Singer Carnie Wilson, 56, Lost Weight After Reaching 240 Pounds – Her Before & After Photos

After struggling with health issues for years and undergoing surgeries to alleviate her symptoms, Carnie Wilson finally found a way to live healthily without using any drugs.

Carnie Wilson has been on a mission to improve her health, starting a few years after weighing in at 240 pounds. By adopting a better diet and making lifestyle changes, the singer and actress looks much different now.

Carnie, now 56, was born on April 29, 1968, in Bel Air, Los Angeles, California. She began her journey toward healthier living a few years ago, with weight loss not being her primary goal. Reflecting on her progress at age 55, she said, “I still love to make decadent things, but I’m not tempted anymore. Now I have control.”

Her struggles with weight began when she found fame in the 1990s with the group Wilson Phillips. In 1999, she underwent gastric bypass surgery, followed by lap-band surgery more than a decade later. The surgeries helped her reduce her weight from 310 to 200 pounds.

After the gastric bypass, her weight fluctuated, with her gaining 60 and 70 pounds during her two pregnancies. However, the most significant and lasting change came in September 2023. She decided to make lifestyle changes upon reaching 240 pounds, after experiencing “gastrointestinal hell” and joint pain.

The former “Masked Singer” contestant recalled, “There was a voice going, ‘You’ve got to change the way you eat. You don’t have a choice anymore. It’s for your health.'” After learning that her cholesterol was high and she was “half a point away” from being diabetic, she knew something had to change.

Reflecting on what prompted the change, she said, “The blood sugars were up and the cholesterol and I was having pain in my belly, like, every day. I’d wake up and everything hurt from head to toe. I was swollen, my joints. [sic]”

Carnie continued, “I went, ‘OK, I’m in my mid-fifties here. I know I’m in, like, perimenopause or whatever it is,’ but I wasn’t feeling right and that was the true source of where it was coming from.” Her doctor suggested trying a weight-loss drug like Ozempic to curb her appetite.

However, the drug’s potential “gastrointestinal side effects,” which her doctor warned her about, frightened her, and she felt it wasn’t the right choice for her. The “Next to You” singer’s doctor had other patients hospitalized due to the drug’s side effects.

“I didn’t want to take a chance with my anatomy that I have had gastric bypass surgery and a lap-band over that gastric bypass,” Carnie said. However, she isn’t against others using such drugs, stating, “I believe that we are OK with having some kind of intervention in our lives. I’m a proponent of that.”

Instead, two days after the pre-diabetic scare, the daughter of Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson gave up gluten and sugar. She lost an impressive 45 pounds and dropped three sizes! Carnie correctly suspected that sugar and gluten contributed to her digestion issues and hasn’t eaten them since September 2023.

The star, who bakes her own gluten-free treats, doesn’t rely on pills or drugs but achieves her results through sheer willpower. Fried food is also off the menu, but she doesn’t feel deprived. However, she does miss one food item—bagels—confessing, “The gluten-free bagels are not the same. They’re just not.”

The singer was thrilled with how she now looks, noting she’s still not skinny or perfect, but healthier than before. By April 2024, she had lost 40 pounds just by eliminating certain foods, without exercising. Carnie shared a before-and-during photo to showcase her progress.

The star, who occasionally walks, admitted she felt different but recognized the need to start working out more to keep the scale moving. Celebrating her achievement, she said, “I’m so proud and pumped. Knowing that I did this PURELY through diet – no gluten or sugar, no butter, and keeping fats down too.”

Recently, she indulged in nuts and cheese for their higher fat content. She admitted that if she had continued eating corn tortillas, nuts, and cheese, she wouldn’t have lost weight. Carnie explained, “I have totally adjusted my eating habits to satisfy my cravings but in a realistic way. And it’s a miracle. 💋 Hope this inspires someone.”

Seeing her pictures, netizens rushed to share their thoughts. One person wrote, “So inspiring!!! You look amazing!!! Way to go girl 👏👏👏,” while another exclaimed, “Woah baby!!” Someone else added, “You look great.”

“Great job. You look fantastic,” said another, while a fifth person commented, “You look fabulous 🔥.” “It was hard at first, but now I love it,” the actress recalled of the major dietary change. She also developed a healthier relationship with food, something she celebrated when her new cooking show, “Sounds Delicious,” premiered in April 2024.

Sharing more about her journey, the “Hold On” singer confessed, “I feel so much better,” adding, “I treat my body with respect now.” The daughter of singer Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford reflected on her upbringing, saying, “I didn’t grow up eating dinner around the table.”

Despite developing a love for cooking while making matzo ball soup and chocolate chip cookies with her grandmother, food became an addiction. The star admitted, “I have eaten to stuff down emotions. I eat when I’m happy, bored, anxious, annoyed, angry, frustrated, sad. I will find an excuse.”

Besides her food issues, Carnie also battled alcohol and illegal substance addictions in the past. She still participates in a recovery program, stating, “Food will always be emotional for me.”

The actress realized the food she ate made her feel awful. Having changed her diet, she now takes it one day at a time, much like sobriety, over the past 20 years. Carnie explained, “Just for today, I’m not gonna eat this dessert or even a taste of it. I mean, I’m really being strict.”

After decades of struggles, the artist said, “I want this to be forever,” and advised those in similar situations to “Listen to your body.” The spiritually inclined singer also prays, believing there’s a higher power watching over her.

She also believes in positivity, visualization, and manifesting. A prime example is how her cooking show took 19 years to materialize. Carnie, who loves feeding people and celebrating through food, considers herself lucky.

She said she no longer takes her luck or anything in her life for granted. Her wish is for people to be healthy, whether they take Ozempic or Mounjaro or pursue other methods. If it works, Carnie supports it. Her healthy eating habits have since influenced her family.

Carnie’s healthy lifestyle changes have been adopted by her family. Her husband, guitarist Rob Bonfiglio, lost 12 pounds after giving up sugar. She recalled him saying, “‘I feel less self-conscious,’ and I’m like, ‘Honey, you were never fat.'”

He also confessed to feeling better about himself, and for Carnie, “That’s what it’s about.” Although indulgence is no longer part of her routine, she still enjoys cooking for her teenage daughters, Lola and Luci.

The actress said, “I love serving people and watching them eat. It’s an act of love and of self-love.” Her daughters are also following in their parents’ musical footsteps. Lola, a college student, often sings with her mother onstage, while her younger sister plays the cello.

Carnie once indulged fans curious about what was in her fridge. They got a glimpse of half-eaten Pollo Loco leftovers, a questionable jar of something, stir fry, pineapple, and homemade gluten-free bread.

She also had bone broth, yogurt, salsa, some vegetables, and half-eaten dog food sprinkled with cheddar cheese to entice Frankie (the family pet) to eat it! Her goal for the end of 2024 was to reach 170 pounds.

The star hoped to add some exercise and drink more water daily. However, she isn’t overly strict about her journey, saying, “I’m not a health fanatic freakazoid.”

She still adds creamer to her coffee and occasionally indulges in a small handful of potato chips or Cheetos when late-night cravings hit.

Even if she didn’t reach her goal, Carnie vowed to continue her current lifestyle. She said, “Life throws a lot of stuff at you. I try to remain positive.” Her goal isn’t a promise to anyone else, nor is it for show.

The star’s journey is for herself and her well-being, and she feels happy and grateful. Here’s to wishing her continued success on her health journey!