Oprah Says She Hates Working Out ‘So Much’ — but Explains Why She Keeps Doing It
For the last few years, Oprah Winfrey has had a highly public love-hate relationship with her weight. Fans have watched the media mogul experience many ups and downs while on her weight loss journey and have seen everything from the good and bad to the ugly.
Today, Oprah is living her best, most healthy life yet has Weight Watchers and constant exercise to thank for this. Though she often gushes about her love of the popular weight loss program, she hasn’t done the same when talking about working out — simply because she “hates” doing it.
A look back at Oprah’s weight loss journey
Oprah first opened up about her ongoing struggle to maintain a healthy weight when she began hosting The Oprah Winfrey Show in the 1980s. Since she was never one to sugar-coat things on her show, the media mogul shared the gritty details of her relationship with food and weight with viewers.
In 1988, Oprah revealed that she lost 67 pounds by pulling a wagon filled with 67 pounds of gloppy fat behind her on The Oprah Winfrey Show during an episode called “Diet Dreams Come True.”
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While showing off her slimmer figure, the media mogul revealed that she had lost weight with the help of a liquid diet and daily 6.5 mile runs.
However, it soon became painfully clear to Winfrey (and subsequently to everyone following along) that maintaining a weight that she found acceptable would end up being a lifelong fixation.
After she began eating solid foods again, Oprah said she gained 10 pounds just in two weeks. From there, the pounds continued to pile on, and in 1992, Oprah said her weight had increased to 237 pounds, which was her heaviest.
Oprah Winfrey and Weight Watchers
In 2005, Oprah made it a goal of hers to maintain a healthy weight. She was ultimately successful because she managed to slim down to 160 pounds. But after that, Oprah quickly learned that keeping a slimmer figure was going to take a lot more than just eating right.
“I thought I was finished with the weight battle. I was done. I’d conquered it. I was so sure, I was even cocky,” she said in her O Magazine. “I had the nerve to say to friends who were struggling, “All you have to do is work out harder and eat less! Get your 10,000 steps in! None of that starchy stuff!”
After becoming aware of some underlying health issues, Oprah found herself gaining the weight back. She even shared a photo of herself at her 2006 weight next to photo of her at her weight in 2009 on the cover of O, with the quote, “‘How did I let this happen again?'”
Eventually, Oprah was introduced to Weight Watchers and found that the program helped her maintain a healthy weight while still eating her favorite foods.
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Since then, the media mogul has been using the program and regular exercise to help her keep the weight off. She now says that she is “not struggling anymore,” and has embraced the mindset that “healthy is the new skinny.”
“Wherever you are in your weight loss journey if you’re focusing on mind, body and spirit and making yourself as well and whole as possible, then you’re on the right path,” Oprah told Today‘s Jenna Bush Hager while promoting her WW 2020 Vision Tour earlier this year. “That’s what this tour is all about.”
Oprah says she “hates” working out
Just like many people in the world, Oprah is not a fan of working out.
Though getting in regular workouts has helped her live her best and most healthy life, the media mogul says that she still “hates” exercising — but notes that it’s always worth it in the end.
“Here’s the thing about exercise, I still hate it so much,” Oprah told Bush Hager, adding that despite her feelings, “I still do it.”
She continued, “I think everyone’s waiting to love it. You’re not going to love it but you do the thing you need to do to make yourself feel whole and well.”
