Jennifer Hudson on losing any more than 80 pounds: ‘I’m at the weight I want to be’

Jennifer Hudson covers the December issue of Redbook, and she talks a lot about her weight. Because that’s one of the few things she talks about at this point. Which is sad! She’s an Oscar winner, a talented singer and actress. Surely someone could find her some work in films or television? Anyway, I do think J-Hud looks good in these photos. In my opinion, she went too far with her weight loss at some point and she just looked “deflated”. I feel like she might have gained a little bit of weight back, and she needed it to make her face look normal. Now J-Hud says that she’s done with trying to lose weight – I suppose that means that her program is now about maintaining her current figure. Which is fine. Some highlights from Redbook:

Losing more than 80 pounds with Weight Watchers: “I’m at the weight I want to be. But I hear all the time, ‘Don’t lose any more weight, you need to stop.’ People are under the impression that I’m still losing but I’m not.”

Sometimes she forgets that she’s not a size 16 anymore: “I’m getting used to my new self more than anything else. I got used to being plus-sized and knowing how to be that, whereas this is like, ‘Okay, who am I?’ I keep thinking that I probably need an extra-large or a large and the stylist is like, ‘No, you need a medium or a small.'”

Designing a clothing line for QVC: “I know what I like, and that’s what it’s all about. It’s like, who’s your fashion icon? Me. And no one but you knows what you feel most comfortable in. I look at each piece and think, ‘Could I wear that as big Jennifer or could I wear that now?’ I want to consider every girl.”

On whether she found closure after the 2008 murders of her mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew: “I mean, you can never fully get complete closure — whatever that means. Is there ever really a point of closure? Do I feel healed? No.”

On how she honors her late nephew during the holidays: “The Julian D. King Toy Drive and Christmas dinner is for kids who are doing well in school — just progressing, they don’t necessarily have to have all As or Bs — and we grant whatever their Christmas wish is.”

On resisting holiday food temptation: “My biggest thing is banana pudding, but it’s the devil! So no one is allowed to bring it into my house. Because I can’t control myself. So why put it in my domain?”

[From Us Weekly & Wonderwall]

Wow, she lost 80 POUNDS? Damn. I didn’t know it was that much. CB told me that Weight Watchers doesn’t like for their celebrity endorsers to actually give numbers – like, what the person weighed before and after, etc. Doesn’t 80 pounds sound like a lot? Like it’s too much? She was just a size 16 – I don’t consider that drastically overweight or anything. She was thick! I’m sure some of you will disagree.

Oh, and the stuff about her family… just so sad. It still makes me sad for her family, four years later. And she’s right – how could she ever really have closure? It’s too big.

Photos courtesy of Redbook.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

99 Responses to “Jennifer Hudson on losing any more than 80 pounds: ‘I’m at the weight I want to be’”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. KellyinSeattle says:

    her ego itself weighs more than 80 lbs…

    • ladyveganbutcheriv says:

      THIS!

    • The Original Genevieve says:

      @ KellyinSeattle…

      I really don’t see that at all. She has never struck me as an egomaniac. If she’s been able to move on with her Oscar and her 80 lb.. weight loss and say a big “HA! How ya like me NOW?!” (I’m talking to YOU, Simon Cowell), then good on her!

      As far as what Kaiser touched on in the Us Weekly article, that is what I’d like to hear more about;how she’s coping with the death of her mother, brother and nephew. I’m seeing far more talk about her weight in this thread than how she’s dealing with the murder of her family. As someone who lost my mother when I was 22 and my dad this last spring (all due to natural but untimely causes), my hat is off to her for being able to function at ANY level at all. The grief is like an unscalable wall for me at times…I can only imagine the torture of losing most of your family to senseless murder.

      So, for me…it’s not so much about her weight loss, although I think she looks FABULOUS. Whenever JH is referenced, I think about her pain, not her missing 80 lbs. Perhaps what comes off as ego is simply confidence in herself, combined with grieving that will never end.

    • BrandNewNick says:

      You are sad. And probably JEALOUS!

    • shaniqua nunyadambidness says:

      Perfect response.

  2. gee says:

    People carry weight differently. I can totally believe she lost that much.

    • marie says:

      agreed..

      she’s so much more than her weight, I hate that people put so much focus on it, that she puts so much focus on it. what she’s doing for her nephew is wonderful.

    • smartyparty says:

      Yeah I agree. People are always sincerely shocked when I tell them how much I weigh. I carry a good amount of weight, even at my thinnest. She probably weighed more than we would think, and weighs more now, too, than we would assume.

      • kristiner says:

        This. I weigh a lot more lbs wise than people quote. People think I weigh a good 20lbs less than what I really do.

        Clothing sizes are a crock of sh!t. I have some extra small blouses that look like a large. Vanity sizing is ruining us women.

        I’d say JHud is about 120lbs and she was about 200. Maybe she’s 115. She looks better with more weight which means she literally has big bones. They’re heavy and tip the scale # wise larger than we think

      • Emma - the JP Lover says:

        Not only that, but Jennifer is not a ‘short’ lady either, so she probably carried more weight with her height, even though it may not have looked like she did. My guess is, though, that not many people on this thread saw “Dream Girls” when Jennifer was heavy.

  3. ladybert62 says:

    I am SO tired of listening to her brag about her weight loss – yes that is a lot of weight; yes, you have reason to be proud. Now do some work.

    Her face/head seem much too big now with her smaller body. Or perhaps it is just those gross hugh lips.

    • Kate says:

      Yes, all of her weight loss talk gets really annoying, but calling her lips gross is beyond bitchy, it’s rude and possibly a little racist… I mean, she can’t help her lips- it’s not as if she’s had them filled.

      • smartyparty says:

        Yes that is a pretty insensitive comment about a beautiful person. She is inspiring people every day to work on an issue many people deal with – weight. I think that is enough from someone who went through what could have been a crippling tragedy and turned it into a positive for the less fortunate. And also won an Oscar at a young age.

        Lay off this woman. It’s too much. If you don’t have weight issues, skim over that part. If you do, learn something. Jeez!

        Wow I am getting very emotionally involved in this. Time for me to stop reading blogs for a while lol.

      • daz says:

        A few years back i decided to get fit and healthy and lost 5 stone. I felt great and, with such a big change in my life, i couldn’t stop talking about it. While also boring the sh*t out of my friends.

      • yoyo says:

        is it? People rag on Adrian Brody’s nose all the time, Angelina Jolie’s lips, Jay-z nose etc… they can’t change any of it, and no one is calling other people racist for it. I guess it depends on the context, but I didn’t get that from this.

      • Emma - the JP Lover says:

        @Yoyo …

        Sometimes it’s not ‘what’ is said, but ‘how’ it is said … or in this case, written.

    • boo says:

      Wow! what an ugly comment about her lips, do you think the same about Angelina Jolie, or is that “different”. Also, next time check your spelling while you’re at it.

      • lena80 says:

        Come on boo…it’s “exotic” on white Angelina and ugly on black Jennifer! *sarcasm*

        The thinly veiled racism rears it’s ugly head again!

      • Camille (TheOriginal) says:

        No, ladybert is a confirmed AJ hater, so she probably thinks everything about AJ is ‘ugly’ as well.

    • Shelly says:

      You need a hug.

    • hatsumomo says:

      I agree..to an extent. Her face DOES look “off” after losing all that weight. Like a typical Hollywood bobble-head. I think she’d look a bit more natural if she’d gain a bit back.

      • Emma - the JP Lover says:

        What are you talking? Her head fits the rest of her body. She lost weight in her face too, you know.

        And you really think she should ‘gain some of her hard-loss wight back’ just to make you feel better about looking at her head??

    • Maggie says:

      That is a racist comment, whichever way you look at it. Fact!

    • Amy says:

      Her big lips are beautiful. Your nasty comment was uncalled for.

      But I do think her face looks way too thin now. I think she would look so much better if she gained enough weight to fill out her face a little.

      I can’t comment about her personality or ego. And I feel so, so badly for her and her family and their losses. But I have to get this off my chest — I cannot stand her singing voice! So loud, so forceful. Hold back a little, girl!

      • Veruca says:

        Racist or not — it’s just mean.

        I think the Captain Obvious reason Jen talks about her weight loss so much is that she’s lost a lot of weight, and gets paid to be a spokesperson for a weight loss company.

        I think she looks great. I think her ego (or what I perceive as self-awareness) is in check next to some *side eye Nicki and Beyonce*. And I give her so much credit that she’s held it so together in a situation that could easily make one a justifiable basket case.

        But haters gonna hate.

      • Emma - the JP Lover says:

        @ Amy …

        The problem is that if she gained ‘more weight to fill out her face’ she’ll ‘fill out’ other areas of her body as well. I thought we’d finally gotten away from the old false notion of ‘spot’ reducing on our bodies.

      • Amy says:

        @Emma – the JP Lover – Well, it goes without saying that she would fill out everywhere. That’s why I didn’t say it! I only meant that I think she would look better if she gained enough weight (everywhere) to fill out her face a little.

        As everyone else here is, I’m just stating my opinion. Jennifer Hudson certainly shouldn’t gain an ounce of weight back if she doesn’t want to.

        I just think her face (and boobs!) looked much prettier and healthier 15lbs(?) ago. I know I went through the same thing a few years ago. I lost 40 lbs, and my breasts deflated and the lines around my mouth looked Joker-ish without a layer of fat to soften me up. I looked much better/younger/healthier when I gained a bit back.

    • A~ says:

      This comment verges on racist.

    • trudiebell says:

      jealous much?

  4. aims says:

    She looks amazing! Jennifer looks like she’s glowing from within. It’s all about feel comfy in your own skin.

  5. Lenna says:

    If I had to guess…she was probably 220 when she started, and after losing 80lbs would be roughly 140, perfect if you ask me. She looks healthy and fit.

    • Chicagogurl17 says:

      Wrong! I know Jennifer. She’s about 5’8/5’9 and she went from 200/205 to 120/125.

      • HadleyB says:

        You are both wrong I know her personally and she was 204 and now weighs 129.

        😉

      • Rachel R says:

        If she was 5’8 and 120, she would be underweight. No, really, her BMI would put her in the underweight range. She doesn’t look that thin to me. I would say 140 is a lot closer.

  6. Jenn says:

    Oh Jennifer. I feel sorry for you. You are so talented. You won an Oscar, Grammy, and god knows what else but all you are talking about is your weight and how much pounds you lost. It’s so sad.

  7. LaKe says:

    She was not a 16. She was way bigger than that.

    • hazeldazel says:

      cosign. unless we’re talking magic kim kartrashian “i’m a size 2” sizes.

    • Rachel says:

      You have a very skewed vision of a plus-sized bodies then. I’m a size 16 and just a little taller than JHud, and she definitely wasn’t bigger than a 16. If that.

    • Snowangel says:

      Don’t forget the camera adds weight, lots of it. The very few actresses that I have seen in person are unbelievably tiny and skinny. Brittany and J.Lo for example, yet they look really curvy in pictures.

    • I.want.shoes says:

      Only if she was like 5’3″ tall. But if she’s taller than yeah, she was definitely bigger than a size 16.

    • yoyo says:

      That’s the first thought thtat popped into my head: she was way bigger than a 16.

  8. Apples says:

    She looks great. Just wish she would/could talk about her workout plan for the people that look ip to her.

    A lot of people have faces that look deflated/ need fat even before major weight loss. That’s why some women look so much better/glowing while they’re pregnant (Gisele). Same thing happened to Drew Carey when he lost a lot if weight- he looked like a deflated chicken.

  9. Christina says:

    Jennifer used to be one of the few female celebs with genuine talent.

    Now, she’s become just another self-obsessed bore droning on and on about her weight loss. Big deal, Jen. People lose weight every day of the week. Thousands, millions of people have done it. Only a handful of people, however, have won an Oscar. You are one of those people, Jennifer. And that’s a hell of a lot more interesting than a diet.

  10. Izzy4ya says:

    And to think before Americanidol she was even bigger than that! At one point she was a 24. Nonetheless I think she should focus on an actual career, rather than being a weight watchers lackey.

  11. twoblues says:

    She looks great. As someone that needs to lose thirty pounds, her achievement is impressive.

  12. lori says:

    I believe she’s 5’10 or 11 so you need to factor that in with the 80 lbs she lost. it’s not like she’s 5 feet tall.

  13. kibbles says:

    Being skinny seems to be her main career now. She won the Oscar even though her acting is mediocre and I haven’t really heard a hit from her in a long time. She looks too skinny for her body type. I feel like she is more of a Beyonce/Christina Hendricks body type and this thin look is odd on her.

    • Bluedog says:

      I like her but she just isn’t a good, or even competent, actress. She was OK in Dream Girls, but mediocre in every other acting role I’ve seen her in. I don’t know why she won an Oscar, but it wasn’t because she’s a stellar actress.

      • Christina says:

        I hate to say it, but best Actress/Supporting Actress awards are often a bit of a joke. Catherine Zeta jones got one for a song and dance act in ‘Chicago’. Natalie Portman got one for pouting and flailing her arms around idiotically in ‘Black Swan’. As did Angelina Jolie for sucking a lollipop in ‘Girl Interrupted’. Even Kiara Knightley – who cannot act to save her life – got nominated for an Oscar. All a bit of a joke, really.

      • Katija says:

        All of the actresses you named got the award for going to EXTREMES… which to me doesn’t sound that hard. Being brilliant while being subtle is harder.

  14. Sweet Dee says:

    I don’t know. This reminds me of a Big Bang Theory a couple of weeks ago where Howard just wants to talk about how he went into space and people were all “gah stop bragging!” Losing that much weight is really exciting, especially when you’re a “never been skinny” girl. I’ve lost half that (not done yet!) and I get really excited about it and want to talk about it but people don’t want to hear it. So when people ask I get giddy. It’s a really pervasive part of my life, you know? Then again, I am not an Oscar winner lol.

    I’m not saying I think she should keep talking about it (she should probably cut back), but I feel her excitement about it and empathize with her urge to relate everything to that fat girl inside.

  15. RobN says:

    I’m the same height as Jennifer and I lost 145 pounds. It’s amazing how many people will comment that they thought it was maybe 50 or 60. People who haven’t been heavy are a very bad judge of how much somebody has lost. Personally, I’d guess that Jennifer is actually closer to having lost 100 from her highest weight, but people don’t like throwing out the 100 thing. When you do, you can see people doing the math in their heads and that gets pretty old pretty quickly.

  16. mln76 says:

    People are so hard on her…Yes she lost too much weight but the girl went through hell and handled it with such metal. If she wants to talk about her weight and not how hard it was to go through the brutal murder of her family by her brother-in-law so be it.

    Give her at least half the break that you’d give Jessica ‘Porny’ Simpson.

    • Izzy4ya says:

      I approve this message.

    • mln89 says:

      thank you! all the hate is ridic!

    • Rachel R says:

      Agree. Also, I hate to be “that guy”, but it’s mettle, not metal. *slinks away*

    • Jo 'Mama' Besser says:

      Add me. Can’t say a single word about Jessica (St. Duh) Simpson, who put impossible restraints on herself and proceeded to put garbage into her body that you wouldn’t feed a trash compactor, but this woman (who also had a baby) is Public Enemy No.1? Why? Look, I understand the frustration or boredom some might feel over hearing her talk about this, but as their (successful) spokeswoman, you gotta suck it up or move along because a lot of this is mandatory.

      At any rate, women who talk constantly about their boyfriend or FI-AHN-SAY (fiance) are a billion times more annoying and in much greater abundance.

  17. Kimlee says:

    I think the reason why she not into music anymore is because it reminds her of the family she lost. Her mother was always thier to support her and die in a tragic way, so I can see it being hard for her to go back to that.

    Her weight is somthing she did after her families death so it’s easier to focus on that then music which probably reminds her of her family that where murder by her brother-in-law.

  18. Feisty says:

    I don’t know what projects she has going right now. So with no project to promote, the only real interview talking points would be weightloss or the horrific murder of her family.

    Between the two, I want to hear about her weightloss.

  19. ISupposeSo says:

    While I think she should be proud of her weight-loss, it isn’t ALL she is, and she needs to realize that.
    Also, her face doesn’t look deflated, but she DOES have a large head, like Kelly Osbourne. With a full face.

  20. MAP says:

    I applaud her for honoring her nephew’s memory by making kids’ Christmas wishes come true. I think that is really amazing and thoughtful, and should have been the focus of this article. Perhaps it would inspire others to help children during the holiday season.

    • BooBooLaRue says:

      Girl looks great! She has been through so much that would leave most of us deflated like sad balloons and finds a way to honor her family. Leave her alone.

  21. Happy21 says:

    I liked her until all she could talk about was her weight. Then I didn’t really care for her anymore. I found and still find she lacks dimension. Its great she’s lost the weight and she should enjoy every minute of her new life but she ocmes across so preachy and holier than thou in every interview and in every WW commercial I see her in.

    She doesn’t look TOO thin now but she does kind of look like a bobblehead. Plus, her face has very strange lines when she smiles now.

  22. Katija says:

    LOL – This was directly above a Jennifer Lawrence post and I misread. It’s like, “Girl, you’re curvy, but not THAT curvy!”

  23. fabgrrl says:

    Remember when she used to sing? and act? Yeah, me neither.

  24. L says:

    She’s a weight watchers spokesperson (and those ads are hella annoying, but still) so it’s her job to talk about her weight constantly. That’s what she’s paid to do.

    • dana says:

      another 15 lbs if she lost the unfortunate lacefront wig/weave…she’d look great with a bob cut- she’s talented but I would not want my weight be the bane of my existence

  25. Lisa says:

    Smdh at people who tell other people when they think they should stop losing weight.

  26. lucy2 says:

    I think she looks great, but it would be nice if the focus went back to her talent, because she actually has some!

    That Christmas dinner thing she does sounds like a really lovely way to honor her nephew.

  27. Denver Danni says:

    The first time I did WW I lost 70 lbs – cut to me at 32 and starting over. I’m only 5’2″ – and it sounds like a lot but I have at least that much to lose now. I don’t think she’s egotistical, she seems grounded and knowledgeable about nutrition. It’s a lot of da*n work, it takes a long time and a lot of dedication. She should be proud of herself. I think it’s great that she talks about it openly and it doesn’t seem fake. People said the same thing about losing weight (even when I was probably 20 pounds over the top recommended weight for my height) and it’s just because when you look dramatically different people may not know where you’re supposed to be. I think WW is great because it teaches you to each your own food, weigh and measure, and be responsible while still including fruits, veggies, healthy oils, exercise information and no quick-fix pills. I say good for her. She seems happy and she deserves it after so much loss.

  28. Aud says:

    For every WW person who loses weight there are many who don’t keep the weight off or can barely digest the horrid ‘meetings’ that tend to feature food obsessed people going on about their food fetishes and fixations. I’m a WW failure. Two times over because the meetings and weekly ‘weigh ins’ (humiliation) annoy me.
    And the catch with WW is that you still have to pay the meeting fee to get the eating plans.
    Meh.
    One can easily see a nutritionist and read up on food choices.
    WW, like all weight loss companies is a huge scam and the only celebrities who ‘keep it off’ are those who don’t live everyday lifestyles like the rest of us – who can afford chefs, personal trainers and the like, but more significantly, work in careers that afford them all the hours to groom themselves (exercise etc). A person working more than 40 hours a week, juggling kids and the like, would find it damned difficult to exercise the 2 hours a day to lose 80 pounds in the time period Jennifer lost 80 pounds, which, if I remember correctly, didn’t take a year or two.

    • KaitX says:

      I completely agree with you, if we all had the time, personal nutritionists and chefs we could lose 80 pounds too!

  29. Nava says:

    My local WW’s Center is next to a fabulous pizza joint.

    • Jo 'Mama' Besser says:

      Oh, that’s evil. It reminds me of my high school days, when the front window of a big gym looked straight into a Tim Horton’s. And that was before it was bought out by Wendy’s and the desserts were made on-site with the old recipes, not just frozen piles of dough and filling waiting to be re-animated in your gut.

  30. BIGT says:

    She looks great and NO does NOT need to gain any back. Her face, head, lips, and everything else look great.

  31. Call Me Al says:

    I am seriously appalled at the posters hating on JHud! What the hell? Maybe I have just been absent from celebitchy for a while, but are people getting more cutthroat on here? Geez. It’s not like she’s publishing her own articles about her weight loss — it’s an interview. They ask about what people want to know.

  32. Tania says:

    I think ppl are being way too harsh, she looks wonderful and no longer has that deflated balloon look. And it’s ok for her to talk about her weight, she’s a WW spokesperson and heck, it’s something to be proud of!

  33. EnuffSaid says:

    Well… I think she looks beautiful and generally the interviewer drives the conversation. Her ego seems to be in check. Anyone who has a semblance of sanity after what she’s been through has got to be admired. She has conducted herself with class and dignity through her personal tragedies. I don’t care much for her singing style but I like her as a person…good on you Jennifer!

  34. EnuffSaid says:

    I am so sick and tired of listening to people say that if you have money then anyone could look like her…if that’s the case then what is Oprah’s excuse?! It has nothing to do with money – it has to do with discipline and restraint. You don’t need a nutritionist, a personal chef, a personal trainer…all you need is knowledge and willpower…the knowledge is all over the internet or the library …the willpower is up to you! I don’t see Jennifer as bragging… I see her as stating facts…period.

  35. Jennifer12 says:

    I think after the terrible murders, Jennifer was looking for a way to get some control back in her life and the weight loss was a huge part of it. She and her family always suffered with obesity. After her life was rocked in such a huge, horrible way, she started looking for a sense of control and something big to focus on, and she found it. NOT that weight loss makes up for what she’s dealt with, but that it’s given her a sense of control in her life.

  36. lizzi says:

    I believe she lost that much. Why make it up? I don’t really see a reason. I think she looks good. However I’m so sick to death that all the media talks about celebrity women is their weight. Do you ever see it with men to this extent? Sad.