Kelly Osbourne, known for her time on TV shows like The Osbournes, Fashion Police and Dancing with the Stars, has never shied away from being open with fans about her life—and her 85-lb weight loss. She debuted her transformation in the summer of 2020 after declaring it was time to prioritize herself and her health.
Now, she’s reflecting on her wellness journey and how the combination of surgery, healthy eating and exercise helped her lose the weight. Here we look into Kelly Osbourne’s weight loss tactics and explain how they can help you kickstart a healthier lifestyle.
Kelly Osbourne’s weight loss: the role of surgery
Like many of us, Osbourne has struggled with her weight for years. She was even told by agents in the early 2000s that she needed to lose weight to be an actress, she shared on an episode of The Osbournes Podcast. While Osbourne didn’t use weight loss drugs like Ozempic like her mother Sharon Osbourne did, she did have surgery.
In the summer of 2020, while celebrating 2.5 years of sobriety, Osbourne changed her diet, incorporated exercise into her daily routine with the help of celebrity personal trainer Lacey Stone and had gastric sleeve surgery to jumpstart her weight loss progress.
“I had surgery; I don’t give a f*** what anyone has to say,” Osbourne said on the Hollywood Raw podcast in 2022. “I did it, I’m proud of it…I did the gastric sleeve. All it does is change the shape of your stomach. I got that almost two years ago. I will never ever ever lie about it, ever. It is the best thing I have ever done.”
The surgery and her new healthy habits were a success, reportedly helping Osbourne shed 85 lbs. But she had her struggles, too. The TV personality admitted on the podcast that working on shows like Fashion Police made her “resentful” of the industry since she felt “invisible” before losing the weight.
How Kelly Osbourne lost 85 pounds
While surgery did help Osbourne start her initial weight loss journey, she said on the same podcast that tackling her emotional eating, working out and eating right are what really helped her maintain a healthier lifestyle.
“The number one thing I had to do was get happy,” she said. “I had to fix my head before I could fix my body. You can never go into this if you’re not in a good mindset.”
Here, the strategies that worked for Osbourne and how they can work for you, too:
She worked on her mental health
For Osbourne, emotional eating—when food is used to cope with feelings like stress, loneliness, sadness or boredom—hindered her weight loss. Osbourne knew she had to tackle that before she would see positive results.
“Addressing this behavior before losing weight is important because it can undermine long-term success,” says Chris Mohr, PhD, RD, Fitness and Nutrition Advisor at Garage Gym Reviews. “Building healthier coping mechanisms helps create sustainable habits that support weight maintenance.”
She knew surgery wasn’t an ‘easy fix’
In addition to her gastric sleeve surgery, Osbourne also turned to healthier habits. “The kind of surgery I had… if you don’t work out and you don’t eat right, you gain weight. All it does is move you in the right direction,” she added. “It doesn’t solve all your problems. It’s not a quick fix.”
According to Trista Best MPH, RDN, LD, a registered dietitian at the Candida Diet, bariatric surgery like a gastric sleeve only fixes the physical aspect of weight loss. “Gastric bypass reduces the stomach’s capacity and alters digestion, but success requires commitment to healthy lifestyle behaviors,” she says. “These behaviors include balanced nutrition that prioritizes protein and limits carbohydrates, regular exercise and addressing behavioral and psychological factors.”
Whether you’ve had bariatric surgery or not, focusing on eating nutrient-dense whole foods and squeezing in activity throughout the day (even if it’s just 10-minute bursts here and there) can help you reach your happy weight.
She limited carbs and sugar
Osbourne’s weight loss transformation happened in 2020, but when she was pregnant with her son in 2022, she developed gestational diabetes. To prevent the condition from becoming permanent, she followed a “completely sugar-free diet and no carbohydrates.” “It really scared me,” she told People. “I didn’t want to deal with any of that.”
While you don’t need to completely cut out carbs and sugar to lose weight, limiting these food groups can be beneficial. Best says decreasing intake of foods with high carb or sugar content helps stabilize blood sugar and promotes fat burning. “This also supports weight loss by increasing satiety and preventing overeating,” she adds.
She combined cardio and strength training
Osbourne didn’t stick to one type of workout to lose weight. Instead, she combined exercises like cardio, strength training and flexibility routines. “Cardio burns calories and helps improve cardiovascular health, and strength training helps build muscle, which boosts metabolism, among other positive health outcomes,” says Mohr. “Combining both helps create a balanced approach to weight loss, improving body composition and supporting long-term maintenance.”
Mohr adds that it’s important to understand that weight loss—no matter how you do it—requires a change in behavior for lasting success. “There’s no quick fix, so it’s more of a slow cooker vs. a microwave, when considering the speed at which the desired outcome can be reached,” he adds.
This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.
