Elle King’s Weight Loss: The Singer's Struggle And Success Story Unveiled
Discover the inspiring story of singer Elle King’s weight loss. Learn about her drastic transformation and the strategies she used to achieve her fitness goals.

Elle King’s weight loss garnered significant attention from the public as the popular American singer went through a drastic transformation in 2021 after the birth of her son. Before the transformation, Elle reportedly weighed about 284 pounds. She never shied away from talking about her postpartum depression and confessed to struggling in her weight loss journey. She started taking weight loss seriously after she felt “trapped” in her own body.
Elle King has openly talked about her troubled relationship with her father, Rob Schneider, who sent her to a “fat camp” when she was little. The experience traumatized Elle, and she described her father’s decision as “toxic and very silly.” Despite her struggles, Elle refused to take any medication or other shortcuts to achieve the desired body. Elle King’s weight loss didn’t magically “happen overnight." She practiced metabolic conditioning, a set of exercises that increase the energy usage of the body. Which other methods did Elle opt for? Before we dig up all the details, let’s look at her career highlights.
Who Is Elle King?
Elle King is an American singer, musician, and actress. She imprinted her footprints in the music industry with an extended play in the year 2012, followed by releasing her debut album, Love Stuff, in 2015. She has received various accolades and honors from the Country Music Association Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards. In addition, she is a four-time Grammy Award nominee.
At the age of 13, Elle began to play guitar and to date, her musical style is found to be influenced by country, rock, and blues. During the initial phase of her career, she herself began producing tracks. The massively successful singer-songwriter's list of hits includes songs like Ex's & Oh's and albums like Love Stuff and Shake the Spirit, and her latest album, Come Get Your Wife, released in 2023, displaying a move into country music.
Talking about her personal life, in the year 2016, she got married to Andrew Ferguson and divorced in late 2017. Cut to 2020, Elle King and tattoo artist Dan Tooker got engaged, and within a span of 5 months, she revealed that they were expecting their first child. On March 25, 2024, King shared that she is now a single mother.
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Elle King’s Profile
Full Name: Tanner Elle Schneider
Age: 34 years old
Birthdate: July 3, 1989
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Father: Actor and comedian, Rob Schneider
Mother: Former Model, London King
Sibling: Noah King
Occupation: Singer, musician, songwriter, and actress
Spouse: Andrew Ferguson (Married 2016 - Divorced 2017)
Children: 1 Son, Lucky
Weight Before: 284 lbs
Weight After: Not Revealed
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How Did Elle King Gain And Reduce Weight?
In the above candid and inspiring social media post, Elle spoke about her intense postpartum depression. She weighed 284 lbs at 5’3” in 2021 when she welcomed her son, Lucky. Through her post, she claimed to be pre-diabetic and suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common endocrine disorder that has profound implications for women throughout their reproductive years (1). She also shared that her diabetic grandfather died when she was just 10 years old. She has seen him prick his finger and give himself shots.
One of the reasons behind Elle gaining so much weight was thus, PCOS and its effects. Research also found that increased weight gain has been evident among women dealing with PCOS (1). On the other hand, being pre-diabetic also resulted in her plumping up. As per a study published in NCBI, a woman’s body becomes less responsive to insulin during pregnancy, promoting a rise in glucose levels. The condition further leads to an increase in maternal weight gain (2).
The 34-year-old musician clarified that she did not vouch for Ozempic or other dramatic weight loss medications to lose weight. Ozempic, being approved by the FDA for long-term weight management, Elle was not in favor of it (3). She wanted to reach a healthy weight with a nutritious diet, exercise, and a balanced lifestyle. These are actually the most commonly used lifestyle and behavioral interventions to have an active lifestyle and lose weight (3).
Elle expressed that she slipped into deep depression post-pregnancy. As per a study published in NCBI, pregnancy involves major psychological and social changes in the mother associated with the symptoms of anxiety and depression (2). When Elle gradually began to crawl out of depression, she realized the intensity of postpartum depression. She felt trapped and did not feel comfortable to sing. Gradually, she started working out to lose weight.
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What Methods Did Elle King Use to Shed Pounds?
Elle King's weight transformation did not happen overnight. It is the result of her commitment to self-improvement. Through social media, she gave her fans a glimpse of her daily routine on tour. Initially, she started with metabolic workouts and light cardio simply to warm up her lungs, overall body, voice, and also her spirit. She confessed that she loves doing abs workouts and does cardio to warm her body.
According to research, besides calorie restriction, exercise and working out is a significant metabolism booster, as it aid in building lean muscle mass and thereby increases the metabolic rate to utilize more energy in maintaining it (4). Whereas physical activity of all types, including cardio, results in multiple health benefits for individuals with type 2 diabetes, such as weight loss (5).
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What Diet And Workout Routine Did Elle King Follow to Reduce Weight?
The singer shares that she changed her habits and adopted an active lifestyle to shed the pounds. She also rubbed off any rumors stating that she is on medication. In reality, she is a fan of metabolic conditioning. It is a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) effective for caloric expenditure, and metabolic and cardiorespiratory response. It is in high demand, as it helps one in meeting exercise guidelines in a time-efficient manner (6).
King carries out her daily workout along with her trainer. Below is her workout plan:
- 30 squats with wrist and ankle weight
- Lunges
- Bicycling
- Leg lifts
- Planks
Out of these, her core favorites are bicycle, leg lifts, and planks that help in getting her body warmed up for a long show and much ready to sing. The renowned artist affirms that after every few weeks, she felt her body getting stronger.
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Elle King Before And After Weight Loss Images
Before
After
Elle is a real champion. She is a woman of persistence and her victory says it all. She asks her fans and women alike to listen to music they like, ride bikes, go swimming, and do what makes them happy. Elle King’s weight loss journey is just proof stating it's a fun process and can help you embrace a healthy life.
Elle King’s weight loss speaks for the hard work and dedication put toward it. She is all for uplifting fellow women and encouraging them to live their lives to the fullest. Elle has found that her brain functions better when she moves more. The singer also makes sure to take care of her skin, which makes her radiate confidence. She is an ambassador for fitness and an inspiration to new mothers worldwide, who often ignore the needs of their bodies. Elle’s transformation and commitment to living a long and healthy life are commendable.
Sources:
1. Pregnancy-related outcomes for women with polycystic ovary syndrome
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7789031/
2. A Comprehensive Review of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Impacts on Maternal Health, Fetal Development, Childhood Outcomes, and Long-Term Treatment Strategies
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10663705
3. Weight Loss Outcomes Associated With Semaglutide Treatment for Patients With Overweight or Obesity
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9486455
4. Metabolic Consequences of Weight Reduction
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK572145/
5. Role of Physical Activity for Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5556592/
6. Metabolic effects of two high-intensity circuit training protocols: Does sequence matter?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6796641/
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