Selena Gomez, a globally recognized celebrity with a massive Instagram following, has often found her weight and body image under intense public scrutiny. Whether she experiences weight gain or loss, it consistently becomes headline news, sparking speculation and commentary. This article delves into Selena Gomez's approach to diet and exercise, her struggles with health conditions, and her journey toward body positivity and self-acceptance.
The Unrelenting Scrutiny of Body Image
Selena Gomez's weight has been a topic of public discussion for years. At the 2024 SAG awards, comments about her weight gain flooded social media, with some suggesting she should use Ozempic. Body image advocate Alex Light highlighted the hypocrisy in an Instagram post, contrasting Selena's treatment at the 2024 and 2025 SAG Awards. Celebrities have spoken out about the harsh commentary, noting that it's a cruel world full of hate and that you can never please everyone. It's a reminder that the shape, color, or appearance of your body isn't what matters.
The relentless focus on women’s bodies in the media has historical roots, contributing to the objectification and scrutiny women face. This reflects the cultural belief that weight gain needs explanation or apology, while weight loss is praised. These messages shape how we see our own bodies and compare ourselves to others. Weight fluctuations are normal, influenced by illness, stress, aging, medications, and life itself. No one owes the world an explanation for their body's appearance, and how you look is the least interesting thing about you.
Navigating Chronic Illness in the Public Eye
Selena Gomez has openly shared her experiences with chronic illnesses, offering a glimpse into the challenges of managing health in the public eye. In 2013, she was diagnosed with Lupus, an autoimmune disease causing the immune system to attack its own tissues. Her battle with Lupus has been difficult, affecting her mental health and leading to anxiety, depression, and panic attacks.
Weight changes are a common side effect of medical treatment for chronic illnesses. For Selena, her health is the priority, not conforming to Hollywood standards. She has said that when taking medication for Lupus, she tends to hold water weight, and when off the medication, she tends to lose weight. She emphasizes that everyone is beautiful and wonderful.
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Speculation about Selena's use of Ozempic has also surfaced, but these claims are unsubstantiated, and she hasn't addressed them. Focusing on someone’s weight, especially when tied to medical conditions, is reductive and disrespectful.
Embracing Body Positivity and Self-Acceptance
Selena Gomez has been vocal about the pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards and has faced intense public scrutiny over her body. Her journey with body image has been complicated, and her confidence didn’t come overnight. She recalls feeling uncomfortable at the 2015 Met Gala due to her weight fluctuations.
Selena is aware of her influence on others. In her documentary, My Mind & Me, she confronted how her past struggles with body image were shaped by impossible beauty ideals and how her words could impact those who look up to her. She realized that she was aspiring to be something unattainable without significant financial investment, a feeling she didn't want to impart to others.
Balanced Approach to Diet and Exercise
Selena Gomez’s approach to food and movement is grounded in balance and self-care, not restriction or appearance-based goals. She has never promoted a specific diet, and her diet and exercise align with Intuitive Eating principles. Her trainer emphasizes a non-restrictive approach, avoiding weighing, dieting, or rigid food rules, and prioritizing whole, nourishing foods for energy and stamina while allowing flexibility. Selena has also showcased her love of food through her cooking show, Selena + Chef.
Amy Rosoff Davis, Selena's trainer, helps her with workouts, lifestyle, and diet, believing that clients shouldn't restrict ingredients unless medically necessary. She encourages nutritious, satisfying, and healthy meals, acknowledging that enjoying life includes tasty meals and treats. Selena follows this advice, eating healthily but not depriving herself of foods she loves. She focuses on balance, choosing healthy options like carrots and hummus over fast food.
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Dietary Choices
Selena focuses on balance when it comes to her diet:
- Hydration: Drinking plenty of water and green tea.
- Rest: Getting enough rest to reduce caffeine cravings and mindless snacking.
- Fresh Ingredients: Choosing fresh ingredients to motivate healthy eating.
- Cooking Skills: Learning new cooking skills to prepare her own food.
- Lemons: Adding flavor and vitamin C with lemon water or lemon on salads.
- Persian Cucumbers: Enjoying crunchy, low-calorie, vitamin-rich pickled cucumbers as a snack.
- Avocados: Including avocados in most meals for their deliciousness, filling properties, and healthy nutrients.
- Fruits and Veggies: Juicing fruits and vegetables before performing.
- Ginger Shots: Starting the day with a ginger shot to boost metabolism, feel full, and reduce appetite.
- Breakfast: Enjoying Tex-Mex-inspired burrito bowls or full-fat Greek yogurt with granola for a protein, fat, and carbohydrate-rich start to the day.
- Lunch: Opting for salads with greens, turkey, beans, and avocado with homemade dressing or chicken salad with grapes and celery for hydration and protein.
- Dinner: Choosing Asian-inspired teriyaki bowls with marinated cucumber, avocado, and salmon or chicken over rice, or sushi.
Exercise Routine
Selena works with Amy Rosoff Davis, who prioritizes interval and circuit training. This approach burns calories in a short time. It’s important to listen to your body, adjusting activities based on how you feel each day. Most of Selena’s workouts combine cardio intervals with yoga-like stretches for endurance and muscle toning. She also enjoys Pilates, hiking, spinning, and dance cardio to avoid ruts. Stretching after every workout is essential for cooling down.
Amy Rosoff Davis believes that it is important to keep your muscles active by mixing up the workout routine. Selena and Amy do everything from Pilates to hiking to dance cardio to circuit training to yoga and spinning. Stretching helps keep muscles long and lean, improves performance, helps joints, and enables muscles to work to their best ability.
A sample workout routine might look like this:
- Monday (20 mins): Warm-up, spot-jogging/jogging, lunges, squats, jumping jacks, and stretching.
- Tuesday (20 mins): Warm-up, jumping jacks, lunges, squats, crunches, push-ups, jogging, and stretching.
- Wednesday (30-45 mins): Warm-up and circuit training.
- Thursday (60 mins): Warm-up and Pilates.
- Friday (60 mins): Rest.
- Saturday (60 mins): Warm-up, yoga, and meditation.
- Sunday: Rest.
Rare Beauty: Adaptive vs. Maladaptive Appearance Investment
Selena Gomez’s beauty brand, Rare Beauty, promotes self-acceptance and mental well-being, emphasizing that makeup should be a form of self-expression, not a tool for chasing perfection. This aligns with adaptive appearance investment, using appearance practices in a way that reflects identity and values, such as wearing makeup for fun or choosing styles that express personality. Maladaptive appearance investment involves placing excessive importance on looks, feeling distressed without certain beauty practices, or prioritizing appearance at any cost. Rare Beauty encourages using makeup to celebrate individuality and creativity rather than to conform to a certain look.
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Shifting the Narrative
Instead of speculating about weight, which reinforces harmful stereotypes and pressures people to prove they are “healthy” based on appearance, it’s important to focus on Selena’s legacy as an award-winning artist, entrepreneur, and mental health advocate who uses her platform to create positive change. We can change the narrative by not treating weight as newsworthy and not equating thinness with health. Bodies change, and confidence fluctuates, but our value remains constant.
Practical Tips for a Healthier Lifestyle
Drawing inspiration from Selena Gomez's approach, here are some simple and practical tips for your weight loss journey:
- Start Slowly: Begin with one healthy change at a time, like increasing water intake or adding more vegetables to meals.
- Focus on Whole Foods: Prioritize whole, unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, while avoiding junk and fried foods.
- Enjoy Physical Activity: Find an exercise or physical activity that you enjoy and do it regularly, whether it's walking, dancing, or yoga.
- Practice Mindful Eating: Use smaller plates, eat slowly, and stop when satisfied, not stuffed, to savor your food and recognize when you’ve had enough.
- Stay Hydrated: Swap sugary drinks for water, aiming for 8-10 glasses a day.