Oprah Winfrey credits weight loss pills for her weight loss and drinking habits.
The media mogul, who once claimed she could “drink more than everyone at the table”, has completely given up alcohol since she started using the GLP-1 weight loss drug two-and-a-half years ago.
“I hardly remember the kind of woman I became. But she is a happy woman,” Winfrey told People magazine in Tuesday’s cover story.
Her indifference to alcohol was an unexpected but positive perk, as the former “Oprah Winfrey Show” host recalled that she was “a big fan of tequila.”
“I literally had 17 shots in one night,” she admitted. “I haven’t had a drink in years. It’s amazing that I don’t even have the desire to drink anymore.”
The OWN founder, who turns 72 next month, also explained how GLP-1 drugs have changed his relationship with diet and exercise.
She no longer “constantly punishes” herself with strict rules, and even finds herself enjoying exercise with routines like “side planks and deadlifts.”
“I thought it was a matter of discipline and willpower. But I stopped blaming myself,” Winfrey explained. “I feel more alive and vibrant than ever before.”
Weight-loss drugs have also improved her self-confidence after decades of being publicly “shamed” for her weight.
“I was always confident in everything I did, but at the same time I was disappointed in my overweight body,” she said. “Was it embarrassing? Yes. Was I disappointed in myself because I kept failing? Yes, every time. I felt like it was my fault.”
The author of “What I Know for Sure” revealed that she had long tried to be “at peace” with her overweight body, but continued to believe that she had “failed” because she couldn’t lose weight and improve her health.
“I was 211 pounds and not healthy,” she said. “A lot of people say they can be fat and still be healthy, but I wasn’t. I was pre-diabetic and had high cholesterol.”
Winfrey declined to reveal her current weight to the outlet, but previously revealed that she is closer to her goal of 160 pounds thanks to weight loss drugs.
She also hasn’t yet revealed the specific brand name she uses, but it could be a drug like Wigoby, Munjaro, or celebrity-favorite Ozempic.
Winfrey was initially hesitant to try GLP-1 drugs. That’s because I thought it was the “easy way out” and felt it was my responsibility to fix my weight.
However, once her perspective on obesity changed and she realized that it was a disease, she decided to begin her weight loss journey with medication.
A few months after starting the injections, Winfrey decided to temporarily stop taking them in early 2024. She continued to eat healthy and exercise, but quickly regained the weight. Now she knows the drug will be “for life” and is happy with that.
