Fans of Chrissy Metz have always loved the actress for being a symbol of body positivity. Ever since her breakout role on NBC’s This Is Us, Metz has spread the message that everyone is “exceptionally beautiful in their own way.”
But that doesn’t mean she has always been completely content with her size. Did you know that she lost 100 pounds nearly a decade ago? Find out what kick-started Chrissy Metz’s weight loss and health journey.
Chrissy Metz Has Always Struggled With Her Weight
Metz has always been upfront about her lifelong weight loss struggle. “I’ve been chubby all my life,” she told the Hollywood Reporter in 2017.
“I remember going to Weight Watchers when I was like 11,” she continued. “I was the youngest person in the damned room and it was awkward.”
Metz said that part of the problem is that she ties food to fond memories. For instance, she loved eating grilled cheeses made by her grandmother, describing it as a “beautiful bonding time.”
But a separate component of her food addiction was dark. According to her New York Times best-selling memoir This Is Me, Metz revealed that her weight often made her a target of abuse—not by garden-variety bullies at school, but her own step-father.
“My body seemed to offend him, but he couldn’t help but stare, especially when I was eating,” Metz wrote. “He joked about putting a lock on the refrigerator.” She says he “shoved, slapped, and punched” her when she was a teenager. He also weighed her in regular intervals, then mocked her over the results. The mistreatment undoubtedly caused a deep sense of shame and pain for Metz.
However, it’s worth noting that Metz took the high road as an adult. “What the [media] fail[s] to leave out is that we have a relationship,” she told the Columbian in 2018. “I have forgiven him, he’s apologized and I respect him and he was more of a father to me than my biological father.”
Metz Had A Contract On ‘This Is Us’ That Required Her To Lose Weight
Metz was a struggling actress living on dollar store ramen noodles when she was hired to play Kate on This Is Us. Needless to say, she was overjoyed when she scored the part. But there was just one hitch.
“In our contract, it did state that that would be a part of it, to lose the weight in the trajectory of the character as she comes to find herself,” Metz revealed to TVLine in 2016.
Mandatory weight loss sounds like a high-pressure clause, but the actress saw it as a plus. “That was a win-win for me,” she continued. “Because it’s one thing to try to do it on your own. But as human beings, it’s an ego thing: We’re more likely to do something for someone else.”
However, Metz sounded a little more lax the following year in a Harper’s Bazaar profile. She told the outlet that there was no particular target weight or timeline that she nor her This Is Us character needed to reach.
This is Us creator Dan Fogelman expanded in a Hollywood Reporter feature, saying, “We have a general long-term plan that we’ve all talked about, and we will adjust the plan as needed.”
A Panic Attack First Inspired Her Weight Loss
Metz’s weight has yo-yoed for much of her life, but a panic attack in 2010 led to some major changes. Metz told People in 2017 that she had an awakening hours before she was set to attend her 30th birthday party that her ex-husband planned for her.
“I’m like, What is this? Am I dying? What’s happening?” she asked after feeling heart palpitations. “It was really scary—really, really, really scary.”
She skipped the celebration and made a beeline for the hospital. Doctors chalked it up to a panic attack, but they didn’t overlook the role that her weight played in her overall well-being. “You can’t continue on this path,” they told her.
“I’m like, ‘Oh, this is not just a physical thing,'” she said. “It’s like a soul/spirit/mind/body collective thing. Not everything’s connecting.”
Following the scary incident, Metz lost 100 pounds. “I was so gung ho, I lost 100 lbs. in less than five months,” she told People. And while she declined to reveal her weight at that time, she says she has managed to keep it off.
Her Weight Loss Routine Was Simple
Metz didn’t turn to a crash or fad diet to lose weight. As unglamorous as it sounds, her secret to success was moderation and movement. “All I did was eat a 2,000-calorie diet and walk 20 minutes a day.”
She also worked on her mental health, telling People that she relied on reading and spiritual work to keep herself motivated. “I realized that … at the core of who we are, we’re these perfect beings,” she said. “And we’re not taught that.”
“I just have to be very clear,” she told TVLine. “Whether or not I lose weight or stay the same, it’s purely a choice of mine for health. Not because I think that plus size, curvy, voluptuous, big bodies aren’t attractive—because I think they’re awesome and sexy.”
The actress continued, “So I’ll just have to make sure that’s known, because I’m not selling out the big girls. I don’t do that. That’s not me.”