Oprah has always been very open about her battles with her weight. In 1990 she hit her heaviest at 237, but Bob Greene came to her rescue with The Best Life Diet, and she dropped to 160 by 2006. By 2007, she was fit and healthy and even ran a marathon. 
This year, she went vegan for a 21-day cleanse.
In the latest issue of O magazine, however, Oprah talks about gaining weight, admitting that she hit the "dreaded 2-0-0." For her height and weight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that puts Oprah in the obese category, since her BMI is 31.8. She's concerned that the extra weight puts her at risk for health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Since she has issues with her thyroid, she had a fear of working out, and she said, "I was so frustrated I started eating whatever I wanted — and that's never good." She also said, "I'm embarrassed. I can't believe that after all these years, all the things I know how to do, I'm still talking about my weight. I look at my thinner self and think, 'How did I let this happen again?'"
As Oprah is always looking to better herself, she's planning to get back in shape in 2009 with her upcoming Best Life Week series beginning Jan. 5.
Drykorn
Jimmy Choo
Hot Diamonds
Nope.
1I guess I'm surprised because she's got a terrific support system and I always think someone is going to succeed, esp. her. I think she looks amazing. She is beautiful.
2No when you brown nose you tend to injest alot of calories.
3Do not care option? She found a way to milk it though.
4Meh, weight never stays the same. She'll be a healthy weight before we know it. I bet you anything come the March Issue, she'll be 170 or better.
5I really want to cry, wow she still looks great but the before - just wow!
6She has a yo-yo diet mentality and always has. Remember back in the day when she got really thin? And then she regained it all overnight. No amount of advice, no personal chef, no personal trainer can MAKE you lose weight...you have to want to do it on your own.
7Whatev.
She allows people to photoshop the hell out of her body (and face) every damn month on the cover of her magazine, all the while urging others to 'be their best selves.' Way to go, Oprah. Practice what you preach, why don't you?
Yeah, I am not a fan.
8Why do thyroid issues make exercise a problem?
9soapbox, u read my mind! but i actually was shocked when i saw that picture up there. never saw her that thin!!! i thought she was a little thinner than now but wow!! she was actually THIN back then in 2006
10I don't understand!People like Oprah and other celebrities have all the support to maintain their weight and healthy lifestyle you can possibly get!Best nutritionists,personal chefs,access to the best gym facilities,extra money to spend on clean,organic food,spa treatments...all you they need to do is to follow advises...how hard is that???Just enjoy the trip and get a kick of these privileges!
11I'm not surprised. Losing and maintaining weight is all about willpower and she admittedly didn't have it when she started eating "whatever she wanted." You can have the best money can buy, but if you don't have willpower, it's not worth much.
12Ditto Spectra- losing weight and keeping it off and staying healthy is totally up to one's self and you have to control your urges and keep yourself focused . . no amount of money/connection to celebrity trainers and chefs can keep you at your healthy or ideal weight . . .
She needs to suck it up and work hard like us plebeians, and she should read FitSugar she'd get all the tips she needs without paying anyone!!!!
13I didn't know she had thyroid issues. Wouldn't that be why she has trouble maintaining her weight?
14This is coming from nowhere near a high horse, but I've followed a similar path as O - my weight has fluctuated as much as 40 pounds since graduating high school 9 years ago, some due to the Freshmen 15 in college and some due to just not giving a damn. I've finally made that mind-body connection - I woke up one day, right around my 25th bday and thought, "I'm tired of hating how I look and feel. And the only person who controls it or can change it is...ME!" Once I made the mental decision that maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle had to be a) a permanent state of mind and b) a non-negotiable responsibility to myself just like paying taxes, it's become so much easier. It truly has to be a change in your way of thinking - it doesn't mean you have to never eat fried food or mac & cheese or work out every single day of your life. It means making it a conscious decision to treat your body well as much as possible - all the money and trainers in the world can't make that commitment for you. It has to come from within.
15I'm sorry, does she have VISIBLE ABS in that first picture?!
There's photoshop, and then there's just are-you-freaking-KIDDING-me?!
16I agree with eadavenp. Why in the heck would a thyroid issue make you AFRAID of working out? I would like to know more about that comment. Seems so... odd.
17Losing weight and maintaining the weight loss requires a lifestyle and mindset change.
I lost 32 lbs in 2007 and everyday I am aware that to keep it off I must work out, limit my "treats" and not eat my feelings. An sundae won't fix a bad day......
I feel bad that anyone, even Oprah, finds themselves in that kind of cycle.
181st i'm NOT surprised... however i feel sorry for her in this department...
i think maybe her absolute messed up childhood could be apart of her need for so much food...some people use food as a void: she was raped, got pregnant and then had a miscarriage she was treated like dirt by step mother and molested etc... i'm clearly no specialist but i am a university student and have learned in psych classes about how child trauma can effect peoples lives in various ways...just saying
19Nope, not surprised at all, and I don't really feel at all bad for her anymore either. She keeps doing the same thing to herself, so it's totally her own fault.
20Can someone explain why her thyroid makes her scared to workout? Will it kill her or something???? Shouldn't a sluggish thyroid make you need to work out even more?
21Wow, honestly, the woman gains a little weight and there is a blog bashing her about it. No wonder tons of women in the US have some form of an eating disorder, women don't even support each other, they just bash! And not one person has criticized from a health-perspective either.
22No, because it's difficult to maintain a physique like that.
23I'm actually convinced it's at least halfway for publicity's sake.
24Wow, usually I love the comments on this blog, but today there is sure a lot of hating going on. I don't feel sorry for her, but nor do I feel the need to be vindictive about her yo-yo'ing in spite of having a full support system.
Weight loss is really, really hard. And no... in the bigger picture, it is not simply about eating less, and exercising more. There is an entire mental issue that no amount of trainers and nutritionists can fix, you have to do it yourself, and it's a lifelong deal. We are all human, and you just have to keep working at it. We all can live with a little more grace, compassion and understanding. It costs nothing and it doesn't matter who you are.
25I'm not surprised, but I do admire Oprah for at least always trying to do *something* about her weight. I'm sure she'll get back down somehow...she's got more resources available than most people for that kind of thing.
Thyroid issues, if I remember correct, give a person a sluggish metabolism, making it very difficult to lose weight. It's not just about "working harder like everyone else". Even if she worked out 24/7, if she's got a serious thyroid condition, she'd need that and probably meds to manage the thyroid condition to actually lose weight and keep it off.
Her fluctuations just go to show that it really isn't strict regimens or fads and fad diets that keep you healthy/thin, it's about changing your life to healthy choices a permanent thing. I don't think this Best Life Diet, or a vegan cleanse, or vitamins, or CR, or anything else by itself is going to give anybody what they want - for long, anyway.
26I am surprised that Oprah has gained weight. I agree with Mila_83. Oprah supposedly has an outstanding support team. Why didn't she pick up the phone, send an email or text to Bob Greene or her physician and tell them she was concerned that her thyroid condition would be adversely affected by exercise? If you don't know - ask an expert. That's what she would tell her audience.
27It saddens me that a woman like oprah... so successful and inspirational still can't accept and love the body she has been given
If she can't be enough for herself... what hope is there for the rest of us?
Check out my elaborated thoughts on this
28http://opinionatrix.wordpress.com/2008/12/10/oh-oprah/
But when Oprah says she doesnt feel like exercising. Whos going to argue with her? She has a great support system, all the money in the world but she has the final say if she wants to be active or not....
29Bob Greene isn't going to be there when she's stuffing that piece of cake in her mouth at 11pm, so no I'm not surprised.
But then again, she's human and I sympathise. I think it's pretty brave she put herself on the cover like that.
30She should take a perma-veg-pledge! =D
31I feel like after all these years, she only "diets" to lose weight. She has still not learned the concept of a lifestyle change. Once she finally realizes that then she will be able to maintain her weight loss.
32She is a classic yo-yo dieter. I don't think she realises how many people would LOVE to have a trainer and support like that! She has tons of resources for this..why doesn't she use them?! She needs to diet and DO IT RIGHT. If she ever had the willpower to go on a liquid diet for 4 months, plus tons of diets since, she has the willpower to stick to a balanced diet which allows her to treat herself here and there (not everyday/night). I understand how it's an addiction and a struggle, but it's possible to overcome. Mind over matter. There are people much heavier than she is. Yes, she does look overweight, but not obese, IMO. She'll go back down in weight I'm sure...but hopefully she'll try to stay there this time.
And WHY does she want everyone to know her weight?! If I was in her position, I'd be embarrassed - and try to lose weight, not complain and tell the whole world about it!
33She has the money to have trainers, chefs, therapists, etc. How is it that she still has gained weight? People would kill to have the weight-loss resources she does. She SHOULD feel embarassed.
34poor thing
35I agree with eadavenp.
36It's really not healthy for your weight to go dramatically up and down like that. I know losing weight is so hard. I've lost 34 pounds since June and it's really been a struggle. I hope she reaches a healthy weight and stays there.
37on one hand i'm AM surprised since she's always made it a point to talk about how health conscious she's trying to be but on the other hand, she's had a history of issues with her weight and it's a hard cycle to break.
38I'm not surprised, but I feel sorry for her because she can't keep it under control.
39I feel bad for Oprah. She has access to best advice, food, science and trainers in the world and she still can't get it right. But there is hope.
Here is a quote for Mark Sisson of Mark’s Daily Apple - one of my favorite health blogs:
“…here’s my challenge to you, Oprah: give me 60 days with the Primal Blueprint and I’ll give you your life back. Period. Guaranteed.”
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/oprah-hits-200-pounds-again/
Truth be told, I think he could do it. The guy is a master at what he does. He walks the walk and has helped thousands of people turn their lives around. If he has helped me I'm sure he could help Oprah.
40I'm sorry, but what a horrible poll! Is that the best we can do? How about are you encouraged to make New Years resolutions and stick to them? Do you feel you can relate to what Oprah's going through? I don't feel sorry for her, she's a human being and every normal person goes through time periods when their weight is not perfect. She'll be fine. She's been through this before and she knows what to do. I think we should be ashamed for passing a judgement like that. Are you surprised? I am, that we're that shallow!
41This is definitely NOT about willpower. Overeating physically changes your brain chemistry and it becomes almost impossible to control. It doesn't take willpower, it just takes consistency each day, and if you loose consistency, then you lose the battle. I've lost 50 pounds in a year, but I'll never be a 'thin' person, it's like being an alcoholic, you'll always be in a battle, and if you're not not conscious of what you're doing EVERY SINGLE DAY, you'll slip. It's the hardest struggle and it doesn't matter how rich you are, the struggle is the same for all overweight people, so I have a lot of empathy for Oprah, but I do believe that she'll slim down soon now that's she's hit 200. The same thing happened to me and if it freaks you out enough, you'll do something about it.
42I agree with P Singh. Admittedly, I'm a long time reader of Mark Sisson's daily apple, but in this case, I think he's got some really good advice for Oprah. It's obvious her diet isn't working and the experts she's surrounded herself with aren't doing a very good job. It's time she tried something new. Just in case anyone missed the link:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/oprah-hits-200-pounds-again/
43I LOVE Mark's Daily Apple! That guy is pretty inspirational. He looks AMAZING for 51!
44I'm not surprised but I admire that she always seems to "get back in the saddle" after a big fall.
45I know shes always yo yoed, but I'm still surprised when celebrities let themselves go - I mean they have enough money and resources to pay someone to make sure they don't go off the deep end.
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