Rebel Wilson Says These Four Things Helped Her Shed 77 Pounds
Rebel Wilson's weight loss journey has been inspiring to watch and motivating for so many. The Pitch Perfect star has documented her "Year of Health" to encourage others, but not everyone was on board with her big plans. She told BBC News, "I feel like I'm really going to physically transform and change my life," Wilson recalled telling her entourage. "And they were like, 'Why? Why would you want to do that?' Because I was earning millions of dollars being the funny fat girl and being that person." While the Australian actress was always comfortable in her skin, she was concerned about her health and wanted to lose weight, she continued in the BBC News interview,"I knew deep down inside that some of the emotional behaviors I was doing wasn't healthy. I did not need a tub of ice cream every night," she said. "That was me numbing my emotions using food, which wasn't the healthiest thing." Here's four ways that helped Wilson drop 77 pounds and reach her goal of 165 pounds.
Maintaining Balance
Enjoying a little of what you love is always important, which is what Wilson did during her weight loss journey. "I'm just trying to go for overall balance, overall healthy balance," Wilson told People. "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." Dr. Chad Larson, NMD, DC, CCN, CSCS, Advisor, and Consultant on the Clinical Consulting Team for Cyrex Laboratories explains, "When a person is transitioning from a Standard American Diet (lots of sugar, processed grain-based foods, processed oils, and processed meat) to a whole foods diet, cheat days can help make certain favorite foods feel less forbidden. Forbidden foods make us crave them more, so if they can be occasionally enjoyed as an indulgence, the rest of the new food choices seem more doable."
Changed Eating Habits and Cut Out Many Processed Foods
Wilson told People, "Before I was probably eating 3,000 calories most days, and because they were normally carbs, I would still be hungry. "So, I've really changed to eating a high-protein diet, which is challenging because I didn't used to eat a lot of meat," she adds. "I eat fish, salmon, and chicken breast." Dr. Larson states, "When foods are processed, the natural balance of the food is altered. Our brains are maniacal accountants of energy (calories). The flavor enhancers of most processed foods trick the brain into eating more of the food because the intense flavor confuses the caloric accountant in the brain, making you eat more of that food to try to balance the account. 'Bet you can't eat just one!' is a very factual slogan by Lay's. If you eat more processed food, you will secrete more insulin to deal with the increased blood sugar demands, and the higher the insulin, the greater the fat storage."
She Walks Daily
Wilson has mentioned in several interviews and the Apple Fitness+ Time to Walk where the actress discussed in the premiere of season three that walking helped her stay active and lose weight. Dr. Tomi Mitchell, a Board-Certified Family Physician with Holistic Wellness Strategies explains that walking, "helps increase energy levels, reduces stress, and improves overall health. A moderate amount of exercise each day is the key to keeping your body healthy and looking young. Regular exercise is another key to staying young. It helps keep your body toned and muscular and increases your energy levels. Exercise also has many other health benefits, including reducing your risk for heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. Wear some comfortable workout clothes, crank up your favorite songs, and get moving! You see, you can exercise in your home, using your body weight as resistance. Or one of my favorites is walking or sometimes running laps around my house."
Drinks Plenty of Water
Staying hydrated is a great healthy way to lose weight, experts say. Wilson said she gets "Adequate sleep, walking, hydrating, drinking water. You'll always see me with a FIJI [water] in my hand, and balance it with the nutrition," in a Q&A with Hello! Bess Berger, RDN, CDN, CLT, a women's health registered dietitian with Nutrition by Bess explains, "Water helps with weight loss in a few ways. First, about 75% of people have their thirst and hunger mechanism confused. That means that sometimes when one thinks they are hungry, they are really thirsty. This can easily result in us eating more! If we make sure we are adequately hydrated, we can end up decreasing eating when we are actually hungry. Our metabolism needs to be adequate hydration to keep up to its optimal speed. If our body senses we're low on hydration, it slows down a bit. So keeping adequately hydrated is also helpful with weight loss."
She Hangs Out With Supportive People
Since losing the weight, Rebel has been to the Super Bowl, Disney, Fiji and is always posting images of having fun with friends. "If you don't have a weight-loss support team, use these strategies to create one. If you do, take advantage of your team's help and let them know how much their support means to you. According to research, having friends or family members who are supportive of your healthy eating and exercise goals is important for long-term weight-loss success," says the Mayo Clinic. "Support can be:
- Emotional: A shoulder to lean on when you're feeling discouraged.
- Practical: Someone to watch the kids while you exercise.
- Inspiring: An exercise partner who encourages you to get out and move on those days when your favorite TV show seems like a better option."
