Major Celebrity Weight Loss Transformations Of 2020: From Rebel Wilson To Adele

Jan 13, 2021 by apost team

The year 2020 was an eventful one, to say the least. But while lockdowns and social distancing still have many yearning for a return to normalcy, others have embraced our new way of life and used it as an opportunity to better themselves. Most notably, certain celebrities have dedicated the year to embark on a weight loss journey, resulting in some incredible transformations. We're looking back at just some of the famous figures to succeed in their 2020 goal for a healthier body. 

Most readers will know Rebel Wilson, 40, as the aloof, funny girl who celebrates her body no matter the size. So when the actor announced 2020 would be her 'year of health,' many fans were surprised. The reason behind her decision, she claimed, was her realization that Hollywood bosses were paying her to "stay bigger." While her size might have ensured her many high-profile movie roles, it was also taking a toll on her health. Speaking to The Sun last year, the 40-year-old admitted the overeating was starting to "mess with her head."

"It's not like I want to lose weight and get to around a certain number," Wilson said. "It's more than that, it's about dealing mentally with why I was overeating and I had a job where I was paid a lot of money to be bigger, at times which kind of can mess with your head a bit."

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The Cats actor explained she began doing high-intensity interval training (HIIT), mobility, weight and resistance training, and technique and tempo workouts six days a week. As for nutrition, Wilson says she's made the switch to a high-protein diet. In a more recent interview with People, she revealed she was consuming about 3,000 calories a day before embarking on her health journey. She claims the key is consistency – not restriction. 

"It doesn't mean every week is a healthy week," Wilson said. "Some weeks are just write-offs, and there's nothing you can do about that."

In fact, the actor explained that she's since adopted a 'nothing is forbidden' policy. 

"I'm just trying to go for overall balance, overall healthy balance," she explained.

"I have this state of being, which is not my quote, but I go 'nothing is forbidden.' We'll be like, 'Should we get In-N-Out burger?' And I'm like, 'nothing is forbidden.' I can go there, I just might eat half of what I used to eat before. You know? And I'll have a burger, and a few fries, and then you feel fine." 

The actor credits her weight-loss success to the Coronavirus pandemic. Her limited social life and diminished working schedule meant Wilson now had the time to work on her mental and physical health. "I really took it as time to get really well-rested and de-stress," she says. "Because most of my stress is work-related."

The hard work and self-reflection paid off. In November, Wilson revealed she lost "about 40 Lbs" a mere 11 months into her journey. And although 2020 has officially come to an end – and with it, her 'year of health' – her new, healthier habits are here to stay. 

Although his dad Arnold Schwarzenegger had become the de-facto poster boy for bodybuilding at the height of his career, Chris had come to struggle with his weight since childhood. Last year, however, the recent college-graduate was spotted in Santa Monica looking noticeably thinner. 

According to the Daily Mail, the 22-year-old was photographed last summer while grabbing food at a local health store. Chris and his family are yet to have addressed the weight loss publicly. However, a comparison of those photos to others from a year prior shows he's trimmed down considerably since. 

Last year wasn't just one for achieving healthy weight goals, however. In May, Chris' famous dad took to Instagram to congratulate his son for graduating from business school at Pepperdine University.

"Christopher, you are a champion and I love you. I know your graduation from Michigan wasn't the big celebration you dreamed about for years, but walking across a stage isn't what makes me so proud of you: it's your compassion, your hard work, your vision, your critical thinking, and your selflessness that make me burst with pride. I can't wait to watch you keep climbing and succeeding."

Probably one of the most notorious weight loss stories of 2020, Adele is now almost unrecognizable to the young, shy 19-year-old we got to know in 2008. Last May, the singer sent fans into a frenzy after posting a photo on Instagram looking less than half her original size. In the months to follow, Adele would continue to post more pictures of her new slim body.

While tabloids became obsessed with her slimmed-down figure, it wouldn't be until October when Adele finally addressed her new look. In her Saturday Night Live debut last fall, the singer poked fun at the whole ordeal.

She said: 

"I know I look really, really different since you last saw me, but, actually, because of all the COVID restrictions and the travel bans, I had to travel light and only bring half of me. And this is the half I chose."

Other than that witty remark, Adele has otherwise kept hush about her drastic change. According to the Daily Mail, the singer told a fan she met while vacationing in Anguilla last January that she had lost "something like 100 Lbs." 

For Kelly Osbourne, 2020 was the year she would dedicate to realizing her weight-loss goals. 

In an Instagram post from December 2019, she declared: "2020 is going to be the year of me. It's time to put myself first, stop taking on other people's s— and be the badass sober woman I was born to be."

As part of the caption accompanying the photo collage, she wrote:

"2019 has been one hell of a year. In many ways it has been amazing especially in terms of self-growth. In many ways it has been gut-wrenchingly difficult. However through all the good and bad it has been incredibly educational for me. I have come to the realization that I constantly put the needs of others before my own."

The 35-year-old documented her transformation on social media and in August revealed she had lost an astonishing 85 Lbs. In a photo of herself sporting a chic Gucci outfit with her signature purple hair, The Real co-host Jeannie Mai's mother commented, saying: 

"Oh my gosh, you lost a lot of weight."

To which Osbourne replied:

"That's right mamma Mai I lost 85lbs since I last saw you. Can you believe it?"

According to USA Today, Osbourne also posted an Instagram story flaunting a new piece of clothing with a tag equivalent to a US size 2. Osbourne was proud that she could wear that size and felt she'd earned the right to brag about it because she "worked hard and it feels good."

The singer and designer, who is best known for being the daughter of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, rose to fame through the reality TV series The Osbournes. Osbourne was only 17 years old when the series began in 2002, which meant she spent much of her life in the spotlight.

As a result, she experienced a lot of media criticism and scrutiny regarding her weight. She told Shape:

"I was called fat and ugly in the press almost my entire life. I understand that being judged by others comes with the territory, but it broke my heart and ruined my self-esteem." 

Being in the limelight since the age of 17, Jessica Simpson has often spoken about the pressures she has faced regarding her body image and growing up in the public eye as she navigated a music career. And with the weight gain that came from her three pregnancies, public scrutiny surrounding her body image only became worse. The singer has since embarked on a holistic health journey that saw her adopt healthy habits, which led her to lose over 100 lbs in just one year.

The 40-year-old singer is mom to three children: 8-year-old Maxwell Drew Johnson, 6-year-old Ace Knute Johnson, and her youngest, 1-year-old Birdie Mae Johnson. 

During her first pregnancy, Simpson became the subject of hot discussion in the tabloids after gaining a considerable amount of weight. A first-time mom-to-be at the time, the Dukes of Hazzard told USA Today that her pregnancy gave her a "big appetite," which made her feel "constantly hungry," leading to a 70-pound weight-fain in just nine months.

After giving birth on May 1, 2012, the pop star signed a $4 million contract to become a spokesperson for Weight Watchers and kicked off her weight loss journey to return to a healthier state. According to Women's Health, Simpson had lost 60 pounds by November, thanks to a strict regimen consisting of regular exercise and a balanced, healthy meal plan, courtesy of her personal chef. In the meantime, Simpson became pregnant with her second child, Ace. 

Speaking to USA Today, the singer said she tried to be more mindful of her weight the second time around, which was easier since she was already leading a "healthy lifestyle" by then. In the end, she gained "what a normal pregnant woman would gain." I did put on a good amount with Ace," she added. 

Then in 2018, Simpson fell pregnant with baby number three. 

The pregnancy had been a rocky ride for Simpson, as she experienced health complications, which saw the singer being hospitalized four times in just two months with bronchitis. Thankfully, all was fine, and Simpson gave birth to a daughter, Birdie Mae, in 2019. Almost immediately following her birth, the singer enlisted her longtime fitness coach, Harley Pasternak, to help get herself back on track. Speaking to People last September, Pasternak revealed Simpson had been tipping the scales at 240 pounds, which would make her weight loss journey even more challenging. 

Taking a more holistic approach, the trainer instructed Simpson to incorporate five tasks into her day; achieving her step count, detoxing from technology for an hour, getting enough sleep, eating a healthy and balanced diet, and finally, exercising. The first task, walking, was an enjoyable one for the singer as, according to Pasternak, "it's a social thing that she can do with her kids." As a first challenge, Simpson set a goal of completing 6,000 steps per day for the first few weeks, gradually increasing 12,000 over the upcoming weeks.

"She can go to bed with a sense of fulfillment, and that's everything," Pasternak revealed. "And as a byproduct of doing these habits, she lost 100 lbs."

Did you embark on a health journey of your own in 2020? Let us know in the comments, and make sure you pass this along to your friends and family!