Janelle Brown’s Weight Loss: How the "Sister Wives" Star Went from 271 to 171 Pounds

In most celebrity weight loss stories, a drastic physical transformation usually stems from an underlying health issue, preparation for a role in a movie, or simply one’s endeavor to get fitter and look better. Janelle Brown’s weight loss, however, can be attributed to her separation from her polygamist ex-husband, Kody Brown, which, as fans believe, has worked in her favor for her recent glow-up! 

Over the years, Janelle had been struggling with weight management. She tried plenty of diets and exercise plans but failed to stick to them. On the other hand, after her divorce from Kody Brown, she struggled emotionally. Gradually, she started focusing on herself and prioritized self-love. By focusing on a diet and indulging in strength training regularly, she shed 100 lbs. Undoubtedly, she is admired for her transparency and honesty in sharing her personal life with millions of viewers. Read on to learn more about Janelle Brown and her remarkable weight loss journey.

Who Is Janelle Brown?

Janelle Brown is an American journalist and writer, who rose to fame with TLC’s show Sister Wives, as Kody Brown’s wife in the polygamous family dynamic. Her weight loss journey has been more than just a personal achievement for her; she has her own online series on TLC’s YouTube channel called “Janelle Brown’s Weight Loss Diary”.

In the series, she shares her healthy life insights, recipes, and workouts to inspire her fans. Moreover, she has 1.3 million followers on Instagram wherein she shares wholesome posts about her meals, exercise, work, and family life.

Janelle married Adam Barber in 1988 and the pair separated two years later due to unknown personal reasons. She was introduced to Kody Brown through Meri Brown — his wife and the sister to Janelle’s former husband Adam — and, entered a polygamous marriage with him in 1993. After this, rumors confirmed that Kody and Janelle officially ended their spiritual marriage in 2022. 

Read More: Jenna Jameson’s Weight Loss: How She Lost 80 Lbs with Keto And Intermittent Fasting

Janelle Brown Profile

Occupation: Journalist and writer

Age: 55

Birthdate: May 6, 1969

Birthplace: San Fransisco, California

Ex-spouses: Kody Brown and Adam Barber

Children: (Late) Garrison Brown, Madison Brown, Gabriel Brown, Hunter Brown, Logan Brown, and Savanah Brown

Janelle Brown’s Weight Loss

Janelle Brown had once opened up on Sister Wives and how her weight and appearance have always been her Achilles heel. She has always been doing great in other aspects of her life, such as being a good employee, a good mother, etc., however, her physical appearance being blatantly broadcast was quite disturbing for her. 

Janelle had never told anyone, including her then-husband Kody about how much she weighed. She was deeply upset knowing that her children had witnessed her weight increase with time and that she felt too powerless to do something about it. 

In season 3 of the show, Janelle was seen hitting the gym with Kody’s other wives — Meri Brown, Christine Brown, and Robyn Brown as well as a personal trainer. However, throughout the show, audiences witnessed her struggles with fitness, and how her diet woes and weight became a major source of insecurity in her life. 

It wouldn’t be wrong to conclude that after ending her almost 30 years of spiritual marriage with Kody Brown, Janelle finally embarked on her weight loss journey and dedicated herself to a lifestyle of healthy eating and revitalizing exercise. 

After speculatively shedding 100 pounds of weight, Janelle has come to believe that health isn’t a one-size-fits-all thing, and looks different for everyone, but is worth fighting for. 

Read More: Lauren Alaina Weight Loss: The Singer’s Motivating Tale of Transformation

Janelle Brown’s Weight Loss Diet

A big contribution to Janelle Brown’s weight loss goes to her changed diet, which comprised of products from Plexus — a highly controversial weight management program and a lifestyle eCommerce brand that sells dietary supplements and hunger-curbing products. In 2022, she turned to Instagram to share with the world how extensively she uses these products and trusts them, especially the brand’s popular diet drink. 

However, she received a lot of backlash on social media from people who voiced out about how misleading the brand is, and how ineffective or even harmful its products can be. Besides, Plexus has been accused of being a scam, and even a pyramid scheme by some, which raises many questions about the brand’s authenticity.

Even so, Janelle’s weight loss diet does not end at this. What’s fantastic about her diet is that she incorporated a moderate carb, high protein, and high fiber approach, which is excellent for health (1), (2), (3). 

To prevent an intake of excess carbohydrates, which is often easy with quick meal fixes, she prioritizes stocking up on fresh vegetables and cauliflower rice for her recipes. A diet that is high in vegetables is not only associated with weight management but also prevents several diseases and revitalizes the body with vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, electrolytes, antioxidants, water, and fiber (4).

Janelle also highly prioritizes protein in her diet and opts for protein sources such as prawn, shrimp, chicken, codfish, sardines, and eggs to make her meals wholesome and filling. While chicken and similar poultry-based meats are high in high-quality and digestible protein, unsaturated fats, and B-group vitamins, seafood meats are excellent in phospholipids, poly-unsaturated fats, iodine, carotenoids, and essential minerals alongside protein (5), (6).

Consuming such filling and highly nutritious foods helps Janelle maintain a low-carb diet and also curbs her cravings for sugar and highly processed fast foods. However, she does enjoy indulging in her favorite treats from time to time and does not believe in depriving herself. 

Of all, rhubarb appears to be among her favorite foods, and she likes making delicious pies and other recipes with that vegetable.

In general, she heartily indulges in cakes and pies to satisfy her occasional sweet cravings. Besides, she also appears to have a love for chicken, and not only consumes it in her healthy grilled recipes but also likes it fried, barbecued, marinated, etc. 

Read More: Henry Cavill's Workout Routine: Train Like Superman 

Janelle Brown’s Weight Loss Exercise Routine:

Janelle never solely relied on diet and heavily prioritized exercise in her routine to get in shape. She turned to gyming and began engaging in strength training and endurance exercises. 

Through heavy weight lifting, she aimed at boosting strength and muscle mass, while also toning her body. She also included resistance training in her regime to get in shape and maintain an optimal body weight (7).

She also turned to pilates to boost core strength, stamina, flexibility, and tone her muscles. Studies have proven that regularly practicing pilates helps increase body and mind awareness, boosts core stability and strength, facilitates uniform muscle development, boosts flexibility, and improves upper spine posture (8), (9).

All in all, for a mother of six and a busy journalist and writer, Janelle’s fitness routine has been extremely impressive! It signifies the importance of hard work, perseverance, dedication, and a positive attitude, which her fans can gain inspiration from. 

Read More: Carrie Underwood’s Leg Workout Is Mindblowing: Take a Look at Her Regime!

Janelle Brown’s Before And After Weight Loss Photos

After her divorce, when Janelle Brown turned to Instagram to share her health journey with her fans, she posted her before and after weight loss photos on July 26, 2022.

Undoubtedly, losing 100 pounds of weight has benefited her in many ways, such as boosting her confidence, and making her feel stronger and healthier from within. 

Read More: 'I've Been Methodical': Lizzo Opens Up About Weight Loss And Body Positivity

Social Media’s Reaction to Janelle Brown’s Weight Loss:

When Janelle shared her weight loss photo back in 2022, her fans were shocked looking at her dramatic physical transformation. 

Many mentioned that she lost a lot of weight from her face and that her face looks different and is glowing. Others noted how her waistline went down several inches too, and she looked like a brand new version of herself. Fans also commented on how she appears to have more toned muscles, especially in her arms and calf areas, and looks great overall.

Janelle’s Instagram posts about her diet, workouts, and overall lifestyle have been a delight for her fans and they love engaging with her posts. 

Janelle Brown’s weight loss has been quite a milestone in her life. Take a closer look at Janelle’s "motivation cards" to commit to her weight loss goals.

Janelle Brown’s weight loss wasn’t an overnight transformation. Her renewed self has barely been a shortcut, as there is plenty of evidence of her hard work and perseverance surfacing over the internet. Overall, her journey of becoming fit and healthy — not only physically but also mentally and emotionally is worth taking cues from. Be it her high-protein and low-carb diet or high-intensity and heavy-weight workouts, everything worked in favor of the star’s recent glow-up! To conclude, Janelle’s weight loss journey is a testament to the power of self-determination, resilience, and the belief that change is always possible with consistent effort!

Sources:

1. Low-Carbohydrate Diet

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537084/ 

2. Clinical Evidence and Mechanisms of High-Protein Diet-Induced Weight Loss 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7539343/

3. High Fiber Diet.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559033/

4. Fruit and Vegetable Intake: Benefits and Progress of Nutrition Education Interventions- Narrative Review Article 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4644575/

5. Role of poultry meat in a balanced diet aimed at maintaining health and wellbeing: an Italian consensus document

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4462824/

6. Seafood Consumption and Components for Health

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4776937/

7. Effect of exercise training on weight loss, body composition changes, and weight maintenance in adults with overweight or obesity: An overview of 12 systematic reviews and 149 studies 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8365736/

8. Pilates - PMC

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3445206

9. Pilates: how does it work and who needs it? 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3666467/

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