Rachael Ray is one of the most famous American television personalities. She hosts cooking shows, writes books, and serves as an inspiration for people trying to live healthily. But back in 2016, she had a problem with weight gain. Rachael was on the brink of losing her job and TV show. How much do you know about Rachael Ray’s weight gain story?
The television personality underwent drastic weight gain back in 2016. Her show was almost canceled. Luckily, she began following a new diet and changed her meal plans. Without spoiling the entire story, let’s go and read about it from the beginning to the end.
Story Stages
Get To Know Rachael
The renowned American television personality, chef, and author rose to fame thanks to her vibrant personality and culinary expertise. Born in August 1968 in Glen Falls, New York, her journey is an incredible one. She went from a small-town girl to a household name in Hollywood.
Her passion for food began at an early age. She lived in a family with Italian and American roots. Her mother was the one cooking in the family. Growing up in Lake George, Rachael watched her mother’s and grandfather’s cooking skills and developed an interest in the culinary arts.
Her family encouraged her to pursue a career in cooking. Following her high school graduation, Rachael attended Pace University in New York City. There, she majored in literature and communications. But her desire for a cooking career was too big. She shifted her focus, and instead of completing her degree, Rachael decided to gain practical experience.
She began working in different restaurants in New York, and that hands-on experience was critical to her success.
In 2001, Rachael launched her cooking show called 30 Minute Meals. It is a funny story how she came up with that. At one period, Rachael worked in a grocery store. And she had to persuade customers to buy things. She found a way by telling them how to prepare 30-minute meals with the groceries they buy.
And that approach certainly works in the dynamic world we live in. Rachael’s down-to-earth personality and her ability to simplify complex recipes definitely helped her pave the way in the cooking industry.
And as her popularity increased, Rachael expanded her television presence with other shows and cooking books. The prolific author has written several cookbooks, all of them bestsellers.
Recently, she even ventured into the business world by launching the lifestyle magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray. The magazine offers readers a mix of recipes, home decor ideas, and many practical tips for everyday living.
Rachael continues to inspire audiences with her infectious enthusiasm and culinary expertise.
How And Why Did She Gain Weight?
Rachael Ray’s weight gain journey began in 2016. There were videos showing the 40-something TV personality looking much bigger than she was.
But Rachael responded to it saying it was due to her menopause challenge. Women around the world know that their bodies change during menopause. The hormonal changes resulted in massive weight gain. Rachael is certainly not the first or the last “victim” of menopause weight gain.
The celebrity chef quickly reacted, consulted several experts in the field, and succeeded in getting her body back in shape.
She Was In Jeopardy Of Losing Her Job
Celebrity chef Rachael Ray gained quite a lot of weight back in 2016. And she was in danger of losing her TV show. At the time, there were reports that the cooking chef ballooned to almost 280 pounds, threatening her television gig.
At the time, magazines were reporting that “The top brass at CBS are FURIOUS that their golden girl has turned into the Pillsbury Doughboy. The suits held a summit and told Rachael that she’s too fat for TV. Everyone thinks it’s absurd that she’s on TV preaching about healthy eating and pitching herself as a health expert and food guru when she looks like she inhaled an entire grocery store snack aisle”.
Simply put, you cannot be fat and cook healthy food, right? So, in order to continue with her Rachael Ray’s Show, she had to find ways to shed some pounds.
The Healthy Habit that Changed Rachael’s Lifestyle
30 Minute Meals debuted more than two decades ago. And despite her weight gain at one point, Rachael continues to inspire people.
Over the years, magazines have asked her about her best healthy habits. And while Rachael confirms she has many, from staying active to gardening to staying socially engaged, she says the transition to vegetarian and pescatarian meals has made the biggest difference. It was all due to her marriage to John Cusimano.
Looking back, when she gained massive weight, it was the Mediterranean diet that helped her get back into shape.
The celebrity cook said, “John and I only have read meat maybe once or twice a week. We eat a very healthy diet and eat a ton of vegetables. I got shunned in kindergarten because I was eating a sardine sandwich. I was eating kale before kale was cool”.
Speaking about food, she says, “I love the adventure of food at every level of life. You couldn’t do anything in this industry without being open-minded and open-stomached. I want to try everything while I’m alive. I want to live a rich life while I’m here”.
As for her recipes? In one interview, she also said that people can change recipes and that is the beauty of cooking.
Rachael explained, “People often ask, Can I use this instead of that? I can’t see you! Change it! That’s the fun of food, of writing a song, of painting a picture, of creating an essay. It becomes your adventure”.
Getting Back In Shape
Now let’s talk about Rachael Ray’s weight loss a bit, shall we? You will have a hard time finding a woman in her 50s who managed to shed weight as much as Rachael did.
The celebrity cook looks like she is on a mission. And with 40 pounds down and a dazzling smile on her face, she will get there. Fans began asking how she managed to shed extra pounds.
Well, she talked with health experts such as Dr. Stuart Fischer and Dr. Placik, who warned her that her weight could put her health in jeopardy. Scared of risks like heart failure, high cholesterol levels, and cancer, Rachael decided to make a change.
The big change was switching to a Mediterranean diet, with more vegetables and fruits in her daily diet. Her biggest wake-up call came when she had throat surgery. Following the surgery, she had to give three weeks of rest to her throat. And it was something unique for her.
Remember, Rachael is a television personality who would talk non-stop for 12 to 16 hours a day. And now, she had to be quiet.
During this period, she decided to go back to the gym and work out with her husband. Rachael and John M. Cusimano got married in September 2005 in Tuscany. And they have lived happily ever since. And recently, they became workout partners.
Rachael managed to shed more than 40 pounds thanks to encouragement from her hubby. Of course, the Mediterranean diet and her workout routine helped as well in her weight loss journey.
