Mikayla Nogueira, the social media influencer renowned for her makeup expertise and collaborations with brands like TULA, Kosas, and KVD Beauty, has recently become the subject of much discussion regarding her weight loss journey. Despite speculation and false claims suggesting the use of medications like Ozempic, Nogueira has been transparent about her commitment to a natural and healthy approach.
Addressing the Ozempic Accusations
Nogueira has directly addressed the rumors surrounding her weight loss, firmly denying the use of any medications. She attributes her progress to lifestyle changes focused on building a healthier relationship with food, exercise, and her body image.
Overcoming Binge Eating Disorder
A significant part of Nogueira's journey involves her recovery from a binge eating disorder. She explained that "when you go through recovery and stop binging, sometimes you lose weight with that." This honest revelation resonated with her followers, many of whom shared their own experiences and offered support.
A Holistic Approach to Health
Nogueira emphasizes that her weight loss is a result of "better food choices, better life choices." She is prioritizing her mental and physical well-being by focusing on developing a healthy relationship with food and exercise.
Nogueira's Favorite Recipe: Burger Bowls
Nogueira shared one of her favorite recipes, a "burger bowl," as an example of a meal that helps her feel full and satisfied. The recipe includes grilled patties, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, shredded cheese, and croutons. She also mentioned that her husband, Cody Hawken, enjoys them as well. "If you haven't figured it out already, these are burger bowls," Mikayla said atop a clip of her plating meat, cheese and vegetable ingredients for her favorite recipe.
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Body Image and Fashion Adjustments
The influencer shared that she's also made adjustments to her fashion choices and even had to stop wearing her wedding rings as a result of the major physical transformation. "The reason is this s--t doesn't fit me," she told her followers in a Jan. "I need to get that fixed and I will," she continued.
Drawing Inspiration from Others
Nogueira's journey echoes the experiences of other public figures who have openly discussed their weight loss and body image struggles.
Tammy Slaton
Tammy Slaton, star of "1000-lb Sisters," underwent bariatric surgery and has since lost a significant amount of weight. "I’m down 500 pounds now, around 500,” the 38-year-old said in a confessional on an April 2025 episode of her show. “When I was at my heaviest, I was 700-plus pounds. Her doctor, Eric Smith, emphasized the importance of "making small, daily adjustments" for long-term success. “Tammy has consistently demonstrated her dedication to making sustainable lifestyle changes to maximize the benefits of her surgery,” Dr. Eric Smith told People in October 2024. “I've emphasized the importance of making small, daily adjustments to ensure not only her continued progress but also her long-term success. Surgery is “not the end,” he advised.
Jelly Roll
The singer Jelly Roll has also been candid about his weight loss journey, attributing it to a change in his relationship with food and a focus on mental health. "I started at 540 pounds and I was 357 pounds this morning,” the singer born Jason DeFord told Pat McAfee in April 2025 during the ESPN host's Big Night Aht live show. The 6-foot-1 artist admittedly needed to overhaul his relationship with food to get where he wanted to go. "I've always said that I believe obesity is directly connected to mental health," he explained on an October 2024 episode of On Purpose With Jay Shetty. "I'm learning, I'm being very diligent with it,” he said. “My mantra is ‘something is better than nothing,’” he told People in a June 2025 interview.
Jason Kelce
Even professional athletes like Jason Kelce have spoken about the benefits of weight loss on their physical well-being. All of which is part of his retirement plan. “I feel like for some reason, 250 to 260 feels like I'll be still big and be happy with the way I look without having a six-pack,” Kelce told GQ in June 2024. Then weighing in at 277, “my back already feels better,” he shared. “My knees already feel better.
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Sheryl Underwood
The former View cohost had recently gone shopping for better-fitting clothes in Dublin. “I’m one of those people,” she said, “who's always had a weight issue and now that I'm a size large, instead of an XL or a 2XL, I find it shocking.”
Jazz Jennings
Jazz Jennings embarked on a diet-and-fitness journey in 2022, explaining on Instagram two years later, “I finally care about myself after years of neglecting my health. I had truly let myself go when it came to eating.
Richard Simmons
Meanwhile, Christopher did not let a certain seven-time Mr. “It’s not an overnight thing, but it took a lot of trial and error,” he shared in May 2025 at the Inaugural Beacher Vitality Happy & Healthy Summit, noting that just giving up bread made a big difference.
Patrick Schwarzenegger
“I could never go and say to him, 'You’re overweight,'” dad Arnold told The Times in June 2025. "We just kept introducing healthy foods. We introduced him always to the gym and all of that kind of stuff. And then, out of nowhere, he decided that he wanted to be lean. And now he is. So that is of course fantastic, the self-discipline and the self-motivation.
Chrissy Metz
To Metz, aging gracefully means “staying strong and flexible,” so she tries to be active every day.
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John Goodman
Being a big teddy bear of a guy was part of the package when John Goodman starred on Roseanne in the 1990s, at one point “pushing 400” pounds, as he told David Letterman in 2010. “I just got tired, sick and tired of looking at myself,” Goodman told ABC News in 2016. “You’re shaving in the mirror and you don’t want to look at yourself.
Oprah Winfrey
Her goal with the special, Winfrey explained, was to “start releasing the stigma and the shame and the judgment-to stop shaming other people for being overweight or how they choose to lose or not lose weight-and more importantly to stop shaming ourselves."
Lizzo
“Even at the end of my weight loss journey, I'm not going to be considered thin by any means,” Lizzo said. “Let this be a reminder that you can do anything-anything-you set your mind to,” she added. “Now I guess it’s time to set new goals.”
The Importance of Self-Acceptance
Nogueira's journey underscores the importance of self-acceptance and prioritizing health over conforming to societal beauty standards. She is focused on developing a positive body image and fostering a healthy relationship with food, rather than striving for an unrealistic ideal.
Fan Support and Positive Reinforcement
Nogueira's fans have shown overwhelming support for her honesty and vulnerability. Many have praised her for being a role model and for promoting a message of self-acceptance. Followers even reassured her that despite any personal struggles, she remains beautiful inside and out. “Girl, you always look amazing,” one fan wrote.