You know what’s so great about Melissa McCarthy? She’s real. Like, truly down-to-earth, no-nonsense, funny-as-heck real. She’s not just one of the funniest actresses around, but she’s also been super honest about her weight loss journey. And honestly, that makes her even more lovable.
Over the past few years, Melissa has dropped about 75 pounds, but she didn’t do it with some crazy Hollywood trick. Nope. When she was asked about it, she simply said she was “living a super-boring life.” That means going to bed early (like 7:30 early), not doing anything wild, and just keeping things simple. Honestly, that sounds kinda peaceful.
In an interview with Extra back in 2016, she said, “You bring it real down, you don’t do anything fun and you go to bed at 7:30 – that’s the trick.” That cracked me up, but also made me think. Sometimes we think losing weight has to be some huge, intense project. But Melissa kept it low-key. She focused on what she was eating, moved her body more, and took it slow.
It’s also worth noting that she’s been through the wringer with diet culture in the past. When she first got cast in Gilmore Girls, she went on a doctor-supervised all-liquid diet for four months and lost 70 pounds. That sounds extreme, right? Well, it was. She later admitted, “I’d never do that again. I felt starved and crazy half the time.”
That’s the thing. She’s tried those hardcore methods, and they didn’t make her happy. Now, she’s in a place where she’s not obsessing over her weight anymore. Back in 2015, she told CBS Mornings, “I finally said [to myself], ‘Oh for God sakes, stop worrying about it,’ and it may be the best thing I’ve ever done.”
Let’s be honest, we’ve all had those moments where we stand in front of the mirror, picking ourselves apart. Melissa’s approach is a breath of fresh air. She said, “I just stopped constantly being worried about it and I think there’s something to kinda loosening up and not being so nervous and rigid about it that, bizarrely, has worked.” Isn’t that kind of beautiful?
She lives in LA with her husband, Ben Falcone, and their two teenage daughters, Vivian and Georgette. They try to keep the kids out of the spotlight, which I totally respect. Parenting teens in Hollywood has to be wild, but Ben recently shared a sweet story about how Vivian asked them not to make teens the “swear word of the show” in their movies. That’s such a teenage thing to say, right?
And Melissa, being the proud mom she is, has joked about following her daughters to college one day just so she can stay close to them. That’s real mom energy if you ask me.
At the end of the day, Melissa McCarthy’s story isn’t about magic weight loss tricks. It’s about taking the pressure off, living a more chill life, and focusing on what really matters. That’s something we can all take a little inspiration from.
