From Shame To Self-Acceptance: Oprah Winfrey Dives Deeper Into Her Weight Journey

Oprah reads the full letter she wrote to her younger self, acknowledging past struggles in her journey with self-esteem and people-pleasing.

Oprah Winfrey, a media mogul who has long been in the public eye, recently opened up about her weight journey on “The Jamie Kern Lima” podcast.

Despite hosting numerous shows on weight loss, Winfrey admitted, “I can’t even tell you how many conversations about it, but still carry my own shame.”

The conversation touched on pivotal moments in the billionaire’s life, including the famous 1988 episode of her show where she dramatically illustrated her weight loss with a wagon full of fat. However, it was in 2023 that Oprah had her “big Revelation” about weight management.

“There’s something in the brain that allows people like myself to metabolize fat differently than other people,” the OWN founder explained, shedding light on the biological aspects of weight control that had eluded her for decades.

She candidly discussed the public scrutiny she faced, saying, “For five years, every single week…there was a tabloid story or some exploitation of my weight.” She recalled hurtful experiences, including a skit on “In Living Color” that mocked her size.

“One of the most hurtful things was [when] ‘In Living Color’ had done a skit where the woman…just kept eating and getting fatter and fatter and fatter,” the television host shared. “The comedy bit was that eventually she just exploded, and you know the whole audience fell out, and the woman…was one of the sisters portraying me, but that was just accepted.”

Despite the challenges, Winfrey has reached a turning point. “I’m not carrying it into the next decade. I’m done with it,” she declared, emphasizing her decision to shed the emotional burden of weight shame, expressing concern about how weight issues impact women’s lives, stating, “We believe the lie that our weight is our worth.” She advocated for faster dissemination of information to help people heal and stop tying their self-worth to their weight.

In her journey toward self-acceptance, the television producer has set new goals for herself, focusing on overall health rather than just numbers on a scale. She shared her experience of gradually building her physical endurance, starting with walking a mile. “It took me like an hour and a half to do it,” she recalled, but she persevered and improved steadily.

While Winfrey confirmed using medication as a maintenance tool for weight management, she emphasized the importance of making informed decisions about one’s health.

As Winfrey has already reached her 70th birthday, she reflected on her journey with a letter to her 20-year-old self, who she calls a “beautiful brown skin girl.” In the letter, she acknowledges past struggles with self-esteem and pleasing others. Despite the trauma, her faith in God remained her greatest strength. Inspired by Philippians 3:14, a pivotal moment came when she answered Chris Clark’s call.

Winfrey emphasizes the importance of self-love, seeing oneself through one’s eyes, and understanding that success is a process. She concludes by affirming her journey with few regrets.

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