In September 2019, Jessica Simpson debuted her new weight loss on Instagram, and began opening up about the health and fitness tactics that helped her lose 100 pounds. While the singer has always been willing to share details about her life with fans, she has been especially open about this wellness journey.
Over her decades-long career, Jessica's weight has fluctuated several times. In her bestselling 2020 memoir, Open Book, Jessica talked about using diet pills at the start of her career to lose weight, and even shared that at 17, she was told to lose 15 pounds after signing a recording contract. But after gaining weight with her third pregnancy in 2019, she started working hard to get strong and healthy.
In an Instagram post from April of 2022, she explained that she had "gained and lost 100lbs 3x, so I never thought this moment could or would happen, but I’m finally spring breakin’ wearin’ a BIKINI!!!!!! Hard work, Determination, Self Love. I enjoyed a good proud cry today. 💪🏼☀️💛."
So, if you're curious to learn more about Jessica's 100-pound weight loss journey, here's everything to know:
She started walking 14,000 steps daily.
Shortly after she began sharing her weight loss with the world, the singer's trainer, Harley Pasternak, started talking about their work together, including several key habits Jessica had added to her daily routine to get strong and healthy.
Pasternak eased Jessica into activity slowly, starting with walking 6,000 steps daily. “It’s a social thing that she can do with her kids," he says. Slowly, she built up to 14,000 steps, according to E News.
She also worked out three days a week.
Jessica would do 45-minute gym sessions with Pasternak three days a week, and impressed her trainers along the way.
"You have worked your ass off and the reward is priceless!" Sydney shared in a congratulatory Instagram post. "I’ve been training for 10 years now and I have never been more excited for a client transformation."
Jessica ate three meals and two snacks from The Body Reset Diet.
Eating healthfully played a big role in her weight loss. Jessica followed Pasternak's Body Reset Diet, which allows for three meals and two snacks each day. Each meal includes protein, fiber, and fat while snacks are a combo of protein and fiber or protein and fat.
Rodale Press The Body Reset Diet: Power Your Metabolism, Blast Fat, and Shed Pounds in Just 15 Days
Rodale Press The Body Reset Diet: Power Your Metabolism, Blast Fat, and Shed Pounds in Just 15 Days
“She’ll have foods that are very flavorable that are healthier versions of things like a tortilla soup or Tex-Mex," he says. The healthy eating plan also allows for indulgences. "And if she has a birthday party one night and a date night another night, she’s going to indulge both of those nights, but that’s it," Pasternak told the publication. "It’s about balancing in a way that doesn’t make it painful or too much of a departure from your life before that.”
She spends an hour unplugged from technology every day.
Jessica's weight loss was about much more than working out and eating right. "Unplugging from technology" for at least an hour every day helped her get restful sleep, Pasternak told E News.
She makes sure to get least 7 hours of sleep every night.
Good, quality sleep was key to Jessica's success. "So many people undervalue the importance of sleep in weightless and weight management," Pasternak told E News.
Once she completed her other tasks, Jessica could really rest. "Every night before she goes to bed she sends an email showing that she hit all five tasks, so she’ll go to bed feeling successful," Pasternak told People. "She’s hit her step goal, she’s eaten well, she’s balanced her responsibilities — so she can go to bed with a sense of fulfillment, and that’s everything."
Jessica's attitude made a difference, too. “She was so motivated and positive. She was saying that her body has not belonged to her for the past decade. Not in a bad way, in a positive way—her body has been designated to create life and now it’s hers again and she’s going to make it fantastic in a really enjoyable way.”
She doesn't weigh herself.
In a 2019 interview with People, Pasternak revealed that he never works with scales and prefers to focus on keeping Jessica on track with her healthy habits. The two planned a more holistic approach after the birth of her third child Birdie Mae. In fact, Jessica confirmed on TODAY that she has "no idea" how much she weighs and doesn't let numbers define her.
"The difference between this and the other times was that she worked out, yes, but her transformation was more about what she did on her own time,” Pasternak told People. “I’ve kind of helped her come back after each baby, and this is a bit different, in that she said she was tipping the scales at 240 [post-delivery]. This is sort of the aggregate of being pregnant nonstop for a decade, and so we had a little more of a challenge between this and the other ones."
Jessica says she channeled her "willpower."
In a 2023 interview with Bustle, Jessica talked about her appearance in a sponsored Instagram post with Pottery Barn Kids that went viral. Fans had started commenting on the post, telling the singer that she was too skinny.
She said her weight loss was due to “willpower.”
“I’m like, do people want me to be drinking again? Because that’s when I was heavier. Or they want me to be having another baby? My body can’t do it,” she told the pub.
She is grateful to have been “every size.”
In her interview with Bustle, Jessica also explained that she her weight gain and weight loss have reflected lots of big life events. “I am fortunate to have been every size,” she said. “For my brand, understanding the women who buy our products, and for my psyche.”
Jessica told Extra that throughout her career, even when she lost a good amount of weight, she’s “been criticized, and it hurts, but I’ve been every weight and I’ve been proud of it.”
Jennifer Nied is the fitness editor at Women’s Health and has more than 10 years of experience in health and wellness journalism. She’s always out exploring—sweat-testing workouts and gear, hiking, snowboarding, running, and more—with her husband, daughter, and dog.
Sabrina is an editorial assistant for Women’s Health. When she’s not writing, you can find her running, training in mixed martial arts, or reading.
Sydney is a freelance writer in the beauty, lifestyle, and wellness space. She has written for multiple publications throughout her career, including InStyle, Architectural Digest, Glamour, and Elle, in addition to a copywriting for a handful of beauty and wellness brands.
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