It's easy to look back at the times in our lives when we loved the number we saw on the scale. Now, many people in their mid-twenties think about the extra pounds they've put on since then and wonder if there's ever any chance at moving the needle on the scale. This prompts some to try different approaches to weight loss, with varying degrees of success.
The Tone It Up Experiment
One such experiment involved an individual trying Tone It Up's (TIU) eight-week challenge. Tone It Up was founded in 2008 by Karena Dawn and Katrina Scott (also known as K&K) who first gained fame for their incredible fitness videos and workout plans. The expectation was to lose weight through daily workouts and a nutrition overhaul. However, after eight weeks, the scale didn't budge. Despite the lack of weight loss, the individual's body and relationship with it, totally changed.
Beyond the Scale: A Body Transformation
Prior to starting the Tone It Up plan, the individual was petite but didn't have any visible muscle tone. Tone It Up totally changed that. Though they didn't lose weight, they lost inches (an inch around the arms, two inches around the waist, an inch around the hips, and-weirdly-an inch around the neck). On top of that, changes in their body were visible. As a girl who previously had no upper-body strength, they became obsessed with checking out their shoulders and triceps. The jeans that used to fit a little too snug now lay nicely on top of a strong core. And the booty strength that Tone It Up founders Karena and Katrina fixate on?
Flexibility and Customization in Workouts
There are a lot of things they loved about the plan. First up, the daily workouts are so easy to fit into a hectic schedule. Let me say this again: They are SO FLEXIBLE. As a freelance writer, their days almost never look the same, and the lack of a routine is the number-one thing that gets in the way of their workouts. Because Karena and Katrina also keep a full library of workouts on the site in addition to the daily workouts, there's so much room to customize. If a long run had their legs feeling like jelly and that day's workout was lower body, they simply switched it up for abs or arms. There are also workouts as short as 10 minutes, so they really felt like they had no excuse not to do at least one daily.
Nutrition and Food Choices
Keeping up with the nutrition plan was harder. Like most diet plans, the TIU meal plans lean heavily on the assumption that you can prepare the majority of your own meals. That said, the recipes provided in the meal plan are tasty and definitely not boring. And they particularly loved that they included such a big focus on why you should make certain food choices over others (plant-based protein, for the win!). Surprisingly, they found themselves gravitating toward a lot of vegetarian options with this plan-shocking for a notorious carnivore.
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The Shift in Perspective
At the end of the eight-week plan, they felt noticeably better about their body, even though they didn't lose any weight. The bottom line: Weight is just a number. How their body and they look and feel (kickass!) is another matter entirely.
The Ozempic Craze and Celebrity Use
As weight-loss drugs have exploded in popularity this past year, part of the craze has been members of the public wondering which celebrities are on Ozempic. The drug is approved to treat Type 2 diabetes and has weight loss as a prominent side effect, so it's often prescribed off-label for this reason. The active ingredient in Ozempic, semaglutide, is also approved to treat obesity under the name Wegovy. (Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic, previously told TODAY.com in a statement that it does not support off-label use of its medications.) Examples of other similar drugs include Mounjaro, approved for diabetes, and Zepbound, approved for obesity, both made by Eli Lilly.
It’s hard to escape the numerous Ozempic before-and-after photos on social media of people who have seen drastic results while using the medication. And whenever a celebrity has appeared looking slimmer as of late, the Ozempic accusations always follow. There are a few celebrities who've spoken openly about taking weight-loss medications. Here's what they've said. (If you are interested in trying a weight-loss medication, talk to your doctor first.)
Celebrities Who Have Spoken About Weight Loss Medications
Chrissy Teigen
In Sept. 2025, Christy Teigen revealed she turned to Ozempic following her 2020 miscarriage, during an episode of her podcast Self-Conscious. She said that, at the time, it was her response to her “deep depression of seeing this pregnant belly with no baby in it.”“My body was completely stuck,” she said. “I really let myself indulge when I was pregnant. So, when I had lost that baby at 20 weeks, I had probably gained an extra 40 pounds that I wasn’t comfortable with.”Teigen said she also struggled with the reduction in hunger cues often associated with medications used for weight loss. “It was frustrating for me because I know that logically you need food to have energy,” she added.
Serena Williams
After the birth of her second child, Serena Williams turned to a GLP-1 medication to help with weight loss, she revealed exclusively to TODAY. The tennis star said she's proof that you can do everything right and still struggle to lose weight. Combined with her professional training, Williams would "walk for hours," she switched to a vegetarian diet, then a vegan one and, still, she struggled to shed the pounds. “A misconception is that (a GLP-1 is) a shortcut,” she told TODAY.com. “As an athlete and as someone that has done everything, I just couldn’t get my weight to where I needed to be at a healthy place - and believe me, I don’t take shortcuts.”Since using a GLP-1, Williams says her blood sugar levels have improved and her joints feel lighter.
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Meghan Trainor
Following a big win at the 2025 Billboard Women in Music awards, Meghan Trainor noticed most of the comments were about her body rather than her accomplishment. "…It’s a little disheartening that so many of the questions (and comments) were focused on my body instead of my music, my passion, or the decade of hard work that got me here. This is what it’s like to be a woman in the music industry," she wrote on Instagram. She pointed out that she's worked with a dietitian and a trainer to be the best version of herself for her children and that process also included turning to the weight loss drug Mounjaro. "I’ve worked with a dietician, made huge lifestyle changes, started exercising with a trainer, and yes, I used science and support (shoutout to Mounjaro!) to help me after my 2nd pregnancy. And I’m so glad I did because I feel great," she said.
Oprah Winfrey
During an interview with People in December 2023, Winfrey revealed that she takes a weight-loss drug, but didn't specify which one.“I now use it as I feel I need it, as a tool to manage not yo-yoing,” she said. The TV personality, who has spoken at length about her weight struggles throughout her career, told People the drug helps her maintain a healthy weight. “The fact that there’s a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift, and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for. I’m absolutely done with the shaming from other people and particularly myself,” she said. Once upon a time, Winfrey considered weight-loss drugs an "easy way out," but she's changed her tune since then. “I realized I’d been blaming myself all these years for being overweight, and I have a predisposition that no amount of willpower is going to control,” she said.
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson revealed during an episode of her talk show when speaking with Whoopi Goldberg that she is taking a drug to help her lose weight, though she didn't specify which one. “Everyone thinks it’s Ozempic - it’s not. It’s something else,” Clarkson said. “But it’s something that aids in helping break down the sugar. Obviously my body doesn’t do it right.”Clarkson added that taking a weight-loss medication has been "really good" for her, even though she was hesitant to try it at first due to past health issues. “My doctor chased me for like two years, and I was like, ‘No I’m afraid of it, I already have thyroid problems,’” she said. She ultimately decided to try it “because my blood work got so bad,” she said.“My heaviest, I was like 203, and I’m 5 foot 3 and a half,” Clarkson continued. “It’s funny because people assume, ‘Oh she must’ve been miserable, depressed, whatever,’ and I was like, ‘No I was not.’”
Kathy Bates
Kathy Bates recently shared that she lost 100 pounds over the past seven years thanks to lifestyle changes as well as Ozempic.“There’s been a lot of talk that I just was able to do this because of Ozempic,” Bates told People. “But I have to impress upon people out there that this was hard work for me, especially during the pandemic. It’s very hard to say you’ve had enough.”She also opened up about her weight loss journey on during an October 2024 appearance on "The Drew Barrymore Show."“I’ve recently gone on Ozempic and everybody said, ‘Oh, she did it with Ozempic’ but that’s not true. I started doing that about a year ago for my diabetes and that’s helped me lose the last 15 pounds or so,” she told Barrymore. “But even with the Ozempic, I still have to pay attention (to my eating.”
Harvey Fierstein
The Broadway legend shared that he lost 120 pounds using Zepbound. He tried it after reaching 310 pounds during the COVID-19 pandemic."What’s different is what the drug actually does for you, which is: I don’t feel like I’m dieting,” Fierstein told Page Six. “I feel like a normal person. I can go and have dinner with friends and not have to eat every piece of bread on the table, and then not go have ice cream when I’ve done with dinner.”“People don’t understand that being fat is not a choice,” he added. “It’s something that your body is out of whack and this puts your body in whack.”Fierstein shared that after going off the medication, he regained about 15 pounds but has stayed at around 200 pounds.
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Jim Gaffigan
Comedian Jim Gaffigan told People in November 2024 that he lost 50 pounds using Mounjaro. He made the decision to try the medication after reaching 270 pounds.“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. “And then I thought my true joy of eating would overpower anything.”But it turned out to be an effective approach for him. "I feel good,” he told People. “I’m just grateful because it’s such a better life.”He added that he's sharing his experience to destigmatize weight-loss drugs.“I almost thought it was kind of odd that people were resistant to talking about it. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it. There’s people walking around that obviously do not have blonde hair - yet they do. I don’t think that’s weird, either. It’s just whatever gets you through," Gaffigan said.
James Corden
James Corden said he tried Ozempic but it was not that effective for him in September on his podcast."I tried Ozempic, and it won’t be surprising to you when you look at me now, that it didn’t really work,” Corden said. “I tried it for a bit and then what I realized was I was like, ‘Oh no, nothing about my eating has anything to do with being hungry.’ All this does is make you feel not hungry."
Kandi Burruss
The former Xscape member revealed that she tried a weight-loss drug on the Virtual Reali-Tea podcast in June.“Last year, I tried it. I saw so many people who were trying it and losing weight. So I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to try this.’ And I didn’t lose any weight," she said."My doctor was like, ‘I don’t know what the problem is, I’m not seeing this in other people.’ … It didn’t curb my appetite. I know some people are like, ‘Oh, I can’t eat.’ Not me. I was eating appetizers, a regular meal and dessert. It didn’t stop anything for me."She had mental health struggles when the drug didn't work for her, she said: "It makes you depressed. Realistically, it makes you feel like, ‘What is wrong with me? Why is it not working for me?'"
Amy Schumer
While chatting with Andy Cohen in June 2023, Schumer confirmed that she did try Ozempic "like a year ago" but quickly stopped due to the side effects. “I was one of the people that felt like sick, I couldn’t like play with my son,” she said during an episode of “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.”Despite the results she began to see, Schumer said it wasn't worth it to continue taking the drug. “You’re like, ‘OK, this isn’t livable for me,’ but I immediately invested because I’m like, ‘Everyone and their mom is going to try it,’” she said.The comedian also encouraged other celebrities to be more honest if they are using Ozempic or similar medications.“Everybody (is) lying, everyone’s like, ‘Oh, smaller portions,’ like shut the f--- up, you’re on Ozempic or one of those things,” she said. “Just be real with the people.”In order to "keep it 100" with her fans and social media followers, Schumer revealed she was taking Mounjaro, a prescription drug that’s approved to treat Type 2 diabetes and also commonly prescribed for weight loss. In the video, posted on Instagram March 2025, she revealed that she'd had a “really good experience” on Mounjaro. Before that, she'd also tried Wegovy which she said she couldn't "handle."
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg told Kelly Clarkson that she had lost the weight of "almost two people" since starting Mounjaro, a medication approved to treat Type 2 diabetes.“I’m doing that wonderful shot that works for folks who need some help and it’s been really good for me,” Goldberg told Clarkson after she commented on how youthful Goldberg looks. “It’s all the weight I’ve lost.”The EGOT winner previously revealed she was taking Mounjaro on "The View" in March. “My weight has come and gone, and up and down, but it’s never been an issue for me because I don’t listen to what other people say about me so it has never been a problem,” she said. “But I think it’s very hard for people to just know what a normal weight would be. … Everyone has something to say but no one said, ‘How you doing?’ Because it involves so many other things.”
Tracy Morgan
While appearing on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna in August 2023, Morgan approached the topic of his Ozempic use in a comedic way.“You’ve been working on your body and on your health,” Hoda Kotb said.Morgan cheekily replied: "No, that's Ozempic. That’s how this weight got lost."It initially seemed like a joke, but he later confirmed it was true. “I went and got a prescription and I got Ozempic,” he said. “And I ain’t letting it go!” In a March 2024 appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," Morgan said he's gained weight on Ozempic. “I’ve learned to out-eat Ozempic. I out-ate Ozempic. I’ve gained 40 pounds,” Morgan quipped with a joking tone. It's not clear if Morgan is still taking the medication, but gaining weight after stopping a weight-loss drug is common, research shows.
Sharon Osbourne
Osbourne has been open about her weight struggles over the years and recently revealed that she had taken Ozempic to help manage her weight. However, she felt she lost too much weight and didn't want to continue the medication.“I lost 42 pounds now and it’s just enough,” she said during an episode of Piers Morgan’s podcast, per E! news. “I didn’t actually want to go this thin, but it just happened and I’ll probably put it all on again soon.”She added that she experienced nausea as a side effect “You don’t throw up physically but you’ve got that feeling," she said. "I was about two, three weeks where I felt nauseous the whole time. You get very thirsty and you don’t want to eat. That’s it.”
Heather Gay
In November 2023, the "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star told People that she was "on the Ozempic train" and had been taking it "for a long time.""I haven’t had massive results, but enough for people to notice, which is great," she added.
Chelsea Handler
During a January 2023 appearance on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, Chelsea Handler said that her anti-aging doctor "just hands (Ozempic) out to anybody."“I didn’t even know I was on it. She said, ‘If you ever want to drop 5 pounds, this is good,’” Handler recalled. When the comedian returned from a vacation, she said decided to take an injection of the drug, not fully understanding what it was."I went to lunch with a girlfriend a few days later, and she was like, ‘I’m not really eating anything. I’m so nauseous, I’m on Ozempic,’” she said. “And I was like, ‘I’m kind of nauseous too.’ But I had just come back from Spain and was jet-lagged.” At that point, Handler stopped using the medication.“I’m an irresponsible drug user, but I’m not gonna take a diabetic drug," she said. "I tried it, and I’m not going to do that. That’s not for me. That’s not right for me.”
Remi Bader
When she was pre-diabetic and gaining weight in 2020, Bader's doctor recommended that she try Ozempic.“They said I need this. And I had a lot of mixed feelings,” she told People in January 2023. “A few months later, I went off it and got into the bad binging.”“It was making me thin…
The Importance of Body Transformation
When starting on a fitness journey, the most common question asked is, “How long will it take before I see results?” The answer to that question largely depends on your starting point and desired outcome. Can you truly see results from working out in 4 weeks? Certainly. A consistent workout and diet plan will help you tone up and shed fat, revealing a more defined physique. A body transformation is when you change your body composition, meaning the ratio of fat to muscle mass, through diet and exercise. When most people think of “transforming their body,” they generally want to lose fat and/or build muscle.
Measuring Progress Beyond the Scale
A common mistake many women who aim to transform their body in four weeks make is obsess over the scale. I mean, if you’re shedding pounds, the numbers on the scale should be moving downward, right? The reason the scale isn’t always the best measure of success is that as you lose fat and build muscle, your weight may stay relatively the same - or even increase. So, how do you know if you’re making progress if the scale doesn’t show it?
- Body Measurements: Take measurements of your chest, waist, hips, and thighs.
- Progress Pictures: Take pictures of yourself at the beginning of your transformation, and then take one picture each week.
Achieving a Ripped Physique in Four Weeks
Here, we use the term “get ripped” rather loosely-we’re not talking about getting shredded like a bodybuilder or fitness model. The best way to get ripped in 4 weeks is to follow a consistent workout and diet plan. If you want to see results quickly, you need to be consistent with your workouts. This means working out at least 3 to 5 times per week. Your workouts don’t have to be long either. So, what’s the best way to structure your workouts? A combination of cardio and strength training is always a good place to start. As for how to split up your cardio and strength training, that will depend on your goals. If you’re looking to lose fat, doing more cardio is generally the way to go.
Strength Training for Maximum Results
There’s a method to strength training that will help you maximize your results. In addition to compound exercises, you’ll also want to include some isolation exercises in your workouts. When strength training, it’s also important to focus on progressive overload. If you’ve mustered up the courage to crush your weight loss goal, let Betterme take the sting out of this demanding process. Reasons why BetterMe is a safe bet: a wide range of calorie-blasting workouts, finger-licking recipes, 24/7 support, challenges that’ll keep you on your best game, and that just scratches the surface!
Cardio and HIIT Workouts
When it comes to cardio, it’s not about how long you work out, but rather the quality of your workout. HIIT workouts are a great way to get in a quick, effective cardio workout. In addition to HIIT and sprints, you can also do other forms of cardio like swimming, biking, or rowing.
The Importance of a Healthy Diet
Working out is only half the battle. There are a lot of different approaches to eating healthy, but one of the simplest is to focus on whole, unprocessed foods. When it comes to losing fat, one of the most important things you can do is to create a calorie deficit. There are a few different ways to create a calorie deficit. You could always count calories and measure everything to a T, but most beginners find that overwhelming and time-consuming. A more straightforward approach is to focus on eating healthy, whole foods and reducing your portion sizes. In addition to eating fewer calories, you’ll also want to make sure you’re eating the right types of calories. Protein is the most filling macronutrient and it helps you build muscle.
The Role of Hormones
One commonly overlooked factor in body transformation is hormones. For example, women have higher levels of estrogen, which can cause them to hold onto more fat. Some hormonal conditions such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) can also make it harder to lose weight. Aside from medical conditions, there are also certain life stages that can impact hormones. Pregnancy and breastfeeding can also impact hormones and cause weight gain. Lifestyle choices may impact different hormones in your body. For example, stress can affect the hormone cortisol, which can lead to weight gain. So, if you want to lose fat and tone up, it’s important to manage stress levels. Sleep is another important factor in hormone regulation. So, if you want to lose fat and tone up, make sure you’re getting enough sleep.
Sample Workout Routine for a 4-Week Body Transformation
Below is a workout routine that will help any woman achieve a complete body transformation in just 4 weeks. Before starting any workout, it is always important to warm up your muscles first. After warming up, it is also beneficial to do some dynamic stretches.
Full Body Workout
Below are four different workouts that should be done 2 to 3 times per week. This workout should focus on compound exercises that work on multiple muscle groups at the same time. It is important to select a weight that allows you to complete the desired number of repetitions without sacrificing form.
Upper Body Workout
The upper body workout has a combination of compound and isolation exercises targeting the muscles of the chest, shoulders, back, and arms.
Lower Body Workout
This workout focuses on the muscles of the lower body including the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Just like the other workouts, be sure to select a weight that allows you to complete the desired number of repetitions without sacrificing form.
HIIT Workout
This is a high-intensity interval training workout that should be done 2 to 3 times per week. HIIT workouts are a great way to burn fat and improve cardiovascular endurance (2).