Latest news with #GLP1medication
Fox News
4 hours ago
- Health
- Fox News
Serena Williams opens up about 31-pound weight loss using GLP-1 medication: ‘Something I suffered with'
Tennis great Serena Williams has opened up about her incredible weight-loss journey, revealing that she lost 31 pounds with the help of a GLP-1 medication. The 23-time Grand Slam champion revealed in interviews with People magazine and "Today" that she turned to a GLP-1 medication after struggling with her health following the birth of her second daughter. "In particular after having my second kid, I was never able to be at a healthy weight that I could be at, whether it was my joints or blood sugar levels. It was just always something I suffered with and a lot of women actually go through this," Williams said during an appearance on "Today" Thursday. Williams, 43, said that despite being a trained athlete, she struggled to lose weight regardless of how active she was. She said it began to take a toll on her joints. "No matter what I did — running, walking, I would walk for hours because they say that's good, I literally was playing a professional sport — and I could never go back to where I needed to be for my health. Then, after my second kid, it just even got harder. So then I was like, OK, I have to try something different." Williams said she decided to be open about her journey in order to destigmatize the use of GLP-1 medication for weight loss. "A misconception is that it's a shortcut," she told "Today." "As an athlete and as someone that has done everything, I just couldn't get my weight to where I needed to be at a healthy place — and believe me, I don't take shortcuts." Williams told People magazine separately that despite her new look, her confidence level has never wavered. Her decision to make a change was based on something entirely different. "I've never felt that pressure to maintain a certain appearance," she said. "I always felt comfortable at any size, whether I was a lot heavier or not. I do feel like my body didn't like me at that weight. I had pain in my joints and pain in different areas just because of the extra weight that I'm not used to carrying since I had children." "But the size I was before, there was nothing wrong with it. It's just not what I wanted to have. I just knew that I wanted to be where I personally felt comfortable." GLP-1s, also known as GLP-1 agonists, are a type of drug that mimics a natural hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 that helps to regulate blood sugar levels.
The Independent
7 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Tennis legend reveals impact of taking weight loss medication
Retired tennis star Serena Williams has revealed she lost 31 pounds with the aid of a GLP-1 medication. Williams struggled to lose weight after the births of both her daughters, despite rigorous training and healthy eating. She began weekly injections in early 2024, after conducting extensive research and once she had stopped breastfeeding. Williams stated the medication has made her feel great, healthy, and more active, with reduced joint pain. She plans to continue the weekly injections as needed, noting the medication complements her healthy lifestyle and training for a half-marathon.
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mail
Serena Williams reveals remarkable 31-POUND weight loss with new drug after sparking concern with 'too thin' photos
Tennis legend Serena Williams has shared the secret behind her dramatic body transformation - just one month after sparking fears among her fans. The 43-year-old has opened up on her drastic weight loss journey, revealing that she has shed 31 pounds over the course of the past year. But the 23-time Grand Slam winner has had a helping hand, admitting that she has been using a GLP-1 medication, a weight loss drug. GLP-1 is a natural hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and appetite that is found in popular weight loss medication brands such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro. While Williams didn't disclose which brand she had been taking, she insisted to People that it had left her feeling light 'physically and light mentally.' The tennis icon, who stepped away from the sport after the 2022 US Open, said that she began to struggle with her weight after becoming a mother for the first time with the birth of her eldest daughter, Alexis Olympia, in 2017. She dealt with similar postpartum struggles over the changes to her body following the birth of her second daughter Adira River in August 2023. Williams explained that she would go through quick bursts of weight loss only for her weight to then remain stagnant regardless of the healthy lifestyle she was accustomed to maintaining as a professional athlete. That's when she approached health care company Ro, for which she is a paid spokesperson, for guidance on GLP-1 medication. 'I never was able to get to the weight I needed to be no matter what I did, no matter how much I trained,' she told People. 'It was crazy because I'd never been in a place like that in my life where I worked so hard, ate so healthy and could never get down to where I needed to be at.' 'I had never taken shortcuts in my career and always worked really hard. I know what it takes to be the best,' she added. 'So it was very frustrating to do all the same things and never be able to change that number on the scale or the way my body looked.' She claimed that the drug helped enhanced the healthy and fit practices she was already implementing into her routine. Williams said that it has left her feeling more active, her joints in less pain and feeling 'pretty good.' However, Williams, who is married to Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, acknowledged the stigma surrounding weight loss drugs, insisting that shedding some pounds should 'never really change your self image.' 'I've never felt that pressure to maintain a certain appearance,' she admits. 'I always felt comfortable at any size, whether I was a lot heavier or not. I do feel like my body didn't like me at that weight. I had pain in my joints and pain in different areas just because of the extra weight that I'm not used to carrying since I had children.' Williams' confession comes just one month after she left fans concerned with her lean appearance in a sultry set of bikini snaps taken during a luxe yacht getaway. She flaunted her toned figure and sculpted curves like a seasoned swimsuit model in a bikini and sheer sarong on the luxury vessel with a postcard-worthy ocean behind her. While many praised her post-retirement glowup, others were quick to sound off — accusing the superstar of changing her figure too drastically. 'She's too thin… why?' one critic asked, sparking a heated back-and-forth in the comments. As the debate raged on, some fans defended the star's new look while others said they barely recognized her. One fan chimed in, 'She's definitely not thick anymore.' Someone else added, 'They don't know that she was even thinner from 1998-2007.' Of course, many rushed to staunchly defend the superstar. 'I dunno what ppl talking about she still thick and healthy let her live,' wrote one. A different commenter posted, 'She's not too thin, her body looks like how it looked around 2013-2014.' A fierce defender fired back, writing, 'They just want to trash Serena all the time. She too thick, she too muscular, she too slim, her husband white, she bleaching her skin. 'When they see she still dark they realize it was just makeup and lighting why she looked light, they ain't have sh** to say. One thing though, Serena is living her life.' One more agreed, sharing, 'Serena could care less about her haters. If she didn't look so good, she wouldn't have any haters. Serena and her mom and sister look fabulous!' Williams has always been a prominent figure in the public eye both on and off the court. Over her illustrious career, Serena has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles — the most by any female player in the Open Era — and spent 319 weeks as world No. 1. She last picked up a racket competitively at the US Open - which begins this week - back in 2022 when she fell short to Ajla Tomljanovic in a grueling three-hour, three-set thriller. Before the 2022 tournament began, Williams announced tin a special Vogue feature that she intended to step away from the sport - all but confirming her retirement.
