Lizzo says her much publicized weight loss in recent years has actually not been a loss at all.
The “Still Bad” singer explained on the April 7 episode of Jay Shetty’s “On Purpose” podcast that she’s chosen to call her body transformation a weight release, rather than a loss, because it better reflects the many benefits it’s brought her.
“The weight that is no longer on me is not just fat or physical. I released so much to get to this point and I think people can see that and I don’t want to describe anything as loss,” she explained. “I’m not experiencing any loss. I’ve actually gained so much.”
The musician then listed a few of the many positive results of her new diet and exercise routine.
“I’ve gained, like, a sense of self. I’ve gained, like, a lifestyle that I actually really love and I’m like, ‘I can maintain this.’ I’ve gained new perspective on, like, nutrition and the science behind cardio and weight lifting,” she said.
“People aren’t going to understand this right now, but it’s the most body-positive way to experience what I’m going through. I don’t want to use any negative terms,” she added.
The Grammy winner credits her longtime love, comedian Myke Wright, for inspiring her to reframe how she thinks about her new physique.
“My man, he’s so funny. He was the one who kind of like brought it to my attention at first because at first I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I lost five pounds.’ He was like (concerned face), ‘Where did it go?,’” Lizzo said, laughing.
Though she was at first a little “mad” about Wright’s comment, she later realized it made her think about her fitness journey in an “interesting” new way.
“It was like, ‘I don’t think I want to lose anything,'” she recalled thinking. “‘I think I want to win. I think I want to gain.'”
Lizzo told Shetty she tries to be mindful when she speaks about her body transformation in public because she knows her words have an effect on others.
“I want to be very intentional with the words that come out of my mouth because there’s young people who are watching me and they’re experiencing what I’m putting into the world and they’re applying it to their own experience and their own life just like I did when I was a kid,” she said.
She added, “I saw how the media treated people who gained and lost weight and how that effected my brain chemistry.”
The musician noted that she still catches herself thinking harmful ideas from “toxic diet culture.” But she’s trained herself to “swat” away those ideas “like a fly,” she said, waving her hand in front of her.
Lizzo told Shetty when she finds herself thinking those negative thoughts, she reminds herself, “This is your body. You only get one of these. Enjoy her and let her enjoy you.”
