Lily Collins' Weight Loss And How She Bounced Back

Emily in Paris famed Lily Collins’ weight loss was caused by many factors. Read how the actress recovered from it and continues to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Sanchari Bhattacharya
Written by Sanchari Bhattacharya , Health & Fitness Expert
Updated on Nov 27, 2024 | 12:25 PM IST | 101.6K
Lily Collins' Weight Loss
Lily Collins' Weight Loss (Image Source: Getty Images)

Lily Collins, famous for her portrayal of Emily Cooper in the superhit series Emily in Paris, continues to serve visuals, living up to the name of the fashionista she portrays on screen. But fans expressed their concern after Lily J Collins’ weight loss came to light recently. The actress, who is often compared to Hollywood’s diva Audrey Hepburn, lost noticeable weight during the filming of the fourth season of the series. As she struggled with eating disorders when she was a teen, fans’ apprehensions were not too far-fetched. Before we take a look at Lily Collins’ weight loss history and her struggle with maintaining the ideal body weight, let’s learn about her professional accolades. 

 

Who Is Lily Collins?

Lily Collins is an English and American actress who was born on 18 March 1989 in Guildford, England. Noteworthy for her role as Emily Cooper in MTV Entertainment Studios’ popular drama Emily in Paris, Lily began her acting career when she was only two years old. The 2009 sports drama film The Blind Side proved to be a turning point in Lily’s career and she went on to appear in films belonging to a variety of genres, such as Priest, Abduction, Mirror Mirror, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, Tolkien, Mank, etc. Films like Rules Don’t Apply and To the Bone helped her establish herself as an up-and-coming actress.


The 35-year-old has also written for popular tabloids. A number of Lily’s family members are also connected with the entertainment industry. After her parents’ divorce in 1996, she moved to Los Angeles with her mother. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in broadcast journalism. Lily married director Charlie McDowell in 2021. 

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Lily Collins' Profile


Full Name: Lily Jane Collins

Age: 35 years

Place of Birth: Guildford, Surrey, England 

Nationality: British, American

Parents: Phil Collins, Jill Tavelman 

Spouse: Charlie McDowell 

Height: 1.65 m

 

How Did Lily Collins Lose Weight?


Lily Collins has opened up about her history of battling eating disorders. She talks about this vividly in her autobiography “Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me”. The Emily in Paris famed actress didn’t shy away from sharing that as a teen she suffered from anorexia and bulimia. 

These are different kinds of life-threatening eating disorders that experts place under the category of mental illness. Bulimia is characterized by binge eating or eating a large portion of a meal and then taking drastic steps like vomiting to prevent weight gain (1).

On the other hand, anorexia causes the patient to weigh significantly less than what they are supposed to and they end up struggling to maintain a healthy body weight (2). 

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As someone who experienced such susceptibility firsthand, she wanted to help others who undergo similar experiences. In order to do so, she took up the role of an anorexic girl in the 2017 film To the Bone. The film tells the tale of a girl battling an eating disorder who knocks on the doors of different facilities but to no avail. For Lily, the film was a “homage” to her 16-year-old self. However, the film was criticized for dealing with controversial and triggering content. 

Lily Collins’ To The Bone diet was largely responsible for her sudden weight loss. To prepare for the role, Lily was required to lose a significant amount of weight. She has revealed that she felt “anxious” and the whole experience was “nerve-wracking”. Reportedly, she lost around 20 lbs under the strict surveillance of a nutritionist. Apparently, she was allowed to eat everything, but in moderation. 

Read More: Yvette Nicole Brown’s Weight Loss Story And Her Take on Obesity

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Lily Collins Diet Plan for Healthier Living


Following the filming of To the Bone, Lily successfully managed to regain her lost weight. She is very particular about what she consumes in a day. She has revealed that she starts the day with a glass of lemon water, which is full of antioxidants. It reduces bloating and improves her metabolic health. She also drinks fluids and different types of juices to keep herself hydrated. 

  • Fiber Intake:

Lily Collins Diet Plan

Lily eats oatmeal for breakfast and often combines it with seasonal fruits. She also munches on quinoa, which is enriched with micronutrients. Studies show that oats have several health benefits. Not only does it lower blood cholesterol and glucose absorption in the intestine, but it also helps prevent inflammation (3).  

  • Lean Protein Intake:

Lily Collins Diet Plan

For lunch, she usually eats chicken, salmon, or a bowl of salad. Lily avoids eating red meat. Studies show that protein intake successfully helps in weight loss. Evidence also suggests that it tackles cardiometabolic risk factors (4). 

 Lily is a big fan of dark chocolate. Researchers have found that dark chocolate is packed with health-promoting factors. It helps in weight loss and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases, certain types of cancer, and Alzheimer’s (5). 

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Read More: Fat Joe Weight Loss of 200 Pounds with Ozempic And a Low-carb Diet

 

Lily Collins’s Workout Plan


The actress reportedly trains for at least 40-70 minutes for six days a week. She spends 10-15 minutes warming up for her training session. 

  • Aerobic exercise:

Lily Collins’s Workout Plan

Lily loves to swim. She jokingly associates it with her being a Pisces. The movie star has revealed that she was on her high school’s track team but ended up hating it. But as she grew up, she took up running. She now goes for a jog whenever she can. Aerobic exercises like swimming and running have a positive impact on overall health. Studies show that aerobic or cardio exercises cause an energy deficit which leads to weight loss, even without calorie restriction (6). 

  • Strength Training:

Lily Collins’s Workout Plan

Lily works out with a personal trainer at Body by Simone. They focus on strengthening and toning by incorporating core-focused exercises like isometrics and ballet moves. According to researchers, resistance training has an invigorating effect on health. Not only does it increase muscle mass, strength, and mineral density in bone, but it also improves cardiovascular health. It reduces visceral fat and improves insulin sensitivity and cardiovascular health (7). 

  • Yoga:


Lily has included yoga in her workout regime. Research shows that the age-old practice of yoga has a positive impact on mental, as well as physical energy, which reduces fatigue and also improves fitness (8).  

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Lily Collins’ Weight Loss Transformation Photos

Before

Lily Collins’s Weight Loss

(Image Source: Getty Images)

After


Lily Collins’ weight loss battle and her attempt at maintaining a healthy lifestyle teach us the necessity of following a well-designed diet and workout regime. She believes in moderation and balance, which she directly links to self-care. The 35-year-old continues to advocate for self-love and mental health. The talented actress is also an activist, who works for the welfare of vulnerable children all around the globe and has been an ambassador of the GO Campaign. She also raises her voice against bullying.

 

Sources:

1. Bulimia Nervosa - STATPEARLS - NCBI Bookshelf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562178/

2. Anorexia Nervosa - STATPEARLS - NCBI Bookshelf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459148/

3. Nutritional and Phytochemical Composition and Associated Health Benefits of Oat (Avena sativa) Grains and Oat-Based Fermented Food Products - PubMed Central - NCBI Bookshelf

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10365923/

4. The role of protein in weight loss and maintenance - PubMed - NCBI Bookshelf

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25926512/

5. Dark chocolate: An overview of its biological activity, processing, and fortification approaches - PubMed Central - NCBI Bookshelf

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9589144/

6. The Role of Exercise and Physical Activity in Weight Loss and Maintenance - PubMed Central - NCBI Bookshelf

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3925973/

7. Resistance training is medicine: effects of strength training on health - PubMed - NCBI Bookshelf

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22777332/

8. Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase quality of life - PubMed Central - NCBI Bookshelf

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3193654/

FAQs

What does Lily Collins' everyday diet look like?
Lily eats almost everything in moderation. She starts her day with a glass of lemon water and keeps herself well-hydrated throughout the day. She eats oatmeal for breakfast for breakfast and salad, chicken, or salmon for lunch. She usually eats out for dinner and likes to wrap it all up by 6:30 pm.

Has Lily Collins battled body image issues or eating disorders in real life?
Lily suffered from anorexia and bulimia when she was a teen.

How did Lily Collins recover after losing weight for the role?
Lily regained the weight under the strict supervision of a nutritionist.

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About The Author
Sanchari Bhattacharya
Sanchari Bhattacharya
Health & Fitness Expert

Sanchari, a certified Health & Nutrition Life Coach

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