Every time Melissa McCarthy hits a red carpet, we can’t help but notice her weight loss transformation!

Melissa’s weight loss journey began around 2003, soon after she was cast in the hit series Gilmore Girls. While her first medically approved diet was an all-liquid one that led to her shedding 70 pounds, she soon realized that wasn’t something she could keep up with long-term.

Eventually, The Little Mermaid star switched to a different approach and was able to shed some pounds, and Life & Style exclusively learned about her diet, along with her exercise tips and tricks.

How Did Melissa McCarthy Lose Weight?

“I truly stopped worrying about it,” the Oscar nominee told Life & Style. “I think there’s something to kinda loosening up and not being so nervous and rigid about it that, bizarrely, has worked.”

The Bridesmaids actress jokingly said that her slim down is due to living “a super-boring life. You go to bed at 7:30 [p.m.] — that’s the trick.”

But, in reality, she streamlined her portions, stuck with a high-protein, low-carb diet plan, and maintained a consistent exercise regimen

Registered dietitian and author of The Active Calorie Diet, Leslie Bonci — who hasn’t worked with Melissa — says there “wasn’t any magic” to her weight loss diet.

“What she did was prioritize her efforts in terms of thinking about what to eat and making time to prepare it. Protein and produce became the mainstays of her meals, and she was strategic about including smaller portions of carbs such as quinoa and fruit,” Leslie explained exclusively to Life & Style in April 2018.

How Much Weight Has Melissa McCarthy Lost?

The ​Gilmore Girls alum revealed she’s dropped 75 pounds.

“It may be the best thing I’ve ever done,” she told Life & Style. “I feel amazing!”

Melissa McCarthy wearing a purple and white gown at 'The Little Mermaid' premiere in Australia.
Don Arnold / Getty Images

Lifesum fitness expert and celebrity trainer to the stars, Joselynne Boschen, has praised Melissa’s commitment to her new diet and attitude, telling Life & Style, “When it comes to making incredible changes in appearance like Melissa has, consistency is key. The first two weeks are the hardest, but as soon as your cravings are gone and you’ve established a consistent routine, you’re in the clear!”

How Did Melissa McCarthy’s Weight Loss Strengthen Her Body Image?

“I feel sexiest when I feel comfortable, when I feel most myself, when I’m not trying to be anything other than who I am,” she previously told People magazine ​in April 2016. “[I love] all of it: my flaws, my shortcomings, my body parts that you’re like, ‘Well, couldn’t that be better?’ I think, especially after having kids, I go, ‘Well, the alternative is pretty bad. I’ll take me as I am.’”

In April 2023, Melissa was chosen for the cover of People’s “Beautiful” issue and the Tammy star was honored by the decision.

“I thought the younger version of myself or everybody out there who isn’t the youngest or whatever… I felt like it was saying something really lovely to my younger self, to my 20-year-old self,” Melissa said to People. “And maybe to other people, too.”

She also told the publication that her husband, Ben Falcone, has been immensely helpful in learning to love herself.

“Because he’s so constantly loving and kind. And funny and the weirdest human I know, to be honest,” she gushed. “And somewhere in my 30s, I was like ‘I’m okay with who I am.’ And if someone wasn’t thrilled with that, that’s okay too. At some point I was like, ‘They’re not all going to like you.’ You have to learn that the hard way, but it’s a good [lesson].”