Keely Shaye Smith’s Weight Loss: How She Shed a Whopping 100 Pounds

Get to know every little detail of Keely Shaye Smith’s weight loss journey and how she toned herself. From diet, and workout, here is a glimpse of them all!

Written by Sanchari Bhattacharya , Health & Fitness Expert

Updated on Sep 11, 2024 | 01:11 PM IST | 65.8K

Keely Shaye Smith’s Weight Loss (Image Source: Getty Images)

In this Article

Who Is Keely Shaye Smith?
How Did Keely Shaye Gain Weight?
How Did Keely Shaye’s Weight Loss Journey Begin?
Keely Shaye Smith’s Weight Loss Diet Plan
Details of Keely Shaye Smith’s Workout Plan
Shaye Smith’s Weight Loss: Before and After Images

Keely Shaye Smith is a renowned American journalist, producer, director, author, and television host. She is an inspiring personality who has made her own space in the field of journalism, documentary filmmaking, and environmental activism. Besides her professional career and accomplishments, Keely Shaye Smith’s weight loss is a testament to those who want to embark on a fitness and wellness journey.

Keely is married to Hollywood heartthrob Pierce Brosnan, an Irish actor. Both of them set some serious couple goals. However, throughout their marriage, Keely Shaye Brosnan was trolled by the audience due to her weight.

Right from the early times, Keely struggled with weight management. But in March 2024, she sported her slimmed-down figure. She had lost a whopping 100 pounds! As you scroll ahead, you will get insights into her weight loss journey, lifestyle, dietary plan, and workout regime.

Who Is Keely Shaye Smith?

Keely Shaye Smith was born on 25 September 1963 in California, United States. She kickstarted her career in 1986 with Stuck with You music video, which also landed her a few movie and television roles.

Eventually, she pursued journalism and tried her hands on documentary filmmaking with a motive to spread awareness about environmental injustice and animal rights. She also pursued modeling. While modeling, she believed that she was propagating a beauty myth. Hence, she switched back to acting.

At the Environmental Film Festival in 1991, she bagged two Genesis Awards and a Special Achievement Award for her impressive performance in ABC’s Home Show.

Later in 1994, Smith met the former James Bond star, Pierce Brosnan. They got married in 2001 and share two sons. They worked on multiple projects for cancer, environment, AIDS, and other noble initiatives.

To date, their relationship highlights the importance of having a supportive partner and the power of love. Despite the trolls, rumors, and negative comments about Smith’s weight gain, he always applauded her achievements as a determined, strong, and independent wife.

Keely did face a lot of struggles with weight management. Right from the initial days of her career, Keely never felt shy about her curves. She also never tried to hide it with baggy clothing. Below are the reasons why Keely Shaye Brosnan gained weight.

How Did Keely Shaye Gain Weight?

Keely Shaye Smith’s Weight Loss

( Image Credit: Getty Images)

Keely Shaye began gaining weight after giving birth to her children. Research states that there is a direct association between maternal body weight gain during pregnancy and birth (1). Although it is common to gain a few pounds post-childbirth, in the case of Keely, her weight escalated rapidly.

Reportedly, she dealt with problems related to the thyroid gland, hormonal imbalance due to obesity, and an unhealthy lifestyle. There is clinical evidence suggesting that even mild thyroid dysfunction is linked to significant changes in body weight and represents a risk factor for overweight and obesity (2).

On the other hand, she always prioritized motherhood and work and paid less heed to her personal health and well-being. Long hours on set, a demanding career, and a busy schedule left a limited amount of time for physical activity.

Her weight gain was captured by the media, which led to online cruel trolls and media rumors. In one of the interviews, she confessed that as Pierce Brosnan’s wife, it was difficult for her to live up to the expectations of the public. She tried not to react to the negative comments and continued to love every curve of her body.

Despite a lot of criticism, her husband stood alongside and supported her in every step. It was in 2024 when fans noticed that the TV personality had toned herself down. Below is how she managed to shed pounds.

How Did Keely Shaye’s Weight Loss Journey Begin?

Constant backlash and negative comments triggered Keely. She set some serious

fitness goals for herself by adopting mindful eating and practicing a healthy lifestyle. According to the World Health Organization, 60% of related factors to individual health and quality of life are correlated to lifestyle (3).

Though she didn’t publically speak much about what triggered her to lose weight, below are some of the details of her balanced diet and workout routine.

Keely Shaye Smith’s Weight Loss Diet Plan

For Mrs Brosnan, it wasn’t easy to shed a whopping 100 pounds. She began her journey toward weight loss by committing herself to a variety of diets, such as Atkins and South Beach diets. The Atkins diet is a variant of the original ketogenic diet. It restricts carbohydrates to 15 grams per day in adults while encouraging high-fat foods (4). Unfortunately, for Keely, the diets weren’t very sustainable and fruitful.

The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee also states that diets with less than 45% of calories as carbohydrates are not more successful than other diets for long-term weight loss (5).

The day she discovered that the diets were not fetching her expected results, she immediately shifted her focus to living a healthier lifestyle and joined the gym. Research states that those with the highest levels of physical workout maintain and improve physical fitness with a low risk of premature death (6).

Reportedly, she also collaborated with many nutritionists, healthcare professionals, and personal trainers to guide her through the process of weight loss.

Smith also avoided highly-processed sugary food and embraced whole nutrient-rich options. Research states that a decrease in the consumption of ultra-processed foods could be an effective way of reducing the excessive intake of added sugars (7).

Hence, she focused on eating more lean proteins, whole grains, abundant fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats. She reduced her overall calorie intake by nourishing her body with essential nutrients. On average, a woman should consume 2000 calories daily to maintain her weight and limit her caloric intake to 1500 or less to lose 1 pound per week (8).

Keely Shaye Smith’s Breakfast

For breakfast, the 60-year-old journalist had oatmeal mixed with fresh berries, Greek yogurt, or eggs as a source of protein. Eggs provide vitamin D, iodine, B vitamins, and high-quality protein (9). Moreover, Greek yogurt contains vital nutrients, like calcium, phosphorus, and protein that help to promote musculoskeletal health (10).

Lunch

For lunch, she mostly had salads with lean protein such as grilled chicken or tofu, accompanied by an array of vegetables and a cup of yogurt. Sufficient intake of vegetables and fruits has been associated with body weight management and a reduced risk of chronic diseases (11).

Snacks

When she used to feel like snacking, she relied on nuts, fruits, hummus, Greek yogurt, and vegetable sticks with one cup of green tea or black coffee.

Dinner

At the time of dinner, she consumed lean meat paired with steamed or roasted vegetables and whole grains like quinoa or brown rice. Lean red meat is considered to be a good source of protein, vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids, niacin, zinc, and iron (12).

She also preferred eating mushroom clear soup with veggies and a cup of warm milk with a pinch of turmeric before bed.

In addition to diet and attention to portion sizes, Keely also stayed hydrated by drinking gallons of water. Research studies state that staying hydrated is critical to the body’s process of temperature control. Good hydration is also associated with a reduction in urinary tract infections, fatal coronary heart diseases, and hypertension (13). Her workout plan also played the game for her while promoting overall health.

Details of Keely Shaye Smith’s Workout Plan

In Keely Shaye Smith's physical transformation, exercise played a pivotal role. She committed herself to a workout routine that was a mix of strength training, cardiovascular exercises, and flexibility workouts. Strength training exercise offers many benefits for individuals such as an increase in metabolic rate, bone density, and lean body mass (14).

At the gym, she engaged herself in cardiovascular exercises, including cycling and running. Regular physical activity is beneficial for cardiovascular health. In addition, physically active individuals have lower blood pressure and higher insulin sensitivity (15). To build lean muscle and increase her metabolism, she performed strength exercises like Russian twists, planks, and leg-raise.

Moreover, consistency was the key that helped attain her goals. She also understood the significance of emotional well-being and incorporated mindful practices like yoga and meditation for better flexibility in her daily routine.

Shaye Smith’s Weight Loss: Before and After Images

Before

After

Keely Shaye Smith’s Weight Loss

(Image Source: Getty Images)

Keely Shaye Smith’s weight loss journey is indeed an inspirational story for anyone who wants to set themselves on the path of healthy eating and living. Despite facing backlash and personal challenges, Keely was determined enough to adopt a healthier lifestyle by modifying her diet and engaging in workouts. She shed a remarkable 100 pounds through mindful eating and regular exercise.

Keely’s perseverance and dedication highlight the importance of prioritizing health and well-being. With the right approach and unwavering support from near and dear ones, she proved that it is possible to achieve the set goals.

Sources

1. The Relationship Between Pregnancy Weight Gain and Birth Weight: A Within Family Comparison

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2974327/

2. Hypothyroidism and obesity: An intriguing link

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4911848/

3. Impact of Lifestyle on Health

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4703222/

4. A Comparative Review of Established Diets for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Newer Dietary Strategies

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/atkins-diet

5. Effects of Popular Diets without Specific Calorie Targets on Weight Loss Outcomes: Systematic Review of Findings from Clinical Trials

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579615/

6. Health benefits of physical activity: the evidence