Sheryl Underwood is heading into Season 13 of The Talk with a dramatic 90-lb. weight loss! The 58-year-old Daytime Emmy-winning talk show host opened up about her physical transformation in a new interview and revealed a concerning visit to the doctor about 18 months ago is what jumpstarted her decision to make some changes. “My lab work: diabetic, pre-diabetic, hypertension, all the things that you hear, especially with women,” she told PEOPLE in a chat published Sept. 12. At that time, she weighed between 230 and 250 lbs. and said she “really wanted to get ahead of” the concerning results. A sneak peek of her smaller figure can be seen in the promo video below.
Sheryl’s weight loss involved three key changes in her life: her diet and her exercise levels, and she began taking an injectable called Wegovy, which suppressed her appetite. Her doctor offered her the appetite suppressant after she had already lost too much weight to qualify for gastric bypass surgery. “Because I worked with the dietician, I lost weight. I didn’t lose a significant amount, but I lost to a point where the insurance was not going to pay for it,” she told PEOPLE about the beginning stages of her weight loss experience.
In terms of her eating habits, Sheryl said she started incorporating more fruits and vegetables into her diet to help kickstart her weight loss. “[I am] drinking more water. I’m eating fruit and vegetables that I never thought: green, leafy. I’m getting into eating blueberries and eating strawberries, and also getting more fiber in my diet with fiber supplements,” she noted.
In addition, the comedian and actress said she makes an effort to get moving any chance she can. “I’m in a career where you drive to work, you sit down and get your hair and makeup on. Sometimes I just get up and walk around, or I try to talk on the phone and walk around, or I’ll do something while sitting in bed — I may do a little exercise, little stretching and things,” she explained. “I love the stationary bike because then I can listen to my music and be on the bike.”
Sheryl’s fitness journey over the last year and a half has allowed her to drop four dress sizes, which she’s going to enjoy in a super special way: by wearing a dress on her birthday on Oct. 28. “I’ve never worn a dress!” she gushed.
She also said she would like to lose another 25 pounds, but is feeling great where she’s at — and her lab results are looking wonderful, too. “I feel amazing when I look at the lab work: normal, normal, normal, work on this,” she stated. In fact, her lab tests look so positive that she soon expects to get off her blood pressure medication. Way to go Sheryl!