Oprah Winfrey Opens Up About Weight, GLP-1s, and Feeling Free at Last

Oprah Winfrey is speaking candidly about her long, complicated relationship with weight — and why this chapter of her life feels different from anything before.

In a new cover story with People, the 71-year-old media icon reflects on her weight loss journey, including her use of GLP-1 medications, and the mental shift that finally brought her peace. For Winfrey, the biggest change wasn’t the number on the scale — it was letting go of shame.

For years, even something small like a croissant came with anxiety. She recalls constantly calculating calories, workouts, and restrictions in her head. “I’d still be thinking about that damn croissant,” she admitted. Now, she allows herself to eat without guilt and without spiraling into self-punishment.

Exercise has also taken on a new meaning. Rather than something she forces herself to do, Winfrey now sees movement as a way of life. She works out about six days a week for roughly two hours at a time, mixing hiking, cardio, and resistance training. On days she doesn’t move, she feels the difference. “I don’t recognize the person who feels sluggish when she doesn’t work out,” she said.

Another major change has been alcohol. Once known for keeping up with anyone at the table — including one night where she drank 17 shots of tequila — Winfrey is now sober and says she no longer even wants a drink. “The fact that I no longer even have a desire for it is pretty amazing,” she said.

What stands out most in the interview is how differently Winfrey talks about herself. She no longer frames weight loss as a failure of discipline or willpower. Instead, she’s learned to stop blaming herself altogether.

“I’m not constantly punishing myself,” she said. “I hardly recognize the woman I’ve become. But she’s a happy woman.”

As she approaches her 72nd birthday on Jan. 29, Winfrey is also preparing to release a new book co-written with obesity expert Dr. Ania M. Jastreboff, titled Enough: Your Health, Your Weight and What It’s Like to Be Free, out Jan. 13. The book explores the science of obesity and the emotional toll of lifelong weight struggles — topics Winfrey knows intimately.

Looking back, she admits she once believed weight loss was purely about willpower. That belief kept her stuck in cycles of guilt for decades. Letting go of that mindset has changed everything.

“I stopped blaming myself,” she said. “I feel more alive and more vibrant than I’ve ever been.”

For Winfrey, this moment isn’t about perfection — it’s about freedom.