Lizzo shares five key lifestyle changes while pushing back at Ozempic claims

Pop star has been candid about her health journey over the past two years

Lizzo has once again fended off claims that she used the drug Ozempic to lose weight in a new clip shared to TikTok.

The pop star born Melissa Viviane Jefferson posted a tongue-in-cheek video to the social media platform, while also expressing mild exasperation at the speculation surrounding her change in appearance.

Ozempic, which is prescribed as diabetes medication, has become popular “off-label” for those trying to lose weight due to its active ingredient, semaglutide, which can work as an appetite suppressant.

In June, Lizzo revealed that she tried Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs but no longer uses them. Despite this, some people have claimed this is the reason behind her weight loss over the two years.

Enacting a conversation in the TikTok clip, Lizzo pretended to be a person asking how she lost weight.

She answers: “Calorie deficit, consistent cardio, prioritising sleep, lowered cortisol and no alcohol for monthssss [sic].”

Lizzo shared a funny video about the reactions to her weight-loss over the past two years (TikTok/Lizzo)

The person then typically responds: “So… Ozempic?”

Pulling a face, Lizzo reiterates: “I didn’t use Ozempic.”

“You’re lying,” the person accuses her. “If you didn’t use Ozempic then how did you use weight?”

Lizzo repeats the habits she took up, including a calorie deficit, sleep and exercise.

She captioned the clip: “Hope this helps.”

Earlier this month, the “About Damn Time” star told Women’s Health how she had embraced her current appearance, declaring: “Body positivity is the radical act of daring to exist loudly and proudly in a society that told you you shouldn't exist.”

Elaborating on her shifting relationship with her body, she explained: “I like how I look now. I still think I’m big. I’m still wearing plus-size clothing. I have the same rolls. I got the same belly, the same thighs – I just think I’m a smaller version.”

She also stated that she would be “just as proud” if she had lost weight through medication or surgery because “this s*** is hard”.

“Everyone who’s ever been in a bigger body in this current version of society knows this s*** ain’t easy,” she said. “Existing ain’t easy.”

Lizzo on the cover of Women’s Health this month (Caleb & Gladys/Women's Health UK)

Sharing a progress photo on Instagram, the singer said she trains three times a week and had switched from a vegan diet to one that includes animal proteins, as well as hiring a chef who helps her with meal prep and maintain a calorie deficit.

She has previously addressed having to navigate reactions from fans who saw her as a body positivity icon, explaining that her mindset had shifted from “body positivity” to “body neutrality”.

“I’m not going to lie and say I love my body every day,” she told the New York Times in March 2024. “The bottom line is, the way you feel about your body changes every single day.

Body positivity is a social movement that encourages the acceptance of one’s body regardless of shape, size, gender or race, and began as a reaction to restrictive standards of beauty perpetuated by the media and fashion industries.

Body neutrality, meanwhile, encourages people to feel however they want about their body, with many advocates placing an emphasis on health being the goal as opposed to achieving a certain weight or clothes size.