Lizzo is opening up about her body image and ongoing weight loss journey.
In a candid interview, the Grammy-winning singer revealed she has gained 20 pounds over the past year while pushing back against society’s obsession with women’s bodies.
Lizzo also reflected on the factors behind her dramatic weight loss and the challenges of navigating fame, admitting that public scrutiny has often overshadowed her music and artistic achievements.
Lizzo is speaking candidly about her evolving relationship with her body, revealing that she has gained 20 pounds over the past year while challenging the intense scrutiny women often face for their appearance.
During a recent interview with The Guardian, the singer addressed the public’s ongoing fascination with her weight, joking: “I’ve gained 20 pounds since last year, so everyone can ask me about weight gain, too, if they’d like.”
The Grammy winner used the opportunity to criticize what she described as a culture that places relentless pressure on women, particularly those in the spotlight.
“There’s a system of oppression that is constantly putting pressure on, especially women and especially women in the spotlight,” the Grammy-winning musician said, calling it “unrelenting” and “determined to make you feel sh-t about yourself.”
According to Lizzo, society often profits from insecurity, encouraging people to chase products and ideals that leave them feeling inadequate.
She described the pressure as constant, adding: “It won’t stop until you’ve bought every product and you’ve bought into every lie and turned it in on yourself. That system is working at an all-time high right now.”
The Singer Says There Was No Single Reason Behind Her Dramatic Weight Loss
When discussing the significant weight loss she revealed in early 2025, Lizzo emphasized that there was no single explanation behind the transformation.
Instead, she said multiple factors contributed to the changes she made, pushing back against attempts to reduce her journey to a simple headline.
The 38-year-old previously shared that she had reached a weight she had not seen “since 2014.” Reflecting on that period, Lizzo explained that physical discomfort, including joint pain and body aches, influenced her decision to focus more closely on her health.
She also credited stepping away from the online world with helping her redirect her energy toward personal growth.
“All I had was the studio and my thoughts, so I poured myself into the things I could control,” she added. “My body, my lifestyle, my routines and habits … and this is who I am today.”
Lizzo Says She’s ‘Just A Smaller Version’ Of Herself
Despite the changes, Lizzo has maintained that her confidence is not tied to a specific number on the scale.
In an earlier interview with Women’s Health, she said she still sees herself as a plus-size woman and feels largely like the same person, just in a smaller body.
“I like how I look now. I still think I’m big. I’m still wearing plus-size clothing. I have the same rolls,” the singer said about her weight loss journey.
She continued, “I got the same belly, the same thighs — I think I’m just a smaller version.”
For Lizzo, body positivity “has nothing to do with staying the same.” Instead, she views it as “the radical act of daring to exist loudly and proudly in a society that told you you shouldn’t exist.”
The Singer Says She Is Going To ‘Make Art Forever’
Elsewhere in her interview with The Guardian, Lizzo reflected on the realities of global fame and the challenges that have accompanied her rise to stardom.
She admitted that becoming a celebrity was never the goal, saying her focus has always been on creating art.
“I was always like, I’m going to make art forever,” she said.
However, she acknowledged that fame has often overshadowed her work, with public discussions centering more on her personal life than her music.
“When my fame precedes me as an artist, it can be uncomfortable, because people care more about what I said than what I made,” she explained. “I will put out music, and the critique of it is never really about the music: it’s more about me. And I think that comes with being this level of famous.”
Lizzo Reflects On Weight Gain And Why Critics Focus More On Her Than Her Music
While Lizzo recognizes that many public figures face similar challenges, she said she has gradually learned to accept the reality that personal opinions about an artist can influence how audiences respond to their work.
“It’s an interesting phenomenon,” the singer noted, “but now I’m settling into it.”
She also admitted that neither her meteoric rise to stardom nor the intense scrutiny that followed was something she anticipated.
“No, I don’t think anybody does. Everything was unexpected,” Lizzo said. “The Grammys, unexpected. The number ones, unexpected. The fame, unexpected. The public scrutiny, unexpected.”
Still, she noted that one aspect of the backlash she has faced did not come as a surprise. As a confident, plus-size Black woman, Lizzo said she was aware that her visibility and self-assurance would challenge some people’s expectations.
“The one thing I did expect was being a fat, black, happy girl, they were going to try to take that away from me. They were always going to try to tear me down,” the singer said. “I always knew, from when I was a non‑famous person, that that makes people uncomfortable. So I kind of signed up for that part.”
