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Whether they went under the knife, took up a strict diet and obsessive exercise, or simply partied too much, female celebrities always seem to lose an unsual amount of weight overnight compared to the average Jane. Although it's easy to notice their transformation given their daily public exposure, it's still shocking to compare the cover of yesterday's tabloid with today's to see which socialite is debuting her new "bikini body."
While we normal human folk ponder which miracle drug or Superman of a personal trainer these girls get to achieve goddess-like perfection, another female celebrity is on her way to the headlines via shedding pounds. From Ricki Lake to Raven Symone, keep reading for 20 examples of the always entertaining process.
Ricki Lake
RICKI LAKE
Pounds Lost: 140
First Notice of Weight Loss: 1992
Ricki Lake was the original Tracy Tumbland. That's right - the fat girl in Hairspray. While she has put on the pounds since slimming down for her talk show, Lake is known for losing it again. Most recently, she impressed viewers and judges by losing 8 inches for the first episode of Dancing With the Stars, which is quickly becoming synonymous with The Biggest Loser.
Quote: "It's going to be weird, because having dealt with weight issues my whole life and you think deprivation, starving yourself — but I can't do that if I'm dancing six hours a day... For the first time it won't be about the pounds, it'll be about strength and my body. I'm up for the challenge."
Carnie Wilson
CARNIE WILSON
Pounds Lost: 150
First Notice of Weight Loss: 1999
Wilson has battled obesity her whole life, and notoriously weighed 300 pounds during her Wilson Phillips days. Her gastric-bypass surgery made headlines when it was broadcast live on the internet to help America lose its hearty appetite. While the surgery did cause her to go from a size 28 to a size 6, she did gain some weight back. Her ongoing struggle with weight was later broadcasted on Celebrity Fit Club.
Quote: "The worst part is the embarrassment I feel from being heavier and the pressure I get from the media to slim down. I have to remind myself I’m not 300 pounds anymore."
Renee Zellweger
RENEE ZELLWEGER
Pounds Lost: 20
First Notice of Weight Loss: 2001
Zellweger is known for plumping up for roles. She gained nearly twenty pounds in a few months to play Bridget Jones and slimmed down just as quickly. Her relationships also add to her rollercoaster of weight. After splitting from her ex Jack White, she went from a size six to a four. Similarly, after the end of her relationship to Kenny Chesney, she went from a six to a size zero.
Quote: "Did you see that movie about fast food, Supersize Me? I had a panic attack with all the specialists talking about how bad this is for you, long term, putting on that much weight in short periods of time and they're all saying, 'You must stop this now or you're going to die'."
Mary Kate Olsen
MARY KATE OLSEN
Pounds Lost: Not specified
First Notice of Weight Loss: 2004
After undergoing repeated tabloid attacks on her weight loss, which claimed the actress weighed a dangerous 90 pounds, Mary Kate Olsen checked into rehab for an eating disorder in 2008. Now at a healthier weight, Mary Kate is regarded less for her appearance and more for the way she influences the image of other people, including the First Lady, with her and twin Ashley's high-end fashion line, The Row.
Quote: "I think it's really important to be able to talk when something's wrong. I learned at a really young age that if you don't talk about it, it can drive you insane."
Lindsay Lohan
LINDSAY LOHAN
Pounds Lost: Not specified
First Notice of Weight Loss: 2004
Lindsay Lohan became a teen queen after her turn in the sure-to-be classic Mean Girls, which skyrocketed her into fame and made her one of the most bankable young actresses in Hollywood. However, LiLo squandered her success in the Hollywood nightlife scene to the point where her personal life would take more precedence over her professional life to the public eye. Lohan became synonymous with party girl and the late nights, D.U.I. tickets and rumors of drug abuse evidently took its toll on the actress, who dropped to 95 pounds at her worst.
Quote: "I'm growing up and I just went through puberty a year ago. I'm 18 years old. Give me a break. It's true that I was working very hard last year when I was making Herbie and I wasn't taking the best care of myself."
Hilary Duff
HILARY DUFF
Pounds Lost: Not specified
First Notice of Weight Loss: 2005
Hilary Duff's a nice slice of cutie pie but the media made fun of her for eating too many pies. Her cherubic and pleasant facade was easily overshadowed by the tabloids who gave her the name "Duff Puff" due to her increasing weight gain. After that, a shocking US Weekly cover hit the news stands in 2007 where Hilary's sporting a two-piece bikini with an all new sexy figure.
Quote: "When a newspaper comes out that says 'Duff Puff – she must have gained 15 pounds' or something like that, how would any normal person react?"
Star Jones
STAR JONES
Pounds Lost: 160
First Notice of Weight Loss: 2006
Famous for her big presence as a co-host on The View, Star Jones seemed to shrink overnight. Presumably without thinking that anyone would notice her rapid transformation, Jones first denied rumors that she had undergone gastric bypass surgery. In 2007, she ultimately admitted to it in an interview with Glamour.
Quote: "I was ashamed that I couldn't control my weight, that I was an addict for all practical purposes, that I had never stuck to a real diet or exercise program and that when confronted by my doctor, he said, 'If you don't make changes, you will die."
Courtney Love
COURTNEY LOVE
Pounds Lost: 52
First Notice of Weight Loss: 2007
Former Mrs. Cobain and Hole frontwoman Courtney Love gave the Internet quite a buzz when she revealed her new, rather skinny figure back in 2007 via a slew of beach photos. Love admitted in her web site that she lost 44 pounds at the time but was still aiming for more. She gave credit to her weight loss by following a macrobiotic diet, which consists of eating plenty of fish and vegetables, yoga, and, presumably, long painful hours of longing for a cheeseburger.
Quote: "I couldn't fit into anything, all the backs had to be cut out, and I was like, 'I'm gonna fit into sample size, dammit!' And that was my New Year's resolution."
Jenna Jameson
JENNA JAMESON
Pounds Lost: Not specified
First Notice of Weight Loss: 2007
Known for busting out in all the right places, Jenna Jameson was the ideal adult film actress in the 1990s and early 2000s. Her surgically enhanced twos seemed to fit perfectly to her tan, toned and yet voluptuous stature. At the twilight of her career in 2007, Jameson looked less like naked Malibu Barbie and more like a female Stick Stickly, much to the shock of her loyal fanbase. Nowadays, Jameson has returned to a normal weight and reduced her breasts to fit her figure.
Quote: "Does anyone seem to remember the fact that I am going through a nasty divorce? ...This has definitely affected my weight."
Valerie Bertinelli
VALERIE BERTINELLI
Pounds Lost: 47
First Notice of Weight Loss: 2007
Bertinelli did what most women fear: diet in public. Since becoming the Jenny Craig spokeswoman, the former One Day at a Time actress has dropped the pounds and showed off her slimmer figure in each commercial.
Quote: "I started thinking: 'Okay, what's wrong with wearing a bikini? I look better than I looked in quite a few years, so why not? What am I afraid of?'"
Nicole Richie
NICOLE RICHIE
Pounds Lost: Not specified
First Notice of Weight Loss: 2007
On The Simple Life, Richie was arguably the Snooki of the mid-2000s. She was Paris Hilton's more full-figured sidekick who made the funny quips on the side. Yet, as she spent more time in the public eye as one of Hollywood's beloved socialites, Richie began losing what appeared to be an unhealthy amount of weight. Images of her running in a bikini looking almost emaciated was an obvious stark contrast to her Simple Life days and sparked rumors of an eating disorder. Although she denies those rumors, Richie has admittedly hired a nutritionist to help her pack on pounds and maintain a balanced weight.
Quote: "I definitely wouldn't mind gaining a few more pounds at all. I think that people's weight fluctuates. It happens. It happens to everybody."
Jennifer Love Hewitt
JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT
Pounds Lost: Not specified
First Notice of Weight Loss: 2008
After some less than flattering pictures were released of Hewitt on vacation, she set out to defend herself and all the women under pressure to be stick thin in Hollywood. Her bikini showed off some cellulite and she claimed to be happy with the way she looked and even told Jessica Simpson to ignore her haters as well. Soon after she quickly lost the extra weight. Quote: "I know what I look like and so do my friends and family. And like all women out there should, I love my body."
Jessica Simpson
JESSICA SIMPSON
Pounds Lost: 20
First Notice of Weight Loss: 2009
When Jessica Simpson got a little chubby, people wrote it off as her natural weight and that her curves made her even sexier. Then she wore mom jeans. Recently, she lost twenty pounds for her wedding, which was set for November, but gained ten pounds (of possible pregnancy weight) back. Now, with the wedding date postponed, people are speculating the reason: cold feet, indecision about a venue, or does Simpson not have her ideal wedding dress body yet?
Quote: "The judgment of people. Those voices are sometimes in my head when I fall asleep."
Kelly Osbourne
KELLY OSBOURNE
Pounds Lost: 42
First Notice of Weight Loss: 2010
Kelly Osbourne admits that she was attacked more for her weight than for her drug and alcohol addictions, which prompted her to drop the pounds in a healthy way. Since dropping almost fifty pounds, the now super-slim Osbourne (who is almost unidentifiable from The Osbournes days) dishes on the latest celebrity fashion trends in Fashion Police.
Quote: "Some horrible obnoxious teenager screamed out a car window to me, 'You're fat!' I went to my parents bawling, 'I would rather be called ugly than be called fat!'"
Jennifer Hudson
JENNIFER HUDSON
Pounds Lost: 80
First Notice of Weight Loss: 2010
The Oscar winner, famous for having a body as big as her voice in Dreamgirls, decided to reinvigorate her image by becoming the spokesperson for Weight Watchers. Since joining the program, Hudson has lost over 80 pounds and has recently joined Chicago mayor Rahm Emmanuel in raising awareness for fighting obesity by opening a weight loss center in the city.
Quote: “After I had the baby, I made up my mind that I wanted to go in a different direction and find a better lifestyle and a better way. So I set my mind to this challenge and I went after it. I feel like I’ve conquered the world.”
Sara Rue
SARA RUE
Pounds Lost: 50
First Notice of Weight Loss: 2010
Rue has come a long way since starring in Less Than Perfect, a sitcom that often made the "she's not a size zero" joke. She could make her old character proud now; since becoming a Jenny Craig spokeswoman, Rue has dropped fifty pounds. She decided to shape up after her engagement and now hosts Shedding for the Wedding.
Quote: “I wandered to the back of the store where all the bride gowns were. The woman zipped it up and she had to clamp it in the back because it was too big. It was just a great feeling.”
Kirstie Alley
KIRSTIE ALLIE
Pounds Lost: 100
First Notice of Weight Loss: 2011
The former self-proclaimed "Fat Actress" seemed to have been yo-yoing for some time not just with her weight, but her acceptance of it. Allie even starred in her own TV show Fat Actress that showcased her accepting her full figure. Yet, in 2010, she launched her own FDA-approved weight loss product Organic Liaison, which admittedly helped her lose over 100 pounds as of September 2011. Not to mention, her stint on season 12 of Dancing with the Stars helped Allie regain a more manageable voluptuous figure.
Quote: "I've lost 100 pounds. I feel like I'm back in my element and not wearing a suit, a bad suit. And I honestly didn't even realize what I looked like too much. Right before I did Dancing with the Stars, I bought these dresses in size 14 to 4, the same dress, and I said, 'You know what I really want? I really want to be in this dress in a 4.'"
Raven Symone
RAVEN SYMONE
Pounds Lost: 35
First Notice of Weight Loss: 2011
Raven Symone dropped nearly forty pounds before her new sitcom, State of Georgia aired. Raven said that she thought she looked great when she was thicker, but no one else did. The reason for the That's So Raven star shedding the pounds: a healthy diet and exercise helped her with managing the stress of a new show. Thank the diet, Raven, but we think your life is less stressful because you can't see the future anymore.
Quote: “I thought I looked fabulous before, and nobody else did. So, whatever.”
Bristol Palin
BRISTOL PALIN
Pounds Lost: Not specified
First Notice of Weight Loss: 2011
Bristol Palin may have been the only contestant on Dancing With the Stars to actually gain weight instead of losing it. While on the reality show, she gained fifteen pounds. Admittedly, muscles weigh more than fat, and maybe that's the reason she seemed to look chubbier. When the most recent pictures were released, her face slimmed seemed to slim overnight. Alas, the change was due less to her time on the elliptical and more to her "corrective jaw surgery".
Quote: "I'm a regular size girl. I'm comfortable in my own skin."
Leann Rimes
LEANN RIMES
Pounds Lost: 15-20
First Notice of Weight Loss: 2011
Following the leaked video of her affair with Eddie Cibrian, LeAnn Rimes has not escaped public the eye. Since then, the tabloids have traced the transformation of LeAnn Rimes' image, in the literal and figurative sense. As the fall-out unfolded with her divorce and second marriage, LeAnn slowly began losing so much weight that the focus is no longer on her affair, but the protruding rib cages on her bikini-clad body.
Quote: "I don't stop, and no one sees that [weight loss] actually can happen like naturally. It's a natural progression of life."