lifestyle. After starting out around 280 pounds in April 2024, Shannon is down to 245.4 pounds as of July 8, 2024. As she seeks to reach her goal weight later this year, we're taking a look back at the reality star's weight loss journey.
Mama June is being very transparent about her weight loss journey. After revealing her plan to start using semaglutide to help get her weight back under control, the “Mama June: Family Crisis” star (born June Shannon), 44, shared that she lost 30 pounds in the two months since she began taking tirzepatide. “I was against it because I had a gastric sleeve,” she said during a visit to Page Six’s studio with her daughters: Jessica “Chubbs” Shannon, Lauryn “Pumpkin” Efird and Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson.
In April 2024, Mama June revealed she’d gained 130 pounds and had started taking weight loss injections. “I’m not on the shot. I haven’t been on the shot in quite a while,” she shared. “I tell you all the time, if you choose to go on the weight loss shot, it has so many benefits. Not just for weight loss, but for, like, people who have like PCOS, women’s issues, people who have inflammation, people who have other issues going on,” she told In Touch.
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She considered revisional bariatric surgery In April 2024, Shannon revealed she had previously considered revisional bariatric surgery, a procedure that can "repair or change a previous weight loss surgery," per Penn Medicine. Food & Drug Administration, there are three FDA-approved semaglutide products: Ozempic injection, Rybelsus tablets and Wegovy injection.
The reality star shared the news in an Instagram video and explained that she was starting off by taking four units of the medication for four weeks then would adjust her dosage with the help of her doctor.
Over the last few months, Shannon has been sharing regular updates with her social media followers. After a month of taking weight-loss medication, the reality star reported that she'd lost 16 pounds. At the end of June, Shannon told Us Weekly she'd dropped 30 pounds so far and shared the name of the exact medication she'd been taking: tirzepatide.
“I was against [tirzepatide] because I had a gastric sleeve,” she said of her decision. “I probably lost 30 pounds in like eight and a half weeks,” she shared. Though, the quick drop in June’s weight has made Efird nervous about her using the drug. “I just feel like every other time mom has lost weight so quickly, she’s gained it back, plus more each time. You know?” she said.
Shannon has been open about her weight loss journey, previously chronicling her extensive surgeries, including a gastric sleeve in 2015. It turns out her decision to get off semaglutide came by accident. “I left my medication at home and realized in 10 days I could do without it,” she says. That doesn’t mean Mama June has put her health concerns behind her. “I’m still dealing with health issues now,” she says. Thankfully, she has her daughter Alana Thompson, a.k.a. Honey Boo Boo, by her side. “She’s been dumbing it down for us,” Mama June says.
“Not judging anyone who’s on the weight loss shot because if you are then it’s fine, but I don’t take the weight loss shot anymore due to the fact that it is a stepping stone, but it’s not a fix-all, be-all,” she says while promoting season 7 of Mama June: Family Crisis. “You have to make it a lifestyle change.
Efird continued, “She didn’t eat right, she didn’t go to the gym. The series was rebranded as “Mama June: Family Crisis” in Season 4. Season 6 premieres on June 14. This time seems to be different for the mother of four, however. While she dropped 30 pounds in a fairly short amount of time, she also said she’s been transparent about monitoring her routines and eating habits. For example, Shannon recently revealed she gained one pound. I don’t really like bread, carbs and all that, so I’m okay with not even eating that,” she said. “I’m trying to get the 80 grams and 100 grams of protein, but when I did that last week, I gained a pound. So, now I gotta go back down to like 40 or 50 grams of protein versus what they say:100 grams. I can’t do it. A new season of “Mama June: Family Crisis” will premiere on June 14 on WEtv.
Incorporating Exercise
In addition to using weight-loss medication, Shannon has been stepping up her workout routine. It’s about being able to be healthy, being here for moments in life that you need to be here (for). And especially you want to be around for your children’s life, you want to be around for the grandkids. “My kids and Justin say I’m way too strict. And Kaitlyn (my granddaughter) says I’m way too strict. But for me, I know this is what I want.
Fan Reactions and Support
On Sunday (August 3), the longtime reality star took to Instagram to share a slideshow of photos documenting her ups and downs from over the years. The final snap showed Mama June flaunting her slimmer figure in a pair of skinny jeans.
Fans jumped into the comments of Mama June’s latest Instagram post to share their reactions, with one user writing, “You look awesome! “You are looking great keep it up! I did gastric sleeve surgery a couple years ago and have maintained so far. “Stunningly georgeous 🔥🔥. One fan added, “Looking good June 🙌🔥 I’m on that journey too.