Renée Zellweger's Weight Loss Journey: Secrets Behind Her Toned Body

Renée Zellweger’s weight loss following her role in Bridget Jones's Diary received applause from fans. Take a look at her beneficent diet and workout regime.

Sanchari Bhattacharya
Written by Sanchari Bhattacharya , Health & Fitness Expert
Updated on Nov 27, 2024 | 04:58 PM IST | 66.3K
Renée Zellweger's Weight Loss
Renée Zellweger's Weight Loss (Image Source: Getty Images)

Hollywood’s obsession with actors looking younger than their actual age is utterly ridiculous. Prominent actress Renée Zellweger has spoken up about this issue many times. She pointed out the sexism that exists within the entertainment industry and criticized how only female actors are subjected to so much trolling for playing a controversial character. She puts much emphasis on staying fit and healthy. 

However, the award-winning actress doesn’t like to talk about her weight loss as she believes that it sets forward the connotation that there exists an ideal body size. In fact, she feels that Jones’s character didn’t have  “a weight issue” that needed to be dealt with and she is “perfectly normal weight”. She has expressed her desire to live unapologetically and embrace her uniqueness. Her ultimate goal for her is to be “vibrant and beautiful”. Before we learn all the deets on Renée Zellweger’s weight loss, let’s take a peek into her career trajectory. 

 

Who Is Renée Zellweger?

Renée Zellweger's Weight Loss

(Image Source: Getty Images)

Renée Zellweger is a talented American actress who was born on April 25, 1969, in Katy, Texas. Initially, a student of English literature at the University of Texas, Zellweger took an interest in acting after she was introduced to some minor stage work. 

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She opted for an elective drama course as well. Although she landed minor roles in films like Dazed and Confused, Reality Bites, etc., she debuted as a leading actress in the slasher film Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The commercially successful film opened many doors for her and she went on to star in films like Jerry Maguire, One True Thing, Me, Myself & Irene, Bridget Jones's Diary, Chicago, etc. Her exceptional performance in the comedy film Nurse Betty won her a prestigious Golden Globe Award. The talented actress soon became one of the world's highest-paid actresses. She knew how to portray the true essence of distressed female protagonists. Noteworthy laurels won by her include two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, etc. 

Born in a catholic household, Renée had always been academically inclined. After her father lost his job and her family stopped supporting her financially, she took up a waiting job while she was in college. This job, according to her, taught her a lot about life in general. Renée appeared in a Coors Light commercial. After graduation, she started to look for acting gigs around Texas. Her story is a great example of hard work and resilience. Over the years, she has won praise from critics, audiences, and famous tabloids. She got married to singer Kenny Chesney in 2005. The couple parted ways the same year. 

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

 

Renée Zellweger’s Profile

Full Name: Renée Kathleen Zellweger

Date of Birth: April 25, 1969

Age: 55 years

Parents: Kjellfrid Irene Andreassen, Emil Erich

Sibling: Drew Zellweger

Height: 1.63 m

 

How Did Renée Zellweger Lose Weight?

Renée Zellweger's Weight Loss

There are multiple factors that worked behind Renée Zellweger’s weight gain, the most prominent one being the demand for the roles she portrayed on screen. To mold into the character of Bridget Jones, the lead character in the 2001 masterpiece Bridget Jones’s Diary, who battled with body-image issues, the actress had to gain almost 30lbs. She reportedly did that by consuming a high-fat, high-protein diet, consisting of pizza, chocolate, milkshake, beer, doughnuts, etc. She repeated the process for Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, the sequel of the film. 

Following the filming of Bridget Jones’s Diary, the actress quickly dropped 2 stone. She did it by training relentlessly under the strict supervision of a personal trainer. Renée Zellweger restricted her carb intake and only consumed smaller portions of food. According to studies, portion control can be effective for weight loss (1). She is also a big fan of green juices. 

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Her weight loss was a result of a combination of different types of diet. According to her, she followed three different diet formulas, namely The Zone Diet, The Hamptons Diet, and The Atkins Diet. She also loves working out. In any city she visits, the gym is the thing she looks for. She calls it her “common denominator”. 

 

Renée Zellweger’s Weight Loss Diet Plan

  • The Zone Diet:

Renée Zellweger’s Weight Loss Diet Plan

This diet plan was introduced by Dr. Barry Sears, a popular American biochemist and it focuses on low-carb consumption. It follows a set ratio of micronutrients, including 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat. The diet plan aims at reducing inflammation in the body, which will lead to a number of health benefits. 

Studies show that the protein-to-carbs ratio promotes insulin to glucagon ratio, which leads to a number of health benefits including reduction in chronic disease risk, enhancement of immunity, and weight loss. However, the weight loss depends on the person who follows the diet and the length of time the diet is followed (2), (3). 

  • The Hamptons Diet

This particular diet plan encourages eating lean proteins like white-fleshed fish, tofu, lentils, yogurt, cottage cheese, cuts of red meat, etc., healthy fats including fish like salmon, mackerel, nuts, egg, olive oil, beans, etc., and low-glycemic carbohydrates like fruit, different vegetables, brown rice, etc. Studies have found that eating low-fat and high-protein diets have a significant impact on weight loss (4). 

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  • The Atkins Diet

Renée Zellweger’s Weight Loss Diet Plan

Other than those two, Renée follows the Atkins diet, which also restricts daily carb intake. The diet plan was introduced by Robert Atkins, a famous cardiologist. 

Read More: Christina Aguilera’s Weight Loss: Ozempic Rumors, Diet And More

 

Renée Zellweger’s Workout Plan

  • Walking

Renée Zellweger can not stop vouching for the effectiveness of walking. She suggests walking to those who want to achieve toned legs. According to her, the exercise has many mental and physical benefits. She is not wrong. Studies have shown that walking at any pace can lead to significant fat loss can help an individual lose weight effectively and also helps reduce the risks of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (5).

  • Running

Renée says that running is her preferred form of exercise for fat loss. Studies show that running increases energy expenditure and burns calories, which leads to excess adipose tissue reduction (6). 

 

Renée Zellweger’s Weight Loss Transformation Through Photos

Before

 

Renée Zellweger Before Weight Loss

(Image Source: Getty Images)

After

Renée Zellweger After Weight Loss

(Image Source: Getty Images)

The Bridget Jones’s Diary famed actress recently found herself in hot waters with netizens after she was accused of mocking plus-size people. Renée Zellweger’s weight loss journey is truly inspirational and the 55-year-old has a new approach towards life. Renée likes to keep her personal life private and stays away from social media. This is why when fans accused her of getting plastic surgery to rejuvenate her youth, she simply ignored those rumors. She has accepted that she can’t please everyone and has decided to live life on her own terms. 

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Sources:

1. The Use of Portion Control Plates to Promote Healthy Eating and Diet-Related Outcomes: A Scoping Review - PubMed Central - NCBI Bookshelf

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8874720/

2. The Zone Diet phenomenon: a closer look at the science behind the claims - PubMed - NCBI Bookshelf

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12569110/

3. Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN diets for change in weight and related risk factors among overweight premenopausal women: the A TO Z Weight Loss Study: a randomized trial - PubMed - NCBI Bookshelf

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17341711/

4. Weight-Loss and Maintenance Strategies - NCBI Bookshelf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK221839/

5. The multifaceted benefits of walking for healthy aging: from Blue Zones to molecular mechanisms - PubMed - NCBI Bookshelf

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37495893/

6. Exercise and Fitness Effect on Obesity - STATPEARLS - NCBI Bookshelf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539893/

FAQs

How much weight did Renée Zellweger lose?
Renee reportedly lost 2 stone.

Did Renée Zellweger get plastic surgery?
The actress neither confirmed nor denied getting plastic surgery. However, she has expressed her joy knowing that people think she looks different. She puts emphasis on living a fulfilling life.

How old is Renée Zellweger?
She is 55 years old.

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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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