Lauren Ash has been on a bunch of binge-worthy shows over the past few years, developing a serious fanbase in the process. But the 41-year-old has also been super candid about her weight loss, noting that it came amid treatment for a chronic illness, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Here’s what Lauren has shared about her health journey over the years, plus her stance on body positivity.
Lauren lost weight amid treatment for her PCOS.
In 2022, fans speculated that Lauren had weight loss surgery after she had noticeably slimmed down. So, Lauren hopped on Instagram to set the record straight.
“You know what’s fun? When you’re living in a larger body, people post that they’re concerned for your health,” she wrote in a May post. “Then, when you transition into a smaller body, people post that they’re concerned for your health. Starting to feel like there’s no winning as a woman.”
Lauren said in her post that she lost weight because she “removed stress from my life. That’s it. It’s amazing what our bodies hold onto when in a prolonged state of stress.”
In another post, Lauren said that her weight loss was linked to getting treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition that can cause irregular periods, infertility, and obesity, per the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
“The cysts had gotten so big, I was in constant, daily pain,” she said. “There was a risk the cysts would twist (torsion) which can be fatal. So I spent the night in the emergency room and first thing in the morning, I was taken to an operating room. There is an episode of Superstore I literally don’t remember shooting because I was five days out of surgery (I was told to take six weeks off. That didn’t happen.) My pain meds made me sleepy, so I filmed without pain relief. All I remember from those days is the searing pain I was in.”
Lauren said that she had to have a new uniform made for that episode because her body was still full of gas from the laparoscopic surgery.
“I share this to remind people that when you comment on other people’s bodies, you probably don’t know the full story,” she said. “For everyone making assumptions about my weight loss, accusing me of secret lipo and all sorts of madness, just stop. I am a person who lives with chronic illness. It can take years or a lifetime to get chronic illnesses in line. And I have. It’s a major accomplishment in my life. I didn’t go on a diet.”
Lauren previously opened up to Women’s Health about her condition, sharing that her doctor initially advised her to “eat less and exercise more.” She ended up on a crash diet that didn’t work.
“I threw myself into an extreme diet and exercise routine,” she said. “After a month of deprivation and agony, I’d gained five pounds. I was so ashamed and embarrassed. I felt like there had to be something wrong with me.”
Progesterone pills—which she took for one week a month when she missed her period—caused her to become extremely depressed.
“There were times I would lay in bed and the feelings of despair were so overwhelming, I would debate how I should end my life just to end the pain,” she said. “I knew that I couldn’t go on this way but was also wildly ashamed of what I had been experiencing.”
Today, Lauren’s PCOS is under control, but she was left with some serious scars from the experience.
She has a ‘love-hate’ relationship with exercise.
Lauren manages her symptoms with inositol supplements, cutting down on dairy, and acupuncture. But she has mixed feelings about hitting the gym.
“The disease, all on its own, is completely exhausting, so when I work out I don’t get that happy endorphin rush that makes people want to do it again—I just feel like I need a nap,” she told Women’s Health. “However, I know that fitness is an important part to not just managing my illness but also staying healthy throughout my life. So I found a way to love it even when I hate it.”
Ultimately, Lauren partnered with her friend/personal trainer Alicia Todisco. “She makes it fun by changing up my routine constantly (we mix circuit training with strength training) and it keeps me accountable because I love hanging out with her,” she says.
She advocates for body positivity.
Over the years, Lauren has made it clear that she’s not into comments about her size.
“To the people who have DMed me this week telling me I’m no longer a role model because I lost weight, I guess my question is, why was my body the only thing that gave me value as a role model?” she wrote in her May 2022 Instagram post. “I’ve never once promoted weight loss, nor would I ever. I just happen to be in a body that’s smaller right now than it was a year ago. And god willing, if I’m privileged enough to walk this earth for a long life, my body will expand and contract and change many times over.”
Lauren also said that she “never expected the vitriol I’ve experienced over the past week, simply because I’ve lost weight.”
“You have no ownership over my body,” she added. “Nor do you over any person in the public eye. And honestly? Would you ever tell a man he was no longer a role model because he lost weight? Exactly. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk. Also, I look hot AF in this pic and am unashamed.”
The previous year, Lauren told her followers that it “makes me so sad” that her followers “private message me talking about how much you hate your bodies.”
“I wish all of you could see the beauty in yourselves that exists, and understand that beauty is in no way determined by your size,” she wrote on Instagram. “Value is not determined by size. This life we have is so short and we waste an incredible amount of time trying to change ourselves instead of just being where we are in any moment.”
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.
