Everything Amy Schumer Has Said About Her Weight Loss Journey
There's no denying that Amy Schumer is a one-of-a-kind celebrity. In a world where Hollywood pressures every woman to look a certain way, the comedian has become known as a body confidence icon. Since breaking out on the scene in 2015, she's never shied away from talking about her weight or addressing the people who have anything to say about it. She's also made no apologies for refusing to change her looks to conform to Hollywood's narrow standards, instead sticking it to those who criticize her looks.
According to Schumer, that outlook began when she was a child. Speaking to Los Angeles Times in 2018, she recounted a tough story where a male classmate in the sixth grade shouted at her, "Whoa, Big Bertha!" The kicker was that she had worn an outfit that day that made her feel confident. "It just robbed me. It just set me back," she told the Los Angeles Times. However, instead of letting it destroy her, that moment became one of the reasons Schumer decided to pursue comedy. "Instead of crying, I would just fire back and make a joke myself. It was like training for a roast," she said.
However, Schumer's body confidence journey hasn't exactly been a super smooth one. From dealing with a constant barrage of hate from online trolls to struggling behind the scenes with endometriosis, she's been through a lot. Here's everything the star has had to say about the journey.
Amy Schumer began her time in the spotlight being unapologetic about her body
When Amy Schumer first became a household name in June 2015, she made it very clear she wasn't going to apologize for her weight. The comedian took to the stage at the 2015 Glamour UK Women of the Year ceremony to share her stance, following a speech from Ellie Goulding. During Goulding's speech, she told the crowd, "Thank you for loving real people." But Schumer had something to say about that.
Schumer got pretty sassy on the stand, stating, "I love the way Ellie was like, 'Thank you for loving real people,' and she's like a f**king supermodel. I'm probably, like, 160 pounds right now and I can catch a d**k whenever I want. Like, that's the truth. It's not a problem." The comedian then continued, "I'm not going to apologize for who I am, and I'm going to actually love the skin that I'm in. And I'm not going to be striving for some other version of myself."
The following month, Schumer released the movie "Trainwreck." Despite her prior public declaration, she ended up losing weight for the film's promotional run, following a request from the studio. However, she continued to deal with negative comments. It was then, she later told the Los Angeles Times, that she determined dieting in an effort to change her appearance wasn't for her. "I just decided, 'Oh, cool. Well, then, I'm not gonna play this game at all.' It's not worth it to me to live this life where I have to be really hungry."
But Amy Schumer broke down on TV after years of body image struggles
Amy Schumer's journey to being able to get up and show off her confidence wasn't an easy one. In October 2015, while appearing on "Today," Schumer got emotional as she opened up about years of struggling with her body image. She explained that there had been times throughout her career when she would actually feel like turning down stand-up shows because she didn't feel confident enough to take to the stage. "It's been a struggle for me my whole life, and especially just being in the entertainment industry. Standing on a stage in front of people, I can't perform my best or be confident if I'm not sure — if I'm pulling at something [I'm wearing]," she shared. "And sometimes I would just want to throw in the towel and be like, 'I'm not gonna go do standup tonight.'"
The actor and comedian explained how she worked with a stylist who taught her how to dress for her body type, which inspired her to team up with Goodwill of Southern California to educate other women about fashion and dressing for confidence. "I'm coming out like, 'OK, here's what's going on: No one's just naturally thin. Everyone's starving." She added that her goal was to make people laugh so they aren't so focused on their appearance.
The comedian wasn't happy with being labelled as 'plus size' in 2016
The following year, Amy Schumer made no secret of the fact that she didn't appreciate the term "plus size" after she claimed she was described that way in an issue of Glamour. Schumer took to Instagram to share her disappointment, explaining that she'd been included in what she described as the magazine's "plus size" issue — without her consent. "I think there's nothing wrong with being plus-size. Beautiful healthy women," she wrote in the caption. The star explained that plus size was considered to in the US to be a size 16 or more, and she wore a size six or eight. "It doesn't feel right to me. Young girls seeing my body type thinking that is plus size?"
Schumer then referenced the controversy on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," quipping, "For those of you who don't know who I am, I am a famous plus size model." She then got into why she was disappointed by the term, sharing, "We don't need these labels. We don't need them. It should just say what size you are, right?"
Glamour's editor-in-chief went on to address the criticism on "Nightline," denying the magazine had referred to Schumer as "plus size." "I don't believe that Amy Schumer is plus size. That's not a term that I love but it's very clear that she's not what people mean when they say plus size. But that wasn't the intent at all."
She was quick to hit back after being 'fat shamed' after landing a role as Barbie, too
Also in 2016, Amy Schumer was cast as the role of "Barbie" in the movie (which eventually came out in 2023 and starred Margot Robbie in the titular role). At the time, Schumer's casting was criticized by some pm social media, with trolls claiming she didn't have the right body type to play the doll. Schumer hit back on Instagram in a lengthy post alongside a photo of herself in a swimsuit. "Is it fat shaming if you know you're not fat and have zero shame in your game? I don't think so. I am strong and proud of how I live my life and say what I mean and fight for what I believe in and I have a blast doing it with the people I love. Where's the shame? It's not there. It's an illusion," she hit back. She also included a touching message for others who've been criticized for their appearance, writing, "Anyone who has ever been bullied or felt bad about yourself I am out there fighting for you, for us."
Schumer eventually dropped out of "Barbie" and blamed her schedule. But she admitted on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" in 2023 that wasn't exactly the case. "It really was just, like, creative differences. There's a new team behind it and it looks like it's very feminist and cool, so I will be seeing this movie," she said.
And she didn't stop clapping back at the body shamers there
Unfortunately, the "Barbie" casting wasn't the last time Schumer had to deal with body shamers. One year later, the star faced backlash after she appeared on InStyle's May Beauty issue while wearing a plunging, white swimsuit. On social media, trolls flooded the comments section of InStyle's Instagram upload of the cover with some cruel remarks about her weight and body. South Shore Swimwear swimsuit designer Dana Duggan was one of those who criticized Schumer after the outlet posted the cover, commenting, "Come on now! You could not find anyone better for this cover? Not everyone should be in a swimsuit." After some fans defended Schumer against Duggan's unkind words, Duggan then claimed in another particularly harsh comment that she thought Schumer "[looked] like a pig." She then doubled down on her criticism of InStyle's choice to feature Schumer when approached by HuffPost. "I'm tired of the media and publications trying to push the FAT agenda. It's not healthy and it's not pretty. What is wrong with featuring healthy and fit cover models?" she told the outlet.
But we know Schumer well enough by now to know she wasn't about to take that criticism lying down. She hit back on Instagram Stories and make it pretty clear she wasn't too worried about the trolls. The star posted a photo of herself in a blue bikini and wrote, "I feel great. No haters can f with my baseline."
Amy Schumer announced her pregnancy in 2018, and referenced her body several times on social media
Things changed in Amy Schumer's personal life in 2018 when she announced that she and her husband, Chris Fischer, were expecting their first child together. She referred to her pregnancy body a few times on Instagram after sharing the exciting news with the world, often joking about her changing appearance. A now deleted Instagram post that was first shared in January 2019, featured Schumer running across the beach in a floral swimsuit. The comedian joked in the caption, "I puke anything I eat up until 4pm. But then I'm like... #baywatch #eyecandy." She also shared two photos to her Instagram Story that same month which showed her squeezing into a swimsuit sent to her by model Emily Ratajkowski with the caption, "It fits like a small glove."
But that wasn't all. Proving Schumer is the queen of poking a little fun at herself, she also joked about her changing body during a trip to the American Museum of Natural History. Underneath a now-deleted a photo of herself posing next to a large whale exhibit, she quipped, "Couple [whale emoji's] #3rdtri. #cantseemyvaj."
But she shared how grateful she was for her body after giving birth
After welcoming her son, Gene David Fischer, into the world in May 2019, Amy Schumer made it clear that she was in no rush to lose any weight she may have gained during her pregnancy. Two months after giving birth, the "Trainwreck" star shared a photo of herself on Instagram spending some quality time with her husband and newborn son in the sun. Fans heaped praise on the star for posting the candid snap — which appeared to be filter-free — from her treasured family time.
One fan commented on the image, "So beautiful a normal womans body you look great!! [sic]." Schumer then took to the comments section herself to share how proud she was of her body for everything it had been through. The star replied, "I am loving my warm soft post baby body. Grateful to be feeling so strong again!"
Amy Schumer chose to get liposuction in 2022 and hit the gym hard
In January 2022, Amy Schumer decided to talk about her weight on her own terms. In an Instagram Story featuring a photo of herself in a swimsuit that she had undergone liposuction and weighed 170 pounds. In a post on her Instagram account, she thanked the professionals who had taken care of her, explaining she'd been dealing with endometriosis. "I feel good. Finally. It's been a journey thanks for helping me get my strength back @seckinmd (endo) @jordanternermd (lipo) never thought i would do anything but talk to me after your uterus doesn't contract for 2.5 years and you turn 40," she shared.
In March 2022, Schumer opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about her decision to have the procedure and explained why she chose to be so public about it. "Everybody on camera is doing this s**t, I just wanted to be real about it," she told the outlet. "I've never been famous for being hot, but I'd reached a place where I was tired of looking at myself in the mirror." Schumer also explained that her reproductive health issues, coupled with her age, had made dieting and exercising for weight loss quite difficult. Per VeryWell, individuals with endometriosis often struggle to maintain and lose weight.
A few months later, Schumer shared another update on Instagram about how she was keeping herself healthy following her surgeries. Alongside a photo of herself standing next to a rack of dumbbell weights read the caption: "C-section. Hysterectomy. Lipo. This summer is about letting the love in. Trying to be healthy and strong for myself and my family. I want to feel hot too. In my prime. Let's go."
Amy Schumer then opened up about taking Ozempic -- and why she decided to stop
Ever the candid star, Amy Schumer got real about her experience with taking Ozempic in June 2023. Ozempic (which is the brand name for semaglutide) is commonly prescribed to diabetes patients, but was approved by the FDA in 2021 for weight management. Per Page Six, the star revealed during an episode of "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" that she'd tried taking the drug in 2022, but ultimately decided it wasn't for her after experiencing some side effects. "Like a year ago, I tried it," she told host Andy Cohen. "I was one of those people that felt so sick and couldn't play with my son. I was so skinny and he's throwing a ball at me and [I couldn't]." Per the Ozempic website, common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
The comedian's confession came at a time when many celebrities were rumored to be using the drug for weight loss. And so, during that same interview with Andy Cohen, she went on to call out those who were refusing to be transparent about it. "Everyone has been lying saying, 'Oh smaller portions.' Like shut the f**k up. You are on Ozempic or one of those things or you got work done. Just stop," Schumer hit back. "Be real with the people. When I got lipo, I said I got lipo."
Then she proudly showed off her body after gaining 40 pounds
After years of clapping back at people for talking about her weight loss, it should surprise no one that Schumer isn't afraid to get candid about weight gain. In January 2024, Schumer made it pretty clear she was in a better place when it came to body confidence and was ready to show it off.
The star took to Instagram Stories to share a very candid, makeup-free photo of herself wearing nothing but a pair of black underwear. In the caption of the mirror selfie, which appeared to have been snapped in her bathroom, she revealed shared that she had (proudly!) gained 40 pounds. And she was clearly happy to let the world know all about it. She captioned the selfie, "Still got it (40 extra lbs)."