The more I hear from Shonda Rhimes, the more I admire her. She’s one of the most successful TV producers working now, and she’s helping bring more women and people of color to the small screen. Plus she tells it like it is and is not afraid to call people out for bad behavior. I only hope that she does film work at some point.
Shonda, 45, is promoting her new book, Year of Yes, which is out next week. The book is about how she conquered her fears over the course of a year. This is one new celebrity memoir I really want to read, especially after seeing excerpts from the book in People Magazine. She describes how, as an introvert, she used to be afraid of promoting her work and of putting herself out there. She gradually got over that by forcing herself to do the things that scared her. She also conquered her food addiction and lost 117 pounds. I related to so much of what she said, especially about being an introvert. Here’s some of her book, from People:
On doing Jimmy Kimmel Live despite being terrified
I never want anyone looking at me. When I am required to do publicity, I often feel (and, sadly, look) like Bambi’s mother – right before the hunter shoots her. Eyes wide, all freaked out… It’s not an attractive look. My stage fright [has] ruled my every public appearance.This year, Jimmy Kimmel’s people have asked if I will be a guest on his show. Live TV. You know what happens on live TV? Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl Boob happens on live TV. You know what else happens? Shonda walking out to greet Jimmy and I trip over my own feet, falling and cracking my head on Jimmy’s desk. I lie twitching on the ground with my dress bunched up around my waist, revealing my double Spanx.
“I do not want to be on television. Ever,” I remind my publicist Chris.
“Shonda,” he says, “I thought you were saying yes to everything?” Damn.
“It can’t be live,” I tell Chris firmly. “I will do Jimmy Kimmel. But it can’t be live.”
If Jimmy thought it was weird that I became a block of solid wood and could not seem to walk and talk while the camera was rolling, he kept it to himself. He simply arranged it so I never had to walk and talk at the same time. Jimmy did all the work… I said yes to something that terrified me. And then I did it.
And I didn’t die.
On her catalyst to losing over 100 pounds
Here’s a thing maybe I forgot to mention. When I decide to begin my Year of Yes? I am fat. I’m not cutely chubby. Or nicely plus-size. I am massive.Look. I believe everyone has a right to love their body in whatever size and shape it comes in. But I don’t FEEL good.
In 2014 I get on a plane to New York. I’m a fancy TV writer. So I have a big first-class comfy seat. I grab the seat belt and – Well, it’s gotta be broken. Right? RIGHT? I do not have a broken seat belt. I am literally too fat for a first-class airplane seat belt.
I have been saying yes to being fat.
Food makes you feel better. It numbs you. The thing is? Being numb no longer suits me. What I have come to call The Airplane Seat Belt Incident of 2014 made putting food on top of things no longer an option. Damn it.
As I started to really lose weight, I started to feel strong. [Now] when I walk past a mirror I think, “Who is that?” The girl in the mirror is a size she hasn’t been since she was sixteen years old.
But it’s me. That girl looks happy. All it took was the right kind of yes.
How her life has changed
I am not only just beginning to understand that the very act of saying yes is not just life-changing, it is life-saving. The years of saying no were, for me, an easy withdrawal from the world. A way to disappear. Saying yes is courage.
[From People Magazine, print edition, headers added]
I’m shy and reluctant to put myself out there, so I connected to that part quite a bit. In terms of Shonda’s weight loss, she’s said she lost 117 pounds through portion control and exercise, which is all very sensible. (Plug for the free app MyFitnessPal. I love that app and site.) Shonda did say that she “hated [losing weight] the whole time,” which is not the best way to explain it, especially since weight loss requires vigilance to maintain. You can’t just lose weight and go back to old habits. If she keeps saying “yes” though, she’ll be able to keep it off. It sounds like there’s a lot of wisdom in her book. It’s reassuring to hear from a highly successful woman who continues to challenge herself, and who doesn’t sugar coat anything.
Photo credit: FameFlynet
She looks amazing and at least 10 years younger in that after shot.
I actually think she looked better before? Whenever people lose weight I feel like they lose the youthfulness of their face. Her cheeks have lost their apple.
She looks great!
I don’t like most of her shows (thought I still watch a few and roll my eyes the whole time) but I admire the hell out of her for pushing as hard as she does for her career, and her attitude towards casting.
I hope she stays in TV. I love her shows. Or if she did movies, use her best performers like Sandra O and company
Good for her for being real and honest with herself about losing weight. You can be your toughest critic but you can also be your biggest denier…
I really respect her, she seems highly intelligent and motivated to be the best she can be, what a great role model!
I am, however, a bit confused about her skin tone in the ‘before and after’ photos. Why does she look sooo much lighter? Is it just the lighting?
Looks like a combo of makeup and lighting to me.
I noticed her skin too. I’m certain it’s too much high def powder
I personally tend to look lighter when I’m losing weight. It’s as if going back to sport eliminates all of the toxins in my skin and I looking way more lighter.
Surprise surprise folks… Black people can tan. To me her heaver picture looks like shes been in the sun (perhaps fresh from vacation). I don’t think shes bleaching, her face arms and legs appear to be constant.
It’s OK, I think most people know that. But she’s probably wearing that powder people use for red carpets and it’s very dangerous around flashbulbs.
I get what she’s saying. When I lost a significant amount of weight, I was amazed by both how easy it was and how hard it was. It’s easy because it literally is as simple as eating less and moving more. Once you figure out how much you should be eating vs. how much you are moving, it is SO EASY. But it’s also really hard because you have to think about it all the time. You can’t think about it just during the day and then snack mindlessly at night. You can’t take three months off thinking about it. Good for her. The more I read about her, the more I like her.
Same- the actual physical act of losing weight isn’t too hard to figure out (calories in vs. calories burned) if you don’t have an underlying medical issue, but the constant vigilance is really tiring. There’s never a moment where you can not think about it.
At work several women are doing Weight Watchers and they talk about their points ALL THE TIME. I initially thought they were being obsessive (and very boring, because talking about food you can’t eat is boring), but it’s really what you have to do. I plan out every single thing that goes in my mouth, keeping a running tally of calories/fat/protein/carbs and constantly adjusting my planning as the day goes on. I hate it, but I also don’t want to regain the 80 pounds I lost.
Think of it this way – there are some people who have to monitor every morsel they eat due to food allergy or intolerance. It is just like counting points, as you must be ever vigilant. I am one of the lucky food intolerant people. I have to really plan to ingest the proper amount of nutrients while not eating “trigger” foods. It takes as much thought as counting ww points. I think WW is one of the healthiest diets out there and its easy to live with long term.
I finally lost the last 20 I needed to a year ago, and have maintained it. it’s not easy, but it is worth it. totally worth every moment of the repetitive “you don’t really want to want to eat that, it’s boredom or eating your feelings” self talk.
I think some people don’t get that- that it is completely worth it. the need to understand that the temporary high is not worth sacrificing the long term accomplishment.
YES!
I’m going through a facing my fears phase currently. I have to say it makes feel better hearing someone so successful sharing my same fears. Although, I don’t have to worry about being asked to appear on a show viewed by millions. That is one fear I’m just gonna have to cling to. Lol.
I think she has beautiful eyes. Her makeup here obscures rather than enhances.
I decided to start facing my fears 5 months ago. For years, I thought about quitting my (miserable) job and starting my own business, but fear held me back. I wanted that stability of a regular paycheck. What if I failed? What if I couldn’t pay my bills? Then I started asking myself, what if you don’t do it? What if you stay in this job where you hate going to work EVERY SINGLE DAY. what if you start taking out your frustrations on your husband and it ruins your relationship? So I did it. And I spent the months leading up to my grand opening alternating being excited (and relieved) and absolutely terrified. Now I’m just too busy to be terrified. Mostly.
Weight loss surgery.
What leads you to believe that?
yup
Agreed, looks like surgery to me too. Which, fine – whatever works for her. But if it was surgery she should at least be honest about it IMO.
I’m seriously asking… why do you all think that? It looks like traditional weight loss to me, and the way she talks about it sure makes it sound like she’s someone who has been through the process.
Just looking at the picture made me think surgery, too. It seems like people who use that to.lose weight have a certain build afterwards. Skinny limbs and a thick torso? I don’t know how to explain. Their faces seem to change more dramatically as well, vs. People who lose the weight from dieting and exercise. For one thing, diet and exercise is a slower process, so that might affect how the weight comes off.
Good for her I hope she did it for herself and not for others.
I know sometimes people react to what others say…
she looks good too with the weight loss
That’s great and very motivational . She had a defining moment and I think that helped her tough it out. 100 pounds damn.
Is she bleaching? Say it ain’t so. I can understand high def makeup and power on face, but on legs, , arms, neck and hands?
I hope not that’s messed up . I assume its powder or some makeup all over that’s not properly suitable for her skin tone. Celebrities put that Sh$t everywhere when they go to red carpet etc
I feel like her face makeup is too harsh in the newest pic
Agreed. She needs a good makeup artist to give her a makeover, one version for every day, one for red carpet. Her makeup is just too harsh for her face.
It looks really powdery to me. I do think it’s makeup.
When you lose weight, you often get lighter skinned. It’s hormonal.
If you look closely, she has stretch marks on her arms. Also, her skin is probably still adapting to her new size, hence the use of powder and probably foundation in arms and legs.
Her hands and feet seem lighter in the first pic than her face.
i do not know her, but she might have been a bit tanned in the before pic, and also, flashes can react differently to some types of makeup and powders.
I don’t like that she still references Katherine Heigl’s behavior (not on this interview) when it’s been 10 years but brought back Isaiah Washington to GA. That kinda makes me not like her. I do love HTGAWM because Viola.
Also, that link that was included re: when she dissed Gaga, that also rubbed me the wrong way. It was so unnecessarily bitchy.
She’s not allowed to have an opinion? It wasn’t mean, and to be honest, it was what a lot of people were thinking. Gaga is a public figure and I think it’s fine if people comment not just on what they think is good but also what doesn’t quite work. Just the same as people here say to Chrissy or other stars, that if they don’t want the feedback, they shouldn’t be on twitter or other social media sites. Well, it’s part of fame, part of the money machine.
Love her and her shows!
I hope she can keep it off! There are studies which show that 97% of dieters regain the weight they lost. 🙁
She’s bleached, and she’s had that nose reshaped.