Kelly Clarkson’s Weight Loss: Everything She’s Said About Her Health Journey

The ‘American Idol’ alum recently revealed she had found out that she was pre-diabetic and embarked on her weight loss journey.

Kelly Clarkson has been a cultural icon for over two decades. After winning American Idol in the debut season, Kelly skyrocketed to becoming a popstar, and she’s one of the show’s biggest successes. She’s had tons of hits like “Since U Been Gone,” “Stronger,” and many more. She’s also gone on to be a coach on The Voice and hosted her own talk show The Kelly Clarkson Show.

Over the years, Kelly’s weight has fluctuated. Recently, the popstar opened up about how she’s lost weight in a new interview with PEOPLE, published on January 3, 2024. She opened up about how moving to New York City and taking part in different activities with her kids has helped her get in shape. Keep on reading to learn more about Kelly’s weight loss journey.

How Much Weight Did Kelly Clarkson Lose?

Kelly revealed that she lost 37 pounds in 2018. In June of that year, she revealed that she was struggling with a thyroid issue and an autoimmune disease in an interview with Extra. She said that she switched off of medication and changed her diet after reading The Plant Paradox by . ““I literally read this book, and I did it for this autoimmune disease that I had and I had a thyroid issue, and now all my levels are back up,” she said. “It’s basically about how we cook our food, non-GMO, no pesticides, eating really organic.”

How Did Kelly Clarkson Lose the Weight?

Kelly credited the change of diet with her weight loss. At the time, she said that she hadn’t “worked out at all!” Before that, a source close to Kelly also explained to Hollywood Life exclusively that she was being very thoughtful about her diet. “Kelly has been able to lose weight by following a real simple diet plan. She has cut out a significant amount of sugar from her diet and increased her vegetable intake,” they said. “She has a salad for lunch and has also quit drinking soda. Plus she is also exercising more regularly with her personal trainer… Kelly is eating smarter and feels great too.”

Now that Kelly has moved to New York, she’s revealed that her activities with her kids have helped her stay in shape in the above-mentioned PEOPLE interview. She also mentioned doing cold plunges and infared saunas. “Walking in the city is quite the workout,” she said. “We go walk the dogs a few times at the park. We’ll go for ice cream because my daughter will wear me down. We’ll go make slime and we go to the museum.”

She also shared a few details about her diet. “I eat a healthy mix,” she said. “And 90 percent of the time I’m really good at it because a protein diet is good for me anyway. I’m a Texas girl, so I like meat — sorry, vegetarians in the world!”

What Has Kelly Clarkson Said About Her Weight Loss?

Kelly also credited her doctor with helping her lose weight in the PEOPLE interview.  She said that hearing what they say and following their directions has been the most helpful. “I dropped weight because I’ve been listening to my doctor — a couple years I didn’t,” she said.

During a subsequent discussion about health on her talk show, Kelly recalled what motivated her to adjust her lifestyle and lose weight.

“I was told I was pre-diabetic,” she pointed out. “That was literally what happened. I wasn’t shocked. I was a tiny bit overweight, so I wasn’t shocked, But they were like, ‘You’re pre-diabetic. You’re right on the borderline. I was like, ‘But I’m not there yet.’ And then, I waited two years and then did, however, move into the — I was like, ‘OK, I’ll do something about it.'”