Everything Kelly Clarkson Has Said About Weight Loss Through The Years

With all of the accolades that singer, author, and talk show host Kelly Clarkson has amassed over the years, it can be said that she has an undeniable talent and level of mass appeal that most pop stars and celebrities can only dream to achieve. However, it seems that regardless of what is going on in her career, the media has still insisted on devoting much of its attention to Clarkson's physical appearance. And unfortunately, as is the case with many other celebrities, this has resulted in plenty of unwarranted scrutiny and criticism directed toward her body and weight. 

Though for the most part, "The Voice" coach has brushed off these comments and kept it moving, she's occasionally made a point to hit back at the critics. She once responded to someone on Twitter who body shamed her postpartum figure by declaring that her appearance had no effect on her being awesome, and also gave us the empowering body positivity anthem "Whole Lotta Woman." But, along with giving us her tweets and beats, the star has also made a point to speak out several times about all the work it took to develop a positive body image and lose weight in a healthy manner despite Hollywood's pressures.

While it may be in some people's best interest to reflect on how they might be able to improve themselves, Clarkson has admitted she believes this can create unnecessary insecurity and competition. In her case, she mentioned in a 2015 interview with Redbook Magazine, that while she wishes she "had a better metabolism," her weight has always been the last thing on her mind as an entertainer. She previously echoed this sentiment with a US Weekly interview in 2012, declaring," I love performing no matter how big or little I am! I feel good."

Clarkson then clarified that while she understands it's valid for someone to want to change something about themselves, she believes it's equally important to express gratitude and appreciate qualities that you do possess. "There are just some people who are born skinny and with a great metabolism–that is not me," she told Redbook. "[S]omeone else probably wishes they could walk into a room and make friends with everyone like I can. You always want what someone else has," she stated.

When it comes to physical appearance, it can sometimes become easy to fall into feelings of insecurity, with all of the media we consume on a daily basis. However, following Clarkson's advice, we shouldn't lose sight of how our unique physical features make all of us beautiful in our own way.

In 2015, less than a year after giving birth to her second child, River, Kelly Clarkson appeared on "The Graham Norton Show." Unfortunately, this television moment resulted in a myriad of haters flooding the internet to comment on Clarkson's postpartum body. One of more nasty comments came from British television personality Katie Hopkins, who tweeted,"What happened to Kelly Clarkson? Did she eat all of her backing singers? Happily I have wide-screen."

Shortly after the Hopkins' tweets went viral, Clarkson addressed the discourse surrounding her body during an interview on the Ellen Degeneres show. In the segment, the singer spoke about how fat shaming was not new to her, noting that she had been experiencing it since winning American Idol in the early 2000s. "I love that people think that's new. Welcome to the last 13 years," she remarked to DeGeneres. "People are like, 'I'm so sorry that lady in London was so mean to you.' And I'm like, 'Are you serious? Get in line."

As for Hopkins' comments, Clarkson ended up taking the high road by clapping back in the best way: Showing off her confidence. In a 2015 interview with Heat World, the star shared she wasn't phased by the insensitive remarks because at the end of the day, she felt confident in who she was — and that's what mattered most. "[...] if I'm happy and I'm confident and feeling good, that's always been my thing. And more so now, since having a family – I don't seek out any other acceptance," she said.

Despite plenty of research saying otherwise, it's not uncommon for people to people assume that because someone, especially a celebrity, has a low BMI, that it must mean they are healthy. However, Clarkson made it clear this is absolutely not in the case. 

In a 2017 interview with Attitude, the singer revealed that one of the most unhealthy periods of her life was right after American Idol — when she was her thinnest. She highlighted how the stress and pressure that surrounded her as a budding artists caused her to lose weight unhealthily, but that no one around her had any idea. "I was miserable, like inside and out, for four years of my life. But no one cared, because aesthetically you make sense," she told the outlet.

Though Clarkson has never shared if she was dealing with any particular mental health diagnosis, her revelation serves as an important reminder that someone's physical appearance is not necessarily an accurate representation of how they might be doing mentally or emotionally. Even physically-speaking, a thin person doesn't always equal a healthy person. Sometimes unintended or rapid weight loss can even be symptom of mental health issues, like depression.

In an incredibly relatable 2018 tweet, Clarkson said what many people must think about on a regular basis when they embark on a new fitness journey: "This just in.... I still hate working out. I'm sweaty, red, and not any thinner."

It is no secret that working out is physically demanding and even mentally straining for some. While the importance of physical activity is often emphasized, people don't tend to give other people grace when they begin their fitness journey. However, as Clarkson notes, this process might not necessarily be enjoyable, and we all have to begin somewhere. As well, even if you are seeing positive results, that may not mean that the act of working out is suddenly fun or enjoyable for you. It's a great reminder to all of us to show some compassion and kindness for people who are going out and trying to improve their overall health.

When discussing her lifestyle with People in 2024 years later, "The Voice" made it clear she still wasn't big on exercise, but found that she enjoys strolls through the city with her dog and kids to keep her body moving. "Walking in the city is quite the workout," she remarked to the publication. 

Clarkson has made it clear she's not letting her weight define her worth. Speaking to Glamour UK in 2020, the singer emphasized how proud she felt that what she had accomplished, as both an artist and television presenter, had little to do with her appearance, and everything to do with her talent. "I got on the No. 1 television show at my heaviest point, because it was right after I had kids, and it was like they didn't care," she told the publication. "I connect with people and I'm really raw and real. It had nothing to do with my sex appeal or my look aesthetically. It had to do with me as a person."

Since joining "The Voice," Clarkson has gone through several physical changes — from being initially postpartum to losing 50 pounds in 2024. For the singer, she's well aware of the significance of her being able to present herself authentically to an audience of this scale.She understands in that same Glamour interview that she believes Hollywood celebrities have a social responsibility to break the myth that one has to be thin to be successful."I think it's really up to artists to force people to have that mentality," she said. 

Following her 2018 weight loss, Clarkson unfortunately became the subject of numerous rumors, including that she was taking various pills and crash dieting to keep the pounds off. Never one to shy away from calling out those spreading falsehoods, Clarkson took to Twitter in May 2019 to shut down the stories once and for all. 

"Other fake news that's going around about me is that I've been taking weird pills 4 weight loss or doing weird fad diets. All of this is not true," she tweeted. She went on to say that the only alteration to she made to her diet came in the form of the use of different ingredients, suggesting she was still eating the same, but with healthier substitutions. That same year, Clarkson elaborated to Extra about the specifics in her lifestyle change. She credited her dietary changes to following The Plant Paradox by Dr. Stephen Gundry, which suggests following a lectin-free diet — which avoids legumes, potatoes, and certain types of vegetables.

Although it remains unclear whether Clarkson still follows a lectin-free diet as of 2024, it seems her priority is still simply being healthy rather than achieving numbers on a scale. "I dropped weight because I've been listening to my doctor — a couple years I didn't," she told People of her 2024 weight loss. She then added that she found high protein diets to be the most effective for her, as they don't deprive her of anything she enjoys eating.

There's no denying that Kelly Clarkson's confidence in the spotlight is inspiring. But what arguably makes her even more  admirable is her willingness to be open and honest about her body image — including the work it took to become comfortable in her own skin.

That very topic became the subject of a 2022 episode of her talk show when she interviewed Valerie Bertinelli to discuss their shared struggles with weight, body-image, and loudly loving themselves despite society and the entertainment industry's expectations. Clarkson pointed out that she learned very early on in her career to love and accept herself because she knew there would always be someone who would talk, no matter what her weight.  "[...] I think so many things happened to me when I was young about my weight that, even at a young age—like, so many things got said—that's whenever I was just like: 'Whatever, I'm not gonna please anyone,'" Clarkson said.

Speaking to Glamour in November 2023, Clarkson reiterated that she feels proud to advocate for body acceptance. "But people like me [need] to talk about it, so I don't really mind carrying that flag. I love that people come up to me and say: 'Because you are comfortable in your skin, you have made me more comfortable in mine.' That's the best compliment ever."