Oprah Winfrey is 62 years old! I could have sworn she was in her fifties, but I guess she’s been around so long she has that kind of ageless quality, especially now that she’s slimmed down. It’s like Oprah is less of a fallible human and more of a force of nature at this point. Whether she succeeds or fails, she always manages to make bank. Hence her contract with Weight Watchers, in which she became part owner of the company and has now lost an impressive 30 pounds. (Which she lost 3 months ago, but she’s maintained it so far. When I was losing I plateaued quite a few times.) She’s also planning a new cookbook, titled Food, Health and Happiness: ‘On Point’ Recipes for Great Meals and a Better Life, but has put her memoir on hold. I could have sworn Oprah already had a memoir, but she doesn’t, just a book of inspirational columns she wrote for O!. This would have been her first memoir and she signed a deal for it last December, but I guess Weight Watchers dollars take precedence. The cookbook will come out in January of next year, which was originally when her memoir was supposed to come out. It will contain recipes that she promises are healthy and tasty.
Another reason Oprah isn’t writing her memoir yet – she’s still busy with her acting career. Oprah is on a new scripted TV drama called Greenleaf, which premieres on OWN next week. Oprah plays a woman who runs a jazz club. US has more about her new role, but I’m just going to excerpt the diet stuff because that’s the most interesting to me.
Us: You’ve lost 30 pounds since October with Weight Watchers. Are you in the best shape of your life?
OW: Yesterday, I was in the gym working on my triceps, and I was thinking, just as I did the 50-pound pulldown, I am going to be in better shape by the end of the year than I’ve ever been in my life. I really just smiled at the notion: Wow, what a thing.
Us: You’ve said that bread is your weakness. What kind?
OW: There is a seeded bread that I bring from South Africa. I bring home 10, 20 loaves. I am so bad with this bread. I’ve literally been in hotels and brought my own: “Please, can you toast this? I have my own bread.” They’re like, “You have your own bread?” And I’ll pull it out!
Us: What else do you save your splurge points for?
OW: Tequila shots or a glass of wine.
Of course Oprah has bread flown in from South Africa, and I imagine her handing it to hotel staff and yelling “toast!” without saying any other words. I don’t imagine Oprah talking to people in full sentences, which I know is illogical because I’ve watched her show, but in my mind it’s like everyone knows exactly what Oprah wants because she tells you with her enthusiasm and facial expressions. As for Oprah’s workout, I read that and lifted weights yesterday. I do too much cardio and watching Daisy Ridley’s crazy workout video yesterday got me inspired. Oprah needs to make a workout video and post that on Instagram.
Oh and Oprah did an interview with Michelle Obama! Kaiser will cover that in a bit and you can see the video on The Chicago Tribune.
Photos credit: WENN.com and FameFlynet
I want to do tequila shots with Oprah.
The imagery of her waving her loaf of bread yelling “TOAST!” got me.
“You get some toast, and you get some toast! Everybody is getting TOOOAAASSSTTT”
She looks great but how many times has she “been in the best shape of her life?” Nice that she seems to be in a good place with herself though.
I’m sure it’s just me but does that guy in the last photo seem like he is mocking Oprah with the glasses? It just struck me as funny, so much big eyewear.
And yes, no surprise that she gets bread from overseas and travels with it.
It is a recurring statement from her — I feel like this comes around every 5 years. She will always be up-and-down with her weight.
The bread thing makes me chuckle because I can only see Maya Rudolph doing her impression of Oprah on her Maya & Marty show where EVERYTHING is made of bread–her bed, her lawn sculptures, and all she proclaims is, “I LOVE BREAD!” So now every time the Oprah commercial comes on and she says “I love bread,” I end up giggling.
I love Oprah, but I’ll look for weight loss advice elsewhere. Also, it bugs me that a women as successful as she is, continues to define herself by her weight. I get she’s human like all of us, but surely she can do better than promoting a weight loss plan.
As a person who has struggled with weightloss all of my life, I get what she’s saying. I think Oprah, after years of chasing thinness, has come to the realization that she doesn’t have to be a certain size to be happy and healthy. She realized that all of the “yo-yo” dieting wasn’t good for her, all it did was give her a temporary reprieve and then give her anxiety when she wasn’t able to maintain a size 6 body. so instead of chasing size 6, she’s looking to be in the best shape for her body type and age. That’s where I am now. I have been chasing that bikini body all of my life, and everytime I failed, I ate myself into oblivion. Now, I go to the gym to keep off the excess pounds and be healthy.
If that bread’s so great, she should import it for the rest of us. She should become an importer-exporter. I’d like to try the best bread in the world….
–TheRealPinky
Well, I don´t remember the bread she is talking about.
But I DO remember my childhood brown and white loaves. . .
(mouth watering. . . . ) Best bread in the world with cheese and
sliced tomatoes!
Memory lane, sorry..
Art Vandelay is waiting for her call
LOL! This!
Good for her! As someone who lost a few extra pounds lately, it feels so good to fit in your old clothes and to be more flexible and energized all the time! Go Oprah!
Good for her. Again.
Been there, done that. Maybe this time it is different because she makes money staying skinny? Funny that she is reduced to a Weight Watcher spokeswoman. Does anyone lose weight and keep it off forever following that diet?
Sigh. Eating healthy and exercise, that is all the plan you need.
I wouldn’t say that she’s been “reduced” to a Weight Watchers spokes person. She’s a co-owner. She is the brand now. And yes, it does work if the person is committed to the program. I’ve know many people who’ve lost and maintained their weightloss.
It’s funny! When I read O was 62, I thought she was older than that…I feel like she has been around FOREVER! It’s a lot easier for her to lose 30 pounds than the rest of us. She can workout anytime she wants, she has personal trainers, I’m sure…she has personal chefs….It’s a lot harder when you work a full time job, plus commute. Have to shop, cook, clean, take care of a family….cook something different for your family, because they don’t want to eat “diet” food…I mean, congrats to O for losing the weight, but it shouldn’t be that hard for her…
In a way, I completely agree with you. But the psychology behind obsessive eating, and food addiction (I know) transcends money and convenience. I’m on a diet right now, work at a place that pays for my gym membership, which is in the same building I work in and still, I’ve had my troubles. The issues aren’t just about working out and eating healthy, there is a deeper psychological component for us who struggle with our weight. We’re not talking about baby fat or those pesky 15 pounds.
Cosign on this. Holding space for your struggle.
I agree, plus I think it’s a bit simplistic to say she can “work out anytime she wants” She runs a multi-million dollar empire and that’s very time-consuming. While I’m sure she delegates a lot of duties, she’s still running the show and is probably in tons of meetings, calls and interviews during standard work hours.
A lot of people use food to soothe themselves. If I’ve had a hard day, I might relax by having a treat. If I’m sad, I’ll have a treat. If I feel fat, I’ll eat. A lot of it is psychological, that’s why it’s so hard for some people to lose the weight and keep it off. So I feel like people that say calories in vs calories burned or she’s got all the resources are not psychological eaters and probably have not ever had weight issues. Changing the behaviors and finding new coping methods is the hardest part.
I think it can be harder for jet setters. She goes to amazing restaurants, travels a lot, and people probably are always offering her junky snacks and drinks. It is not really fun to go to an amazing restaurant and get grilled chicken and steamed veggies, but if you go to them all of the time, eventually you have to. My husband travels a lot for work, and always gains weight in long trips. Home is a bit easier because you are busy, but not around amazing food all of the time. And his night time snacking is limited to what we have in the house, which usually isn’t that good. (On purpose. I keep ingredients for “emergency” brownies. If I want brownies bad enough to I make them from scratch, I REALLY want them.)
Oprah has amazing skin. If she weren’t OPRAH I would peg her for fortysomething.
Hasn’t she made the same statements before? Why does she have to declare that she found the secret to weight loss every time she losses weight? I feel like she’s trying to convince herself more than anyone else. But I guess if she’s healthy and happy, who cares.
I am wondering if the changes at WW have anything to do with Oprah’s ownership piece. I was doing the online (new) program and became very discouraged with everything from the problems with the web program set-up itself to the customer service…it felt as if a venture capitalist firm came in and looked only at the bottom line (WW’s has been having financial issues) and made changes on that basis alone; in other words, they didn’t care about the program.
I also find it ironic that Oprah-who has a chef and doesn’t cook-would coauthor a cook book.
Just my opinion….
From what I understand, she’s a really good cook.
I agree with you about the site. It was weird for me too.
This woman irritates me to no end. She has achieved everything a woman could want – she’s literally a billionaire, is independent, owns a school in South Africa, she is a media icon. Still can’t get past her weight, though. When is she going to finally get that she’s not meant to be thin, that this is who she is? I am 48 and way beyond vanity at this point in life. I don’t feel a need to be thin and the last thing I want to do now that I’m semi-retired is waste my day counting points or working out so I can look sexually attractive to anyone, including myself. I wish Oprah would get it together already and just be herself.
YES! You are so correct, kanyekardashian!! My sister turned 40 and tried to tell me she doesn’t give any fucks anymore, meanwhile she is counting calories and cutting carbs to get down to her smallest size ever. WTF? Let it go, ladies, we’re all beautiful!