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Understanding Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ Weight Loss Strategy
The politician gained weight after her pregnancy. But, diet and exercise helped in the Sarah Huckabee Sanders weight loss journey. Here's all you need to know.
The Sarah Huckabee Sanders weight loss journey is renowned in the field of politics and even sparked controversy on social media. Best known for her body transformation, Sarah Huckabee Sanders is a famed American politician and the former press secretary of President Donald Trump. During the time she worked at the White House with Donald Trump, she weighed about 156 pounds and was constantly criticized for her body shape in comparison to the other slim and slender women who worked in the building. She attributed the weight gain to her second pregnancy and leading a disrupted life which caused her to put on a few extra pounds. Later, the criticism and insensitive comments from her colleagues and social media followers pushed her to make a change. This led to the beginning of the famous Sarah Huckabee weight loss journey which inspired multiple women in and out of politics to change their physical appearance.
Sarah began to follow a healthy diet and also started working out regularly to drop the extra weight that she had gained. With the combination of both a diet and a fitness regimen, she was able to downsize from 156 pounds to 106 pounds. From how she gained weight to her diet plan and exercise routine — in this article, we have put together everything you need to know about how the politician lost 50 pounds over time. 
Who Is Sarah Huckabee Sanders?
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Sarah Huckabee Sanders is a famed American politician and a former White House Press Secretary who is currently serving as the 47th governor of Arkansas in the United States since January 2023. She was born into a politically active family on 13th August 1982 in Hope, Arkansas, USA. Sarah is the daughter of Mike Huckabee, who was the former governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007 and also ran for the presidency from 2008 to 2016. Naturally, inspired by her father, she graduated with a major in political science and a minor in mass communications from the Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
Sarah’s political career began when she started working on her father’s governor and presidential political campaign. This led to her deep interest in politics and communications. Later, she moved to Washington D.C. to work as a political consultant and media advisor for various Republican organizations. One of her pivotal roles was in the year 2013 when she began working as a senior advisor for the Republican National Committee. In the year 2017, Sarah was appointed as the White House Press Secretary under the popular political figure, President Donald Trump. While her role there was marked by various political accomplishments, it was also filled with controversies regarding her weight gain and physical appearance. While there are many of her political success stories on the internet, it is also filled with her weight loss journey reports which garner the attention of her fans and followers.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ Profile
- Real Name: Sarah Elizabeth Huckabee Sanders
- Birthday: 13th August 1982
- Age in 2023: 40 years
- Occupation: American Politician and Governor of Arkansas (USA)
- Weight Before: 156 pounds
- Weight Loss: 50 pounds
- Reduced Weight: 106 pounds
How Did Sarah Huckabee Sanders Gain Weight?
Due to multiple reasons and factors, there was a transformation in Sarah Huckabee Sanders's body which caused her to put on weight. Her father, Mike Huckabee, suffered from obesity and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2003. Since obesity may be caused by genetic factors or family history, Sarah was naturally a healthy individual from the beginning. Obesity refers to an excessive or abnormal accumulation of fat in your body which may lead to multiple health problems such as hypertension, diabetes, and more (1). Hence, Sarah weighed about 156 pounds at the start of her career which invited criticism and comments on her physical appearance.
Her career in politics has always been stressful and demanded long work hours. As a result of her hectic lifestyle and busy schedule, Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ health suffered because she became a victim of unhealthy habits like not working out, eating unhealthy food, and constantly being stressed out. During this time, it became difficult for her to manage her weight and she also struggled with episodes of emotional eating to overcome her stress. Emotional eating is a deep-rooted problem that leads to the consumption of calorie-dense foods such as pizzas, ice creams, burgers, and more without any feeling of hunger. It often occurs suddenly and needs to be satisfied immediately with some form of food binging. This pattern of eating is often driven by factors such as stress, anxiety, or depression which is exactly what Sarah was undergoing during her political career (2), (3). A study suggests that emotional eating is a tendency to eat in response to negative emotions and this may subsequently lead to weight gain in adults (4). Hence, this became one of the major factors which caused Sarah to gain weight.
Explaining about the role of hormones behind binge eating, our contributor, Mary Sabat, RDN, and Ace Certified Trainer, adds, “Binge eating is complex, but hormones play a role in regulating appetite and food intake. Hormones like ghrelin (which stimulates hunger) and leptin (which signals fullness) can become dysregulated in some individuals, contributing to binge eating. Stress hormones like cortisol can also be a factor. Additionally, the brain's reward system, involving dopamine, may play a role in the pleasure derived from binge eating. Psychological factors, such as emotional distress and past trauma, can further influence binge eating behaviors.”
Hence, this became one of the major factors which caused Sarah to gain weight.
Another reason behind Sarah Huckabee Sanders' transformation in terms of body size and shape may have been her pregnancy. Just before she joined the White House as the Press Secretary, she had given birth to her second child. According to studies, women undergo multiple changes in the body while they are pregnant and also during the state of postpartum. Hence, you may gain weight during pregnancy. Also, you may have inflated hands and feet which would give you a plump appearance both before and after giving birth (5). These reasons such as obesity in the family, emotional eating, and pregnancy may have contributed to the weight gain and physical appearance of Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Now that you know about how the famed American politician gained those extra pounds, read on to know about what led to Sarah Huckabee Sanders' weight loss.
How Did Sarah Huckabee Sanders Lose Weight?
By just following a healthy diet plan and working out regularly, she was able to downsize from 156 pounds to 106 pounds, a feat that inspired women from all walks of life to lose weight. Here’s how Sarah lost weight and achieved her body goals.
- Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ Diet Plan
Sarah Sanders' weight loss approach was holistic, sustainable, and healthy. One of the biggest secrets that helped her shed 50 pounds was that she altered her relationship with food and began choosing healthier options. She focused on eating well-balanced meals that contained nutrient-dense, wholesome, and natural ingredients. Her meals were packed with lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats which nourished her body while helping her lose weight. Apart from mindful and clean eating, she also focused on practicing portion control for her meals throughout the day. According to research, portion control may help you significantly reduce body weight, body mass index, and also waist circumference (6). Hence, following this simple technique caused her to lose weight easily.
Sarah also made sure to incorporate a lot of lean proteins in her meals throughout the day. This included Greek yogurt, eggs, lean meats, quinoa, oats, and more. Consuming more protein than the recommended dietary allowance may help you in losing body weight, enhance body composition, decrease fat mass, and preserve fat-free mass. Also, eating more protein may have a modest satiety effect on your body which leads to the feeling of being ‘full’. This may signal your body to eat less and this reduced calorie intake may eventually lead to weight loss (7). Hence, maintaining a high-protein diet also helped induce weight loss in Sarah’s body.
This is the high-protein and nutrient-dense diet plan that Sarah Huckabee Sanders followed to lose 50 pounds during her weight loss journey:
Breakfast: Oatmeal topped with fresh berries, orange juice/egg white omelet with spinach, fruits, and low-fat Greek yogurt
Lunch: Salmon/salad with green leafy vegetables and olive oil dressing
Dinner: Roasted chicken with spinach and brussel sprouts / seasonal fruits and vegetables
The speed of Sarah Huckabee Sanders' weight loss was also accelerated because she stopped the consumption of processed or refined foods. This often includes edibles like chips, bread, pasta, sugary drinks, baked goods, and more. Eating such highly or heavily processed foods may be a reason for weight gain, an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, and more (8). Hence, when she started eating whole, unprocessed foods, it naturally led to a drop in her weight and a major change in her overall physical appearance.
- Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ Workout Routine
Sarah combined a healthy and well-balanced diet with a rigorous workout routine which helped reach her body goals. When diet and physical activity are combined, it may together lead to sustainable weight loss for the longer term (9). Hence, to lose weight, she did a combination of strength training, cardio exercises, and some low-impact workouts regularly. At the beginning of her weight loss journey, she would do low-intensity cardio exercises such as walking, jogging, swimming, biking, and yoga. These simple and effective exercises helped her remain active and also burn calories. Slowly, she increased the duration and intensity of her workouts.
The ultimate tip behind the popular Sarah Huckabee Sanders weight loss journey is that she implemented strength training in her workout routines. This was one of her best decisions as it helped her to drop pounds easily within a few weeks. Studies suggest that strength training may help in reducing the body fat percentage and body fat mass in healthy adults (10). Also, the effect of strength training may be elevated or increased when it is combined with a healthy diet. According to research, when strength training is combined with diet, it may decrease body fat while preserving the lean mass in your body (11). Initially, Sarah began with low-impact bodyweight exercises such as squats, push-ups, and sit-ups which helped her body adapt to the new fitness regimen. Gradually, she then progressed to high-level strength training exercises such as kettlebell swings, weighted squats, deadlifts, and much more. Sarah also supplemented her workout with yoga and meditation which helped her to stretch and relax. Hence, by combining strength training, cardio movements, and low-impact exercises, Sarah was able to follow her workout routine and sustainably lose weight over time.
Shedding more light on the benefits of yoga, our contributor, Mary Sabat, says, “Yoga can contribute to weight loss indirectly by promoting mindfulness, reducing stress, and improving overall well-being, which can lead to healthier eating habits. While yoga offers numerous physical and mental benefits, it may not be sufficient by itself for significant weight loss. Combining yoga with other forms of exercise like cardio and strength training, along with a calorie-controlled diet, is generally more effective for weight loss.” Hence, by combining strength training, cardio movements, and low-impact exercises, Sarah was able to follow her workout routine and sustainably lose weight over time.
During this time, the news of Sarah Huckabee Sanders's weight loss surgery was spreading like wildfire and became a controversy on social media. Also known as bariatric or metabolic surgery, it is usually done when it is thought that diet and exercise may not work for weight loss. Through these weight loss surgeries, the shape and functions of the digestive system are often changed which leads to a reduction in body weight (12). People were accusing the famed American politician of undergoing surgery to lose weight and change her physical appearance. However, there have been no claims or evidence of this from Sarah herself.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ Before And After Weight Loss Photos
Before Sarah embarked on her weight loss journey, she weighed about 156 pounds. However, after she adopted a healthy lifestyle and began to eat well and exercise regularly, it led to a change in her physical appearance. These habits enabled her to lose about 50 pounds and eventually transform her body. Ahead, we have put together the before and after weight loss photos of Sarah Huckabee Sanders as visual evidence of her amazing transformation.
- Sarah Huckabee Before Weight Loss
- Sarah Huckabee After Weight Loss
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Conclusion
At the time of her appointment to the White House Press Office in 2017, Sarah Elizabeth Huckabee Sanders was the subject of widespread criticism on social media from her fans and followers due to her physical appearance. At the time, she weighed approximately 156 pounds and had just welcomed her second child, which had caused her to gain weight. The criticism from her colleagues as well as the lack of sympathy expressed on social media motivated her to begin her journey of body transformation, inspiring women of all backgrounds to become fit. Ultimately, the secret to the success of Sarah Huckabee Sanders' weight loss plan was in her combination of a nutritious diet and a rigorous exercise regimen. This regimen enabled her to lose approximately 50 pounds over some time, allowing her to reduce her body size to her desired proportions. Therefore, weight loss is not impossible, but requires the correct technique, which Sarah was able to master.
Contributor: Mary Sabat, RDN, LD, Ace Certified Trainer - Body Designs Ltd.
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