John Goodman And Other Celebs Who Got Real About Their Weight-Loss Rollercoasters

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Weight loss isn't a linear journey, and many celebrities learned that the hard way. After working diligently to lose weight and sharing their results with the world, many notable figures gained some or most of their weight back. However, instead of getting disheartened by the critics' shaming, they put their energy toward getting back on track. 

For numerous celebrities, getting back on track wasn't always a linear journey either, and they went through extended periods of weight gain and weight loss. After a lot of trial and error, many of these A-listers found more sustainable ways to lose weight and keep it off. By being open about the highs and lows they experienced, they highlighted that a realistic weight-loss journey can have plateaus and periods of weight gain, a fact that is often glossed over in social media videos chronicling weight loss. 

In fact, even research has indicated that setbacks in a weight-loss journey don't necessarily mark its end. As part of a 2025 study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, researchers analyzed the data of over 6,600 people in the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) Total Wellbeing Diet Online program. After looking at the 12-month data of participants, researchers concluded that even people who experienced weight fluctuations and periods where the scale didn't move still lost weight. Moreover, when we look at the stories of celebrities who lost weight after a plateau or weight gain, it appears that the secret to sustained weight loss lies in realistic lifestyle changes that can be followed in the long run.

In an October 2026 interview with The New Yorker, John Goodman opened up about his weight fluctuations over the years, saying, "I'd lose 60 pounds in a summer, gain it all back. 70 pounds, 80 pounds. And that got tiring." Sharing the reasons for these fluctuations in a March 2016 chat with ABC News, the "Roseanne" alum explained that when he lost a significant amount of weight, he rewarded himself with beer or another treat that ultimately led him to fall back into his old ways. 

It's worth noting that, in 2007, John Goodman kickstarted his weight-loss journey by giving up one thing: alcohol. Although drinking alcohol and treating himself in other ways may not have been conducive to his long-term health goals, it didn't bring an end to his weight-loss journey by any means. Goodman told ABC News that he eventually became determined to take a slow and steady approach to weight loss. When The New Yorker asked Goodman how he managed to achieve sustained results, he explained that he had undergone surgery on his stomach. 

Additionally, in a January 2018 interview with AARP, the "Digger" actor credited portion control with being an incredibly helpful tool for his goals. Of course, exercise has also supported his journey. He told The New Yorker that his current workout split is focused on strength training, core work, and balance to prevent falls. Over time, Goodman lost around 200 pounds. Considering all of Goodman's hard work, it's unsurprising that he is one of the many celebrities who have lost over 100 pounds and shouted it from the rooftops.

Kirstie Alley was one of the many '80s celebrities who underwent major weight-loss transformations. In a 2005 appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," the "Cheers" alum shared that she had lost 33 pounds, half of the weight she intended to lose, on the Jenny Craig program, which offers prepackaged meals and snacks. In the following years, she hit her goal weight. However, in a May 2009 interview with People, Alley revealed that she gained 83 pounds after her Jenny Craig partnership ended in 2007. The "Look Who's Talking" star explained that she wasn't as motivated to stick to a diet plan when she didn't have to do the weekly weigh-in required for Jenny Craig spokespeople. 

Although she admittedly wasn't too happy about regaining the weight, she made it clear that she was determined to continue her journey, describing her mindset as "Get back on the horse, lose the freakin' weight, and then just move forward!" According to CBS News, during Alley's 2011 stint on "Dancing With The Stars," she lost 100 pounds due to the exercise she got through dancing, an organic diet, and the Organic Liaison, a weight-loss plan she created. However, this weight loss wasn't sustainable in the long run, either. 

During an April 2014 appearance on "Today," Alley admitted she had gone off-track with her weight-loss journey and had since rejoined Jenny Craig to lose 30 pounds. Then, in April 2017, she told People that she had lost 50 pounds with Jenny Craig and kept it off. For her, the secret to sustainable weight-loss was staying active and pairing calorie-dense foods with low-calorie foods she could eat in large quantities to promote satiety.

During a July 2009 chat with the San Francisco Chronicle, Valerie Bertinelli admitted she had dealt with constant weight fluctuations ever since she rose to fame at 15. One such weight fluctuation cycle began in March 2007 when Bertinelli became a spokesperson for Jenny Craig and lost 50 pounds. However, while the former Food Network star appeared on the "Drew Barrymore Show" (via People) in January 2026, she shared that she couldn't sustain the results from her work as a spokesperson for an unnamed dieting company. 

Bertinelli explained that while emotional and physical stressors were responsible for her weight gain at the time, she still felt that the clothing size she had gotten down to with the company's diet program was too small, and that she wouldn't have been able to maintain it for an extended period anyway. Ultimately, the dieting company allegedly fired her for gaining weight. However, in April 2014, Bertinelli made it abundantly clear that she wasn't about to be shamed for her weight fluctuations, telling "The Talk" viewers, "We have to take the shame out of [weight gain], because it's not fair." She later added, "The thing is, I still like to eat, and I'm going to eat. I think we all need to give each other a break, especially women. Let's leave each other alone." 

In April 2024, the Daytime Emmy winner told People that she is no longer pressuring herself to lose weight with strict goals. Instead, she is working to heal her relationship with food and her emotional and mental health for her overall well-being.

In 1999, Carnie Wilson underwent gastric bypass surgery, which supported her in going from 300 pounds to under 150 pounds in around four years. While discussing her weight-loss journey with "Today" hosts in December 2007, the Wilson Phillips member shared that she had experienced numerous weight fluctuations and essentially accepted that her weight would be a long-term struggle. For Wilson, a noticeable instance of weight gain occurred after she welcomed her daughter Lola in 2005. 

After watching the number on the scale go up and down over the years, she felt women were better off focusing on feeling healthier rather than trying to achieve a goal weight. As for Wilson herself, she eventually concluded that it was best to get a second surgery for her health. During an April 2012 appearance on "Today," the "Hold On" singer shared that she had undergone a lap-band surgery, which reduces the size of the stomach, to aid her weight-loss goals. 

Opening up about her reasons for undergoing the procedure, Wilson said that she hadn't lost much weight in two years, adding, "I needed to take action. I needed to help myself again." She stressed that she hadn't undergone the surgery to meet a beauty standard or to get to a goal weight, but to support her health. Over the years, she also continued supporting her health with lifestyle changes. Sharing side-by-side photos of herself from "before" and "during" her health journey to Instagram in April 2024, Wilson wrote that she had lost weight through dietary changes like cutting out sugar, gluten, butter, and controlling her fat intake.

In Oprah Winfrey's 2017 book "Food, Health and Happiness," she confessed that she had tried her fair share of fad diets over the years. Although these diets made the number on the scale move temporarily, their results weren't sustainable in the long run, and she eventually regained the pounds they helped her lose and more at times. For the beloved TV personality, one of the most public occurrences of weight fluctuation occurred in the late '80s.

In a 1988 episode of her show, Winfrey wheeled out a wagon carrying 67 pounds of animal fat to show the weight she had lost through a liquid diet, the Optifast diet. Reflecting on that era of her life in the October 2005 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine, Winfrey wrote that she went four months without eating any solid food whatsoever. As a result, her metabolism suffered, and she quickly regained weight when she went back to eating solid foods. 

While discussing the ups and downs of her weight-loss journey in a December 2023 People interview, Winfrey admitted, "[Weight fluctuations] occupied five decades of space in my brain, yo-yoing and feeling like why can't I just conquer this thing, believing willpower was my failing." Over time, she realized that the issue wasn't her willpower, but her genetic predisposition to gain weight. So, she began taking weight-loss medication to support her health goals. Winfrey stressed that her weight loss didn't solely come from the medication, saying, "I know that if I'm not also working out and vigilant about all the other things, it doesn't work for me."