Chrissy Metz has long inspired her fans with her candidness about her weight loss and health journey, including shedding 100 pounds and keeping it off. The This Is Us star, 44, recently revealed how her early life challenges influenced her eating patterns and subsequent weight gain.
In 2010, Metz managed to lose 100 pounds in under five months by adhering to a 2,000-calorie daily diet and incorporating a 20-minute walk into her routine. Below, we’ll highlight how she achieved it.
In her 2018 memoir, This Is Me, Metz shared that she endured significant challenges and both physical and emotional abuse during her childhood. These difficulties contributed to unhealthy behaviors and weight issues. She also remembered being the youngest member of Weight Watchers at just 11 years old.
@chrissymetz Grateful for all the birthday love last month #birthday #grateful #friends ♬ original sound – Chrissy Metz
Inside Chrissy Metz’s Weight Loss Transformation And Journey Over The Years
The Emmy nominee also shared insights into her challenging relationship with her stepfather. “My body seemed to offend him, but he couldn’t help but stare, especially when I was eating. He joked about putting a lock on the refrigerator,” she said. Metz mentioned that he made her undergo mandatory weigh-ins. During an October episode of The Jamie Kern Lima Show, Metz reminisced about the lack of understanding surrounding food-related problems and behaviors back then.
“Maybe he was just fearful. I don’t really know,” she said. “Why does my weight equate my worthiness? And as a 12-year-old kid, it’s like, how do you reconcile that in your mind? It was devastating.” The Golden Globe nominee continued: “There’s so much stigma about weight. There’s this idea that you can’t put the food down or you’re lazy. I’m trying to heal those wounds slowly but surely.”
Despite the challenges posed by her weight and past experiences, the Sierra Burgess Is a Loser alum never let them deter her from nurturing a love for acting. In her early twenties, she chased her aspirations by relocating to Los Angeles.
However, she frequently faced difficulties securing roles, as she didn't conform to Hollywood's typical standards. She fell into a deep sadness when the acting roles dried up, admitting she was "eating my feelings," which eventually led to a weight gain of over 100 pounds.
In 2010, on her 30th birthday, Metz experienced an emotional collapse while watching a film with her friends and family. As the Breakthrough star told Woman's World: "I had a full-blown panic attack in the theater. That was a catalyst that changed my thinking. I stopped asking myself 'Why wasn't I more successful?' and I realized I wasn’t doing what I wanted to do; I was doing everything for everyone else."
How Chrissy Metz's Positive Mindset Encouraged Her 100-Lb Weight Loss
Looking back, Metz feels thankful for the anxiety attack that resulted in her hospitalization, as it prompted her to seek assistance. “I needed to understand why I’ve been hurting my body with food and all the things that come with that," she explained in an interview with VeryWell Mind. "Which means all the past trauma and unresolved issues, all of that came bubbling to the surface at 30 years old.”
Metz also promised to care less about what others thought, which motivated her to focus more on herself…and she started shedding pounds. “I was so gung ho, I lost 100 lbs. in less than five months,” she said to People. “All I did was eat a 2,000-calorie diet and walk 20 minutes a day.” For Metz, taking care of her mental health was essential to her personal growth.
"I just have to be very clear," she said to TVLine. "Whether or not I lose weight or stay the same, it's purely a choice of mine for health. Not because I think that plus size, curvy, voluptuous, big bodies aren't attractive—because I think they're awesome and sexy.
" As the American Horror Story actress stressed to Woman's World: “I always say our bodies don’t define us—they just happen to be our vessels. If all you are thinking about is that you want to lose weight, but you feel like you are not going to be able to because you’re not worthy…then you won’t ever. It is so important that you realize that just as we are, we are enough.”
