Oprah Winfrey's weight loss and transformation has caught attention: Here's what she has shared

Oprah Gail Winfrey's weight loss has been one of the most talked-about health transformations in recent memory. Since first using a GLP-1 weight-loss medication in 2023, the media mogul has shed approximately 40 to 50 pounds — and she has been remarkably open about how she did it. Far from a quick fix, Oprah's weight loss journey combines medication, daily exercise, and a complete rethink of how she relates to food and her body.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key takeaways

• Oprah Winfrey began using a GLP-1 weight-loss medication in 2023, confirming this publicly in People magazine in December 2023
• She has lost an estimated 40–50 pounds since beginning her transformation
• A CBS News interview in early 2026 revealed she now weighs approximately 155 pounds
• She briefly stopped the medication and regained 20 pounds, before resuming the GLP-1 treatment
• In December 2025, Oprah co-wrote a book on obesity, Enough, with Dr. Ania M. Jastreboff

Profile summary

Full name	Oprah Gail Winfrey
Born	29 January 1954
Age	72
Birthplace	Kosciusko, Mississippi, USA
Height	5 ft 6½ in (1.69 m)
Weight (current)	Approx. 155 lbs (70 kg)
Occupation	Media mogul, actress, author, philanthropist
Partner	Stedman Graham (1986–present)
Net worth	Approx. $3.1–$3.2 billion
Instagram	@oprah (~22.5M followers)
Known for	The Oprah Winfrey Show, Harpo Productions, OWN

How did Oprah Winfrey lose weight so fast?

Oprah's transformation did not happen overnight. She underwent double knee surgery in 2021, which sparked her journey towards better health and wellness. That recovery became a turning point.

She adopted a regimen of hiking and setting distance goals, experiencing increased strength and vitality. She also embraced habits like a 4 p.m. last meal, consuming a gallon of water daily, and employing WeightWatchers principles.

The real shift came with medication. On The Oprah Podcast, she confirmed she took a GLP-1 agonist — a specific type of weight-loss medication. Some brand-name GLP-1s include Ozempic and Trulicity, though Winfrey has not revealed a specific brand.

What is a GLP-1, and why did she use it?

Oprah said on The Oprah Podcast that she took a GLP-1 agonist, a class of weight-loss medications that works by mimicking the hormone GLP-1, which the body releases after eating, helping people feel full and slowing stomach emptying.

Her epiphany about obesity changed everything. Her epiphany came in 2023 when she hosted a special featuring experts on obesity, helping her realise that "overeating doesn't cause obesity. Obesity causes overeating" — calling that moment "the most mind-blowing, freeing thing I've experienced as an adult." She said:

"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."

Was it just the medication?

Oprah has been emphatic that the medication alone is not the answer. She told People:

"I know everybody thought I was on it, but I worked so damn hard. I know that if I'm not also working out and vigilant about all the other things, it doesn't work for me."

She added: "The combination of the medication and hiking every day and resistance training has given me the body that I had when I was running a marathon."

Her fitness progress has been dramatic. She documented her fitness evolution in a before-and-after video, showing that in 2024 she could barely hold a plank for 10 seconds. "Planks are the most challenging exercise for me. My first one in 2024 lasted 10 seconds. Now I can do them for over a minute, with weights," she wrote in the caption.

What is Oprah Winfrey using for weight loss?

The former talk show host began taking GLP-1 weight loss medication over two years ago, when she realised her lifelong struggle with her weight was due to obesity — a word she had previously "avoided."

For years, Oprah had been critical of weight-loss medication, calling them an "easy way out." But she revealed she turned to medication to help manage her weight, in addition to her already established habits of exercise and healthy eating.

The medication also had an unexpected benefit. According to Winfrey, her past self "could outdrink everyone at the table" until she started using GLP-1s in 2023. An unexpected benefit was a lack of interest in alcohol, as she needed to drink more water to avoid unpleasant side effects.

What Oprah discovered about thin people

Speaking on her podcast with obesity expert Dr. Ania Jastreboff, Oprah shared a revelation about hunger and willpower.

"One of the things that I realised the very first time I took a GLP-1 was that all these years I thought that thin people had more willpower. They ate better foods... They're eating when they're hungry and they're stopping when they're full. I realised the very first time I took the GLP-1 that they're not even thinking about it."

Why she stopped — and started again

In December 2025, Oprah opened up about how she briefly stopped the GLP-1 medication in early 2024 to "beat the medication," but resumed after gaining 20 pounds in one year.

She has since said she learned from the experience that being on the medication "is going to be a lifetime thing."

Oprah also stepped away from the Weight Watchers board in 2024 to avoid a conflict of interest due to using medication.

How much weight has Oprah Winfrey lost?

In a recent interview with CBS News, Winfrey revealed that she is now down to 155 pounds, which she aims to maintain.

After starting the GLP-1 medication, Winfrey feels like "everything is just calmer and stronger," with the medication helping her "manage the messages that are being sent to your brain about overeating."

Shame has also been a major theme of her journey. In an interview with People, she said: "It was public sport to make fun of me for 25 years. I have been blamed and shamed, and I blamed and shamed myself."

Winfrey discussed her struggles with losing weight and the media's obsession with her size during a March 2024 ABC special, called An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution.

Oprah Winfrey stands 5 ft 6½ in (1.69 m) tall. She has never publicly disclosed her starting weight, but multiple reports place her peak weight significantly above her current figure of around 155 lbs.

Not because 211 is her ideal weight, but rather a "set point" — a genetically influenced weight range — Oprah calls it the "enough point."

Latest news

Oprah's transformation has remained in the public eye well into 2026. In March 2026, Oprah Winfrey stunned at Paris Fashion Week with her new slimmed-down figure. She was spotted arriving at the Chloé runway show looking noticeably thinner in high-waisted jeans, a cream-coloured top, and a brown jacket.

In December 2025, Oprah discussed her new book, Enough, co-written with obesity expert Dr. Ania M. Jastreboff, telling People: "I feel more alive and more vibrant than I've ever been."

The book details her full journey with obesity and GLP-1 treatment. Oprah reveals her remarkable transformation in Enough, sharing how GLP-1 medication helped her overcome lifelong obesity struggles and food obsession.

For Winfrey, using GLP-1s has been a game-changer in her seventies, with the entertainer declaring: "I feel more alive and more vibrant than I've ever been."

Oprah Winfrey's net worth

According to Forbes, as of December 2025, Oprah's empire is worth a hefty $3.2 billion. Sources vary slightly — Oprah Winfrey has seen her net worth rise by $100 million since the start of the year, reinforcing her position among the world's billionaires.

Her wealth comes from multiple streams:

• The primary driver of her fortune is Harpo Productions, the media company she founded in 1986, which includes the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) and a long history of syndicated talk-show licensing.
• Her portfolio expanded to include O, The Oprah Magazine, partnerships with WeightWatchers, and the launch of her own cable channel, OWN.
• Strategic investments — including her stake in Apple and real estate — have also played a key role in growing her fortune.

FAQs

1. What did Oprah use to lose weight? Oprah confirmed she took a GLP-1 agonist, a specific type of weight-loss medication. She has not named the specific brand.
2. How much weight has Oprah lost in total? Winfrey has revealed she is now down to 155 pounds. Reports suggest she has lost between 40 and 50 pounds overall.
3. Did Oprah have weight-loss surgery? Oprah has not had weight-loss surgery. Her transformation is the result of diet, exercise, and a medically prescribed GLP-1 treatment.
4. How tall is Oprah Winfrey and what does she weigh? Oprah stands 5 ft 6½ in (1.69 m) tall and currently weighs approximately 155 pounds, per her own CBS News interview.
5. Why did Oprah stop taking the GLP-1? She briefly stopped in early 2024 to "beat the medication" but resumed after gaining 20 pounds in one year.
6. Did Oprah leave Weight Watchers because of her weight-loss medication? Yes. Oprah stepped away from the Weight Watchers board in 2024 to avoid a conflict of interest due to using medication.
7. What is Oprah's book about obesity? For years Oprah seemed powerless against a fluctuating weight problem, until new medications and a new attitude gave her a breakthrough. She talks about this in Enough, a new book co-written with Dr. Ania Jastreboff, about her weight-loss success.
8. Has Oprah encouraged others to use GLP-1? Winfrey has said: "If you have obesity in your gene pool, I want people to know it's not your fault. I want people to stop blaming yourself for genes and an environment you can't control. I want people to have the information, whatever you choose to do with it, whether you get the medications, or whether you want to keep dieting."

Tuko.co.ke also highlighted facts about Kelly Osbourne’s changing appearance, weight-loss journey and the treatments she has discussed publicly.

After losing 85 pounds following gastric sleeve surgery, Osbourne said she went too far while trying to lose weight after pregnancy — and denied using Ozempic.

Source: TUKO.co.ke