This post has been updated since its original publication date to include new info
All kinds of celebs lately have been asked if they’ve taken controversial diabetes drug Ozempic for their recent weight loss – or at least, have been accused of doing so in the name of shedding pounds. From Christina Aguilera to Mindy Kaling, it seems anyone who’s dropped weight in recent months has been a suspect. But one big name who straight-up denied any Ozempic usage has been Jessica Simpson, and for one very good reason.
The singer, actress, clothing designer and author addressed those alleging she must have used Ozempic to support her recent 100-lb weight loss by directly saying it wasn’t any drug, but “willpower” that helped her on her health journey. Willpower, as well as a few other things such as quitting alcohol, walking 14,000 steps a day, and embarking on Harley Pasternak’s ‘Body Reset Diet.’ Keep reading for more info about her remarkable weight loss…
Jessica Simpson Lost Over 100 Lbs After Giving Birth In 2019
Jessica's weight loss journey has taken place very much in the public eye, with her social media posts especially providing an account of her shedding of the pounds since her all-time high of 260 lbs after the birth of daughter Birdie in 2019.
When Simpson had gained weight from, in her words, drinking and pregnancy, she knew it was time to make a change and get back into shape. "6 months. 100 pounds down (Yes, I tipped the scales at 240)," she wrote in a September 2019 Instagram caption. "My first trip away from #BIRDIEMAE and emotional for many reasons, but so proud to feel like myself again. Even when it felt impossible, I chose to work harder."
And that work was all "willpower," she said, with no contribution from Ozempic. The diabetes drug has been popularly used off-label by some as a weight loss regimen, though the drug's makers Novo Nordisk do not promote its usage as such.
"While we recognize that some healthcare providers may be prescribing Ozempic for patients whose goal is to lose weight, Novo Nordisk does not promote, suggest, or encourage off-label use of our medicines and is committed to fully complying with all applicable U.S. laws and regulations in the promotion of our products," the pharmaceutical company said in a statement to E! News. "We trust that healthcare providers are evaluating a patient's individual needs and determining which medicine is right for that particular patient."
Jessica Simpson Addresses Ozempic Speculation
In a 2023 interview with Bustle, Jessica confronted suspicions she had used Ozempic in her weight loss journey head on. "Oh Lord. I mean, it is not… it's willpower," she said when the rumors were brought up. "I'm like, do people want me to be drinking again? Because that's when I was heavier. Or they want me to be having another baby? My body can't do it."
The Open Book author admitted that the speculation and even negative comments from social media users can be difficult to hear, but she's pressing forward anyway. "It hurts," Jessica said, adding, "Am I going to let the negativity derail me? No, I'm too old for that. I am too connected to myself right now to let that derail me. It doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt."
In terms of her weight fluctuations, she sees them as an asset helping her to connect with the customers of her wide variety of Jessica Simpson-branded products. "I am fortunate to have been every size," she said. "For [my] brand, understanding the women [who buy our products], and for my psyche."
Jessica Simpson Credits Training With Harley Pasternak And Following His 'Body Reset Diet' For 100-Lb Weight Loss
Personal trainer Harley Pasternak (he also trains Megan Fox, FYI) revealed that part of Jessica's weight loss was down to *a lot* of walking: 14,000 steps a day to be exact! Pasternak previously revealed that they started off slowly with 6,000 steps a day, before building it up. "It's a social thing that she can do with her kids," he told E! News previously, before going on to say that she eventually built it up to 14,000 steps a day, while also fitting in three 45-minute workouts a week.
It wasn't just exercising that Pasternak helped Simpson with, as she reportedly followed his Body Reset Diet too. The diet consists of three meals full of protein, fiber, and fat a day, as well as two snacks full of either protein and fiber or protein and fat.
Pasternak previously told E! News: "She'll have foods that are very flavorable that are healthier versions of things like a tortilla soup or Tex-Mex. And if she has a birthday party one night and a date night another night, she's going to indulge both of those nights, but that's it." He added: "It's about balancing in a way that doesn't make it painful or too much of a departure from your life before that."
Jessica Simpson Credits Cutting Out Alcohol For Her Weight Loss Too
Jessica has credited cutting out alcohol with her weight loss for many years now. And she was also, characteristically, an "open book" about the other ways her alcohol abuse was impacting her life even beyond weight gain and retention, and how she made the final decision to stop.
"I stopped drinking because I was like, I can't even make a dream board [for my new music]," she previously told Bustle. "For me to see it, I have to un-numb and go through therapy and unlock the light because it's not there right now. Open Book opened me up to my child self, and I went back to all those journals and I'm reading my dream boards and everything started unfolding beautifully to where alcohol was just – I never thought about it again."
In the end, what's important to the mogul is not the public's opinion, but that of her children. "If [my kids] don't see me following my dreams and fighting for what I believe in – and fighting for who I am and my place in this world – they'll never do it for themselves," she concluded. "And they'll just be on Instagram thinking that's what's perfect. It's not."
