Oprah Winfrey confirms Ozempic use to lose weight and says she 'won't be ridiculed'

Oprah Winfrey recently revealed her use of weight-loss medication, a significant shift from her previous stance of rejecting such aids.

She confessed to taking the drugs after years of speculation and rumors about her method of shedding weight.

Oprah explained that she decided to be open about her weight loss journey, having shed over 40 pounds, to end the negative attention.

Initially, she had dismissed the idea of using medications like Ozempic, which is intended for diabetics, labeling them as shortcuts.

Oprah didn’t say which drug she used to lose weight, but she made it clear that they helped her shed the extra pounds.

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"I now use it as I feel I need it, as a tool to manage not yo-yoing," Oprah told People. "The fact that there's a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift, and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for."

Oprah emphasized her resolve to stop self-criticism and judgment from others regarding her weight management choices. Prior to using the weight loss medication herself, she had suggested it to others, recognizing its benefits.

The celebrity disclosed that she started the medication before Thanksgiving, anticipating a period of extensive eating.

She attributes the drug to her minimal weight gain, having gained only half a pound instead of an expected eight. She noted that the medication helps in reducing her food cravings.

Oprah revealed she's close to her target weight, just seven pounds shy of 160lbs, but emphasized that the focus isn't on the scale.

Her health journey began after knee surgery in 2021, inspiring her to pursue a more energetic and healthier lifestyle. She now follows a routine where her last meal is at 4pm, coupled with drinking a gallon of water daily.

Additionally, Oprah sticks to WeightWatchers' point-counting system and regularly goes hiking.

Oprah has recently changed her stance on using weight loss drugs, a departure from her earlier resolution never to use them.

She openly discussed this change during a live event in New York City for Oprah Daily's The Life You Want series, where she previously rejected the idea of using such medications.

"One of the things I carried so much shame for, and even when I first started hearing about the weight-loss drugs, at the same time I was going through knee surgery, and I felt, 'I've got to do this on my own because if I take the drug, that's the easy way out,'" she explained.

She later let go of this self-judgment and, after talking to her doctor, decided to try the prescribed weight loss medication.