How Did Kelly Clarkson Lose Weight? Here's Everything You Need to Know About Her Journey

Ozempic has been a hot topic across the U.S. over the last few years, and celebrities have been a significant reason. It found its way into Jimmy Kimmel's opening monologue at the Oscars, and Chelsea Handler discussed how her doctor gave her Ozempic to lose some extra pounds (which isn't its purpose), though she didn't know she was on it. It spawned an entire Oprah primetime special.

Recently, another talk show host, Kelly Clarkson, entered the chat when she welcomed Whoopi Goldberg to the set of The Kelly Clarkson Show. Goldberg also lost significant weight and credited a "wonderful shot" (Mounjaro). Clarkson responded that she was also taking medication to control her weight despite some initial hesitancy.

"My blood work got so bad," Clarkson told Goldberg. One expert believes it is important that her viewers—and those who have read about the interview—heard Clarkson loud and clear.

“I think Ms. Clarkson is very brave to acknowledge her use of medication to help assist her health goals," says Dr. Meghan Garcia-Webb, MD, who is triple board-certified in internal medicine, lifestyle medicine and obesity medicine. "This can help destigmatize the use of these medications, which are life-changing for so many people.”

However, like us, celebrities can fall for dubious health claims and—however well-meaning and unintentional—share them. It's important to separate fact from fiction. Here's what to know about Kelly Clarkson's weight loss journey and what experts have to say about the safety and efficacy of the tactics she says she's tried. 

Related: Why Am I Not Losing Weight On Ozempic?

What Drug Is Kelly Clarkson Taking For Weight Loss?

Kelly Clarkson did not share the drug she chose to lose weight—only that it's not Ozempic, despite what some people believe.

"Everyone thinks it’s Ozempic—it’s not," Clarkson recently said during a conversation with Goldberg on her show. "It’s something else."

A new class of medication can help in blood sugar management—in fact, Ozempic, which Clarkson says she is not taking, is approved for people looking for help managing type 2 diabetes, not weight loss. While we don't know which medication Clarkson is taking, it could be Wegovy (semaglutide) or tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound).

"Semaglutide works by stimulating the GLP-1 receptor, and tirzepatide stimulates the GLP-1 receptor as well the GIP receptor," says Dr. Mir Ali, MD, a board-certified bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center. "These medications lower blood glucose, but also induce satiety and slow the emptying of the stomach so a person feels full for longer."

As a result, they eat less. "It’s something that aids in helping to break down the sugar," Clarkson said. "Obviously, my body doesn’t do it right."

Clarkson previously shared she was prediabetic, which prompted her to try to lose weight. “I wasn’t shocked,” Clarkson said in January 2024. “I was a tiny bit overweight...They were like, ‘You’re prediabetic. You’re right on the borderline.’ And I was like, ‘But I’m not there yet.’”

"Prediabetes is an indicator of metabolic dysfunction, which in turn is mostly caused by too much visceral body fat," says Dr. Benjamin White, Ph.D., MPH, RD, LDN, the nutrition director at Structure House. "In terms of health, metabolism and blood sugar, prediabetes is very much reversible."

Medications can be a tool. "These medications help with weight loss and sugar control," says Dr. Akhil Shenoy, MD, an endocrinologist and medical advisor at Aeroflow Diabetes.

In trials for tirzepatide, patients lost an average of nearly 21% of their body weight in 36 weeks. People taking 2.4 mg doses of semaglutide (the dose for Wegovy) lost an average of about 15% of body weight during a 52-week trial.

In addition to blood sugar management and weight loss, some people say they notice a mental health boost as they drop pounds on these drugs—which is great for them. However, Clarkson wasn't all that unhappy with pre-weight loss.

"I was not [miserable]," Clarkson said. Regarding her body image, Clarkson noted that she was "never insecure about it, I was happy."

In fact, she didn't notice a massive difference in weight until she watched a video of herself. "I paused it and I was like, 'Who the f— is that?'" Clarkson said.

Related: 'I'm a Registered Dietitian, and This Is the Most Important Vitamin for Shedding Belly Fat'

How Did Kelly Clarkson Lose Weight in 2023?

In addition to taking a drug to manage blood sugar, which is likely aiding in weight loss, Clarkson says she's made some lifestyle tweaks. A move to New York from LA helped her move her body more, she told People in 2023. "Walking in the city is quite the workout," Clarkson said. (Anyone who has ever seen how New Yorkers walk—and learned the importance of moving with the crowd—will immediately understand this one.)

Cardio, like brisk walking, is important, and a 2023-published study recommended people taking antiobesity medications get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. Clarkson didn't mention resistance training, like lifting weights, but the researchers also stressed the importance of doing so to compensate for lost muscle mass that can decrease with weight. They suggested people taking antiobesity medications add two days of strength training per week to a regimen.

She also hopped a few wellness trend bandwagons, saying she's "really into infrared saunas" and recently tried a cold plunge. Data is limited on the effects either have for weight loss.

Kelly Clarkson's Weight Loss Diet

One bandwagon Clarkson hasn't hopped on? Fad diets. “I eat a healthy mix,” she said in her 2023 People interview. “I dropped weight because I’ve been listening to my doctor. A couple (of) years I didn’t. And 90% of the time, I’m really good at it because a protein diet is good for me anyway. I’m a Texas girl, so I like meat."

Still, she hasn't eliminated foods from her diet. “I still splurge," Clarkson also told People. "The other night, I had a frozen yogurt with my daughter [River Rose], and it was magical."

However, Clarkson has tried one special diet in the past under her doctor's care. Clarkson has been open about autoimmune and thyroid issues. She previously told Extra she went on a lectin-free diet to lose weight.

"Lectins are proteins that are found in many plants, but especially legumes and whole grains," Garcia-Webb says. "The argument for a lectin-free diet is that lectins are part of a plant defense mechanism and that ingesting them can cause inflammation and autoimmune issues. In their active state, they can be hard to digest."

There are a few things to keep in mind here, though. "When cooked appropriately, the proteins are denatured and are much more digestible," Garcia-Webb says. "I would not recommend a lectin-free diet broadly for weight loss. I don’t generally recommend eliminating a class of food unless a person has a dietary intolerance or a disease that impairs their digestion, such as celiac disease or Crohn’s disease."

Dr. Shenoy shares these sentiments. "Clinical studies around lectins are lacking," says Dr. Shenoy. "Therefore, most claims of lectin-free diets are most likely exaggerated. For long-term weight loss, no single diet is better than another. The common denominator for weight loss is a calorie deficit."

Up next, Kelly Clarkson is not alone. Here's every star who's said they've used Ozempic, Wegovy and other weight loss drugs (so far)

Sources

• Ozempic FDA approval history. Drugs.com.

• Dr. Meghan Garcia-Webb, MD, who is triple board-certified in internal medicine, lifestyle medicine and obesity medicine

• Physical activity in the new era of antiobesity medications. Obesity.

• Dr. Mir Ali, MD, a board-certified bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center

• Dr. Akhil Shenoy, MD, an endocrinologist and medical advisor at Aeroflow Diabetes

• Benjamin White, PhD., MPH, RD, LDN, the nutrition director at Structure House.

• Continued Treatment With Tirzepatide for Maintenance of Weight Reduction in Adults With Obesity. JAMA.

• Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity. NEJM.