Ricki Lake Opens up About How She Dropped 40 Pounds Without Using a GLP-1
Ricki Lake is opening up to Maury Povich about how she dropped 40 pounds without using a GLP-1.
Lake, 57, rose to fame at just 20 years old in the role of Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 film Hairspray. However, it was her beloved '90s daytime talk show, Ricki Lake, that made her a household name. In recent years, Lake went on a health journey, experiencing weight loss in pursuit of a healthier lifestyle. But in a new interview with fellow legendary chat show host Povich, Lake is opening up about how she managed to lose 40 pounds without the use of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic or Mounjaro.
"Not that there's anything wrong with them," she told Povich, on his podcast On Par with Maury Povich, People reported. "I have to preface by saying there's nothing wrong with anybody doing whatever they want to do to their bodies."
"I was 53 when I started this food plan, like keto, and intermittent fasting," Lake explained. "Keto is mostly like very high protein, high fat, a lot of meat...I was hiking every single morning, three miles every day. It became my meditation. And I did Pilates three to four days a week."
Sharing that her life was focused on a fitness and health mindset, Lake said she "was just in a zone. I wore a glucose monitor for six months. I wore my watch. I wore an aura ring, and I just really learned about my body, and I lost 40 pounds. I felt amazing."
To check out more of Lake's interview with Povich, head to YouTube:
The Only Downside to Lake's Weight Loss
Lake told Povich that the only downside to her weight loss was that she couldn't get rid of her double chin.
"So yeah, I own my age, but I also went and had an amazing facelift last year. I was 55... I had this extra chin hanging, and it really bothered me. I wasn't going to do anything about it, but then a friend of mine, a very close friend, the friend who does all the homework for you, she had an experience with this plastic surgeon, and I saw her eight days after her surgery. And she looked great," said Lake.
A year after the surgery, Lake shared an update on her Instagram page, noting that she "still felt extra cute and loved myself regardless, especially after working so hard to get in the best shape of my life."
Related: Ricki Lake Revealed Why Witnessing 9/11 Made Her Quit Her Legendary Talk Show
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This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 10:18 AM.