After Kelly Clarkson debuted her striking weight loss in 2023, many suspected her success was due to Ozempic. While the Grammy Award-winning musician hasn’t shared which weight loss drug she used, she’s been relatively open about her health journey overall. And it turns out a few simple daily habits—like walking—supercharged her calorie burn and helped her drop weight. Here we break down how walking helped Clarkson lose weight and how you can start reaping the health benefits of regular strolls, too.
Did Kelly Clarkson take Ozempic for weight loss?
While walking did help Clarkson reportedly shed 60 pounds, she also got a boost from using weight loss medication.
“I am doing that wonderful shot that works for folks who need some help, and it’s been really good for me,” Clarkson revealed in an episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show last year. “Everyone thinks it’s Ozempic. It’s not,” she clarified, though didn’t share which medication she has taken.
However, she did explain that it helped “break down the sugar—obviously my body doesn’t do it right.”
Ozempic and similar medications (including options like Mounjaro and Zepbound) work by mimicking GLP-1, a hormone that helps control blood sugar and turn off hunger.
Because synthetic GLP-1 doesn’t break down as easily as the real thing, it can “help create the feeling that you just ate dinner, so you don’t want more food,” according to Weill Cornell Medicine obesity expert Louis Aronne, MD, whose most recent research on the drugs appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association in November 2024.
Foods that work like Ozempic
Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound quiet “food noise” by increasing levels of the hormone GLP-1. The drugs can be especially helpful for those with type 2 diabetes or who struggle to keep their blood sugar levels in check, like Clarkson.
But if you’d rather try a natural approach, you can mimic the effect of GLP-1 meds with certain foods. A Norwegian study found a low-carb diet keeps GLP-1 high specifically in women—and a free app like Carb Manager can help you hit healthy carb goals for your body. To further enhance the effect, incorporate the following options:
- Protein and calcium. Calcium from dairy or greens pairs with amino acids in any protein source to “potently stimulate GLP-1 release,” per a 2021 study in the journal Advanced Nutrition.
- Antioxidant bombs. Polyphenol antioxidants in colorful produce, spices, nuts, coffee, tea and cocoa have been shown to seriously spike GLP-1 levels.
- Allulose. Zero-cal sweetener allulose (found in trace amounts in figs) is proven to rev GLP-1 and speed weight loss.
How did Kelly Clarkson lose weight?
Before divulging whether she took weight loss injections, The Since U Been Gone singer also revealed that she was prediabetic, something that kick-started her new healthier lifestyle. “I wasn’t shocked,” Clarkson admitted on her talk show. “I was a tiny bit overweight…they were like, ‘You’re prediabetic. You’re right on the borderline.’”
“My heaviest, I was like 203 [pounds], and I’m 5 foot 3 and a half,” she continued. “My doctor chased me for like two years, and I was like, ‘No I’m afraid of it.’” But when her blood work got “so bad”, she changed her mind and reconsidered weight loss drugs.
To help shed unwanted pounds and work toward reversing her prediabetes, Clarkson pointed to infrared saunas, a balanced, protein-centric diet (that includes the occasional sweet treat) and an active lifestyle as the forces behind her progress.
“Walking in the city is quite the workout,” Clarkson told People while discussing how her life has changed since moving to New York City. The Kelly Clarkson Show relocated to NBC Studios in Manhattan in October 2023 after shooting the first four seasons in Los Angeles.
After winning American Idol in 2002, “I wrecked my knees and my feet because all I would do is put in headphones and run. I was at the gym all the time,” Clarkson told the magazine Attitude. Her switch to walking—a low-impact, high-reward form of exercise—is an example of the many ways she’s learned to go easier on her body while still hitting her goals.
Now, when she’s not filming, Clarkson spends her days with her son and daughter, walking all over the big apple, from visiting museums to bringing their dogs to the park, she shared.
And that’s something that has supercharged her results. Both walking and meds work separately, but it’s together that they tend to make magic. In fact, research shows that combining walking, a healthy diet and an Ozempic-style weight-loss med can help people lose up to 22 percent of their body weight.
How walking aids weight loss
Generally speaking, New York City it’s extremely pedestrian-friendly and traveling on foot is part of everyday life for most people.
“Living in a city like NYC incorporates a lot of walking into daily activities, which is great for your overall health,” says Chris Mohr, PhD, RD, fitness and nutrition advisor at Fortune Recommends Health. “All movement counts, and research suggests those who move more regularly are not just fitter, but generally weigh less as well.”
Because walking inherently fits into (and is sometimes even required for) errands, activities, socialization and commuting in the city, it’s an accessible option for most people, he explains.
“Instead of dedicating an hour or two a day to exercise and being sedentary otherwise, walkable cities encourage you to perform what are called exercise snacks: short bouts of activity spread throughout the day,” adds Jake Dickson, CPT-NASM, Certified Personal Trainer at BarBend.
These manageable spurts can serve as building blocks to reach your goal. No matter where you live, Steven Shamah, MD, Chief of Endoscopy at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, encourages his patients to log at least 10,000 steps a day. Once you start consistently achieving 10,000 steps every day, you can gradually increase it for even more health benefits, if you’re able, he suggests.
“Though walking is not the complete puzzle for weight loss, it is an important one to couple with a healthy diet, quality sleep and stress relief,” Dr. Shamah says.
How to make walking for weight loss easier
While it’s inarguably simpler to get more steps in if you live in a walkable city like Clarkson does, it’s still possible to infuse more walking into your daily life in other creative ways. Here’s how:
Bookend your days with a walk
One thing that can be helpful is dedicating some time at the start and finish of your day to walk. In the mornings before breakfast and evenings after dinner, walk for 10 to 30 minutes, advises Dickson. These increments will depend on how much free time you have, but they ultimately add up (and can even improve digestion, too, he adds.)
Get more out of short distances
When possible, parking your car farther away than you need to and taking stairs instead of elevators or escalators is also beneficial, experts say. If you use public transportation, have some time to spare and the distance is not too far, see if you can disembark your bus or train one stop early and walk the rest of the way to your destination to burn more calories.
Walk and talk
You can also try swapping in some walking when you’d normally be sitting. Grabbing coffee with a friend? Chat and sip while you stroll. When talking on the phone, stand up and move around during the call.
We know and love how convenient online shopping can be, but when you’re able, opt to go to the store and explore while walking up and down the aisles instead. Work in an office? Take mini breaks to take a lap or two around the building throughout the day. And if you’re logging some time on your computer or watching a TV show at home, invest in a walking pad or treadmill so you can multitask!
This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.
