Eat bread. Lose weight. Whaaatttt? #ComeJoinMe https://t.co/jUgpk9ToXY
https://t.co/xtnB53EwSf
— Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) January 26, 2016
This is how powerful Oprah is. She can tweet a 30 second video getting excited about how she’s lost weight and still eats bread and it makes her $15 million dollars. Oprah’s tweet on her 26 lb weight loss, which she made Tuesday at noon, sent Weight Watchers stock from $11.35 to $13.29 at closing time. It went up again yesterday and as of press time it’s currently at $13.73. (That’s not counting after hours trading. It was up to $13.90 after hours.) Oprah owns 10% of Weight Watchers. She bought about 6.4 million shares in October of last year, so multiply 6.4 million by the difference from Oprah’s tweet and she just made herself $15.2 million. Outlets reported earlier that the tweet earned Oprah $12.5 million. Yes it did on Tuesday, and then she earned almost $3 million more yesterday. Cha-ching.
The more I hear about Oprah’s dollars (just listen to Bo$$ as you read this) from this Weight Watchers deal, the more I think that she bought stock in the company to motivate herself to lose weight. And why not? Everyone makes jokes about how hard it is to lose weight when even Oprah can’t just hire someone to follow her around and smack food out of her hands. She can put tons of money at stake though, and she did just that. Plus she’s jazzed about it, as she gets jazzed about everything. Seeing Oprah yell “bread!” and throw her hands out makes me miss her on TV so much. We need to see Oprah give sh*t away. She should throw a big Weight Watchers rally and throw bread at everyone in the audience.
For the record I do think Weight Watchers works as it worked for me years ago. Of all the paid weight loss programs it’s the least scammy as it’s based on simplifying calories. Maybe Oprah can breathe some new life into Weight Watchers. You know what else Oprah can do? She can eat bread and make bread. I love it. I don’t even care that it took her this long.
Oprah in October. You can see the difference in her face!
Photo credit: WENN, Oprah video. I made that meme on imgflip! Other people will think of it too, but I added the bread and stuff.
Ive had all I can take from Oprah and her diets. She’s been up and down the scale way too many times to be a spokesperson for a weight loss plan.
The fact that she has been up and down the scale is exactly what makes her appealing to so many trying to lose weight. Most people that struggle with their weight have been through the same thing time and time again. The fact that even with all her success and money, she still struggles with food issues makes her very relatable to many people.
15M for a tweet!!!! The Kardashian waist trainers tweets cannot come close to this! haha
Low carb is the way to go if you want long term weight loss. Keeping bread as a regular part of your diet is not a good idea.
No this is not true.
Bread in moderation is okay, IMO. If I go too low carb I crave it like crazy. Tell me I can never eat a particular food and I will want it, NOW.
Everything in moderation. Your body needs carbs just as it needs proteins. Just keep the first portion moderate and don’t go back for seconds.
If you incorporate cardio into your exercise regimen, especially any kind of high intensity cardio like running or spinning, you need carbs. Carbs are fuel. A healthy lifestyle, including nutrition, is a balancing act.
you need carbs even if you don’t do high intensity exercise. just like you need protein even if you do no weight lifting. everybody needs to eat all the things: protein, fat, and carb.
Eliminating a food group is unhealthy and unsustainable.
YEP! Enough with the bullshit. I eat bread (and pasta or rice) every-single-day.
I also don’t necessarily pay attention to what I eat. I lead a active and healthy lifestyle, I don’t need it! Everyone is different, true, I might be lucky to have a pretty fast metabolism, but the truth is whenever I gained weight in my life it was because I was indulging in unhealthy habits such as smoking (which naturally led to no physical exercise) and eating more junk food than usual. CARBS have nothing to do with it! Carbs are actually fuel for your muscles.
To sell the idea that you can only lose weight by reducing or eliminating a certain food group is nonsense. Weight loss comes from being moderate and responsible in your eating, and basically from SWEATING your a** off.
Thank you Celebitchy, for chiming in there so quickly. This whole “low carb” thing does my head in. Bread does not make you fat. Eating an unbalanced diet that is too heavy in one particular calorie-laden food source does. And “low carb” is just silly…what people really mean by that is “simple carbohydrates”…the high-calorie, low nutrient-density processed foods such as crackers, cookies, and yes, some kinds of bread. Complex carbohydrates are an excellent source of nutrition. EVERYTHING is a carb…including the massive salad I am planning on eating for lunch. Weight loss isn’t some formula of cutting out one particular type of food, it’s about getting the balance right…a balance of macro and micronutrients in combination with physical exercise. Burn more than you take in people, that’s the secret formula.
Low carb might keep weight off, but it is not healthy. There are millions of unhealthy ways to keep weight off. Just ask all of those models on the coke, coffee, and cigarettes diet.
Long term weight loss, over here! Lost 50 pounds 12 years ago and kept it off! I’m a carb eating vegetarian and I just ate less of my normal diet to lose weight, including high carb foods like bread, pasta, oatmeal, and beans.
Congrats! Best diet for human health and the environment/earth. 🙂
Not true. Your body needs a balance of foods, including carbs.
After 3 years of flirting with a vegan diet, I finally said goodbye to meat, poultry and dairy on January 2nd this year and I don’t intend to ever go back. I’ve lost almost 8 pounds and yes, I’ve had bread and potatoes! I eat raw vegan until dinner, then have a cooked vegan meal every night. I feel great and do not miss meat and dairy at all!
BTW – I didn’t do this to lose weight, it is just a nice side effect of trying to be healthy!
I know I probably won’t change your mind, but I wish I could introduce you to people who have been vegan long term (meaning many years) and end up with dietary deficiencies and nerve problems or anemia or cavities from lack of Retinol, B12, Iron, Vitamin D3, zinc (for starters). Supplements are often contaminated BTW, with no real regulation.
Wish you the best!
Sherry, I started a raw vegan diet on the 3rd of january and like you I didn’t do it to lose weight I did it for health reasons… I can believe how great I feel and how much energy I have. I also have been able to keep on exercising without feeling faint or losing the strength. I was very surprised about this.
@mp – I take a multi-vitamin every day (Garden of Life 50 and Wiser) to supplement my diet. I was warned about B12 deficiencies when I decided to go vegan. I also drink a green juice every day.
A close friend of mine who is younger than me had his second heart attack between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Since then, he’s had quadruple bypass surgery, his kidneys have failed and he’s about to have his gall bladder removed. I am hoping by eating a plant-based diet, I can avoid that scenario.
Sorry, but vegans and vegetarians can’t get by just eating fruits and vegetables. I’ve known too many people who didn’t get enough protein and ended up with permanent damage to internal organs, especially the pancreas and kidneys.
a lot of people will tell you that you won’t get enough protein
but that just means they dont know much about what foods have what nutrients, you can get plenty of protein
good luck
Low carb is always what I go to when I want to lose weight. When you go low carb you don’t eliminate carbs completely, you just lower your carb intake. I have tried low calorie where I only eat 1200 per day and exercise for 1 hour and I couldn’t shake the weight (which I was able to before) and when I went low (key word low) I lost the weight and maintain (well somewhat sure didn’t for the holidays). Point is everyone is different and that’s why we have different strokes for different folks.
That’s the thing about weigh issues and body image. You can be a billionaire and still feel like a loser.
I was thinking the same thing. Oprah is wildly rich and successful and yet she’s on the diet treadmill like so many others.
I would love to have a chef cook me tasty, healthful foods.
So true.
If she used her power and influence to work against eating disorders she could do a lot of good, instead she’s only making things worse for her and those who decide to follow her “advice”.
This comes from one of my favorite authors, Jennifer Lancaster. I love her take on it. I do like Oprah, but I hope she is doing this for herself and not to just make a buck (though anything that lady touches seems to turn to gold!). Here is Jennifer’s Facebook post from yesterday….
“So, Oprah’s lost 26 pounds since she invested in Weight Watchers.
According to CNBC, that equates to $2.36 million dollars in personal profit for every pound she’s lost so far.
Nice work if you can get it, eh?
As someone who’s down about 80 pounds*, I can tell you that losing weight, for me, had nothing to do with tracking points or eating fat free cheese and everything to do with following these four steps:
1) Figuring out what’s broken in my life
2) Fixing what’s broken in my life
3) Changing my relationship with food
4) Sweating daily
Coincidentally, these steps are listed in terms of difficulty, from most to least. Address the top two and I promise the next two will feel simple. (And you won’t even have to go to meetings or fear birthday cake.)
I’ve been pretty quiet about the whole weight loss thing. A lot of that is because I’m not doing anything crazy, I’m just going about my daily life with a few athletic tweaks. What really flipped the switch with #4 was rupturing my Achilles last year. I’d been working on the other pieces, but the fitness wasn’t of much interest until I lost basic physical capabilities. (Being able to step into the shower unassisted is a gift, trust me here.)
The other reason I’ve been quiet about being thinner is there’s a perception that somehow “smaller” translates to “better” across the board. And while I’m pleased to fit into new sizes and shop in stores formerly off limits, my value as a person, as a wife, as a friend hasn’t increased.
My worth as an individual has not expanded as my waist has narrowed.
I’m still the same somewhat unpleasant me (in smaller pants) who will absolutely flip you off in traffic when you pass me on the right because I’m driving too slowly. But, you probably won’t see my obscene gesture, what with me poking along way back there in the center lane with all the old folks.
Anyway, if you want smaller pants, cool, follow these steps and you will eventually see success. (But manage your expectations – life is not an episode of The Biggest Loser. Five pounds is an amazing loss to see in a month, not a one-hour episode.)
If you’re fine with your pants right now, cool. You be happy with you.
And if you want to join Weight Watchers, cool. WW works for a lot of people. I hear that they’re making changes and I hope that they’re now focusing on steps 1 and 2, because those are really the key. I hope they’re helping people figure out how to get past emotional eating and recognizing their triggers and it’s not just about selling WW-brand snacks. But if they haven’t and it’s all about separating folks from their money, then may Oprah spend her entire $61 million dollar profit on cake.
*The only compensation I’ve received thus far is no longer sweating when I eat.”
This seems a little harsh. Weight loss to most people is about more than “getting smaller.” My family members have successfully used weight watchers to be healthier and, yes, lose weight. Because of their weight loss and diet changes they several have been able to lower or even eliminate their reliance on medications for cholesterol and blood sugar. It has honestly transformed their lives and lowered their risk of heart attack, diabetes and stroke.
Yes, weight watchers makes money, and yes, they sell snacks. But it is balanced and easy to understand. My family members needed an easy system to help them track and understand the food they were eating and WW provided that. They are the types of people who would eat processed food or packaged snacks anyway, so having a better understanding of portion sizes and calorie (“point” value) is beneficial to them.
I guess what I am saying is, why so harsh? WW is not a public service, but it is well run and very helpful (and sometimes transformative) to many.
I don’t find this to be harsh at all. She points out that WW works for a lot of people. I actually thought it was pretty motivating and she points out that getting smaller doesn’t change her as a person. I liked it, just thought I would share…
I like it-thanks for sharing 🙂
Very much agree.
Food is not the problem, the root is usually elsewhere.
I’m not the biggest Oprah fan. And I’ve done Weight Watchers a many times before. Did it work? As long as I followed the plan. But then I didn’t follow and would quit. When I saw she was the new spokesperson, I said “nope” and stayed away. I tried to do it on my own, and I couldn’t.
Then I heard the program had changed. It’s become more than just the scale. Is the scale important to the program? Absolutely, but they are paying more attention to how you feel, making time for yourself to do things that you enjoy and have NO RELATION to food or exercise. So I just rejoined. The points calculation is not just about calories or fat anymore. It takes into account saturated fat and sugars now, as well as protein and calories. Higher protein foods are less points while foods with sugar and saturated fat are more points. A lot of people LOST their minds when their fat free yogurt went up in points (because of all the added sugar).
My first week done, I’ve lost 2 pounds. I wasn’t hungry. I wasn’t feeling deprived. I like the new program. I’m working on my emotional eating issues, I’m trying to take time to do things I like and put myself on the priority list.
I feel for Oprah. She has a lot of detractors. “Oh, if I had a chef and a trainer, I could lose 26 pounds.” She has issues just like everyone else. She actually did a conference call with members yesterday and talked about it. She sounds like she’s found a comfortable place within the program. I hope it works for her long term (as I hope it helps me).
I guess I have a hard time believing that of all the other things Oprah has tried to lose weight, that she hasn’t tried WW before. It has been around forever…
I just came to say that now whenever I work out, or walk my dogs, or get dressed I can’t help but think to myself (in Oprah’s voice of course)…
“Let’s make 2016 the year of our best bodies.”
Thanks Oprah.
i had a lot of success a few years ago w/ the original points calculation. when they switched to points plus – i followed it and gained 7 lbs, plateaued there for two months and quit.
my work started a WW reimbursement program so i rejoined 4 weeks ago with the new smart points plan and i have lost 8 lbs! my coworker has lost 11. if you had issues with points plus – i recommend trying it now with smart points. it seems to have ironed out the kinks.
i swear i am not really oprah trying to get more sweet sweet money!
I had a hard time following points plus too. It just never worked for me as well as the original points or even the original Core plan (when avocado was included as a core food). I like Smart Points a lot more.
Weight watchers truly is the way to go, because it teaches you basic principals of portion control. It’s a wonderful standard for anyone who wants to eat what they want and still lose weight.
It also combines what Carrie underwood and others swear by, tracking your foot. I know some of the writers here track with My Fitness Pal.
If you choose to take that even further, you can learn more about the science of energy with food, how to eat clean and take it to another level.
But all in all it’s becoming educated about what you put in your mouth, how it converts to energy, how much you need to actually eat and all of that fun stuff. (:
I agree about the PointsPlus program–there was way too much fiber in the plan for my system to handle.
Jesus take the wheel. I’m so tired of Oprah and these weight watchers commercials. I don’t feel she is the least bit genuine in her commercials and truthfully in life nowadays. Good for her on losing weight. I never shade someone for getting healthy.
I agree, there was a blind about Opie and Kirstie and their money making schemes with being all for certain plans and the blind was out before all of the hoopla.
WW works, the end. and I didn’t need O to tell me every 30 mins.
To put that number into perspective, that’s about 1 1/2 Mariah Carey engagement rings
Lol!
I wish I bought stock right before Oprah did-WW was really in the toilet last year-they had to fire like half their corporate employees in early 2015. Then in the fall I saw on instagram that Gayle King joined WW–I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN what that meant-that Oprah was coming. DARNIT!!! I could have a bunch of monies too!!
She is such an awful person. And I had no idea until recently that she had invested in Weight Watchers. She’s a yo-yo dieter who was becoming irrelevant as a personality so now she has a new platform to give her attention and energise her cult following. And if you can’t make it with a personal chef and personal trainer than there is something else going on.
Did I mention I think she’s an awful, awful person without a shred of integrity? At this point she is greedy and grasping. Awful person.
As for making millions with a couple of words…geez, we are indeed in the end times of civilisation.
This
I am on the new WW Smartpoints plan. This is a new plan based on the latest research and emphasizes high protein, low sugar and low saturated fats. In two weeks, I’ve lost five pounds without too much of a feeling of being hungry. You can eat anything on the plan-including bread-but the higher the protein, and lower the sat. fat and sugar, the fewer points it is.
As an online member, I got an email that Oprah was scheduled to do a question/answer session with members yesterday. I took a pass. I know Oprah has her own personal coach provided by WW and her own chef so her weight loss struggles are not the same as the rest of us.
Sounds a lot like Atkins.
Isn’t Atkins VERY high protein and low/almost no carbs? WW emphasizes higher protein, low saturated fat & low sugar. It’s different. It’s a balanced approach. I think Atkins puts the body in a state where you are burning ketones.
the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. But hey, WW is different, right?
I was on the Oprah bandwagon, I thought she was like a messiah with her transform your life, live an authentic life etc. Although I did learn a lot and opened me up to different things I realized its the “Oprah Machine”.
I do greatly admire her coming from such humble beginnings and rising up, that’s truly inspirational.
The only problem I have about her and her ‘humble beginnings’ is this: How did she end up at Maria Shrivers college roommate?? The Tea is Never Clear with Oprah.
I find it strange that Weight Watchers gets so much hype and yet they’re just one of a hundred basic normal diets – Medical Weight Loss Plan, Great North American Slim Down, Beach Body suggested regimen, and the list goes on. Do people really need to be told at this point that they need to eat 5-7 smaller meals per day starting early, rather than 3 huge meals per day? Do people not know by now that every meal should include a green, a carb, and a protein and be cooked any way other than fried? Do people not know that in order to lose weight the formula is take in less calories than you burn? I grinds me that these mega companies are making so much money off people for providing the obvious. Buy a steamer if you don’t already have one and use a 1/2 cup to measure portions. Eat 5 times per day starting at 6:30 a.m. Exercize. Why so much hype?
I wonder if this could be construed as stock manipulation. Anyone a SEC expert?
The commercials are what really get me. She claims to have lost 26 pounds so far but they only show her from the shoulders up !
I thought it was only me thinking this. I turn the channel super fast…and side eye her supposed almost “30lb loss”.
I am, however happy when anyone can” honestly” reach their weightloss goals.
What a wasted life… how can anyone keep yoyo-dieting for YEARS?
Keep the weight OFF for a change and shut up about it. Then you can maybe act as a role model.