Lena Dunham’s Weight Loss And Gain Saga: Here’s How She Transformed Herself

Discover the insights of Lena Dunham’s weight loss and gain journey and how the actress transformed drastically. From diet to workout, know all the details!

Written by Sanchari Bhattacharya , Health & Fitness Expert

Updated on Sep 26, 2024 | 01:06 PM IST | 466.8K

Lena Dunham Weight Loss (Image Source: Getty Images)

In this Article

Who Is Lena Dunham?
Lena Dunham’s Full Profile
How Did Lena Dunham Gain Weight?
The Beginning of Lena Dunham’s Weight Loss Journey
What Was Lena Dunham’s Weight Loss Diet Plan?
What Was Lena Dunham’s Workout Routine?

Lena Dunham is a renowned American actress, writer, director, and producer who has been under constant limelight due to her acting talent and remarkable career. Apart from her professional accolades and significant contribution to the film and television industry, Lena Dunham’s weight loss and weight gain stories have garnered the public’s attention.

Lena’s extreme weight loss and gain saga is no less than a rollercoaster. While opening up about health and physique, she revealed that the fluctuating weight was the result of her poor mental and physical health. Being an advocate of body positivity, the American personality spilled the beans through a social media post, showcasing her 138-pound and 162-pound appearance.

As you scroll ahead, you’ll get to know all about Lena Dunham’s weight gain and loss story.

Who Is Lena Dunham?

Lena Dunham was born in the United States on May 13, 1986. In 2012, she was dating Jack Antonoff and called off her relationship in 2017. Later, she married musician Luis Felber in 2021.

When Dunham was in college, she produced several independent short films and uploaded them online. Today, she is a phenomenal actress who has won multiple accolades, including Golden Globe Awards and Emmy Award nominations.

Lena Dunham’s career began directing her semi-autobiographical independent film Tiny Furniture. In 2007, she was seen in the web series, Tight Shots. Moreover, films like Pressure, The Fountain, and Open the Door were some of her fabulous productions.

In early 2011, she starred in the HBO’s television series, Girls, which received critical acclaim. The first season of the show fetched her four Emmy Award nominations, and two Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series and Best Actress.

In 2013, she was announced as the first woman to win a Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series, Girls. Later, in 2018 Lena focused on writing books and also appeared on several magazine covers.

However, throughout her professional career, Lena’s outstanding contribution to the field of entertainment and her significant presence on social media and in public interviews have been the subject of controversies, criticisms, and media scrutiny. Plus, Lena Dunham’s weight gain and loss was one of the topics of discourse.

Keep scrolling to snatch a glimpse of Lena’s profile and how she gained and lost weight.

Lena Dunham’s Full Profile

Full Name: Lena Dunham

Age: 38 years

Birthdate: May 13, 1986

Birth Place: New York City, U.S.

Occupation: Writer, director, actress, and producer

Partner: Luis Felber

Father: Carroll Dunham

Mother: Laurie Simmons

Weight: 138 pounds

Height: 5 feet 3 inches

How Did Lena Dunham Gain Weight?

As a child, Lena was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and until 2018, she consumed low doses of an anxiolytic to control her anxieties. OCD is a mental and anxiety-related disorder that affects people of all ages and walks of life, characterized by frequent unwanted thoughts causing them to have repetitive behaviors. (1). She was also addicted to benzodiazepines and entered rehab. They are a class of psychoactive drugs known for their depressant effect on the central nervous system (2).

Addedly, she publicly expressed that she also had a mixed connective-tissue disorder, and fibromyalgia, and fought a severe battle with endometriosis, for which she underwent a hysterectomy.

Fibromyalgia syndrome is one of the chronic conditions that cause stiffness, pain, and tenderness of the muscles, tendons, and joints (3). On the other hand, Endometriosis is a condition that affects women of reproductive age, and it is distinguished by the development of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterine cavity (4). Whereas, hysterectomy involves the removal of the uterus through an incision in the abdominal wall (5).

Moreover, in 2019, she mentioned suffering from a genetic disorder called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. It is a condition that affects collagen formation and function. The condition affects every organ system, which can result in significant morbidity and mortality (6). While in 2021, she shared her experience with Covid-19.

Dealing with so many health issues was indeed challenging for her, however, she was glad for all the love and support she received from her family and friends. She married Luis Felber in 2021 and posted her wedding pictures on her social media handle. The comment section was flooded with negative body-shaming comments, which she addressed sportingly.

She mentioned that her body changed since she was last seen on television. She finds it ironic to have her body compared to a body that was a subject of public scorn. Lena also urged the audience to learn to stop equating thinness with health and happiness.

After a prescription concerning drug addiction, she confirmed gaining weight and feeling a lot more sober. According to her, weight loss is the result of positive changes in habits and so is weight gain. The pictures to which her body is compared were the ones when she was actively addicted to an undiagnosed illness. Adding to that, she mentioned being sober for four years and has begun her life towards good health and not achievement.

The Beginning of Lena Dunham’s Weight Loss Journey

Dunham’s physical appearance has changed with time, illness, and circumstances. She shed pounds in double digits after undergoing a hysterectomy and breaking up with her then-boyfriend, Jack Antonoff. In one of the interviews, the actress revealed that she lost weight due to “sadness”. The research concludes that women undergoing hysterectomies appear to be at higher risk for weight gain in the first year after surgery (7).

The Camping creator disclosed that she is the kind of sister, friend, and daughter that she aspired to be. Her husband doesn’t recognize her in the old pictures as he believed that her light back then was dim.

Furthermore, her weight loss was also driven by her time in rehab due to her addiction to prescription drugs. To maintain a healthy weight, she now carries a food diary and maintains her relationship with food. Through a post on her social media handle, her dramatic body transformation from 162 pounds to 138 pounds. She also spoke about dramatic weight loss pressure and feelings of self-loathing returning during lockdown.

What Was Lena Dunham’s Weight Loss Diet Plan?

In one of the interviews, Dunham confessed that she was only subsisting on small amounts of sugar, lots of caffeine, and pure pharmacy. Research analysis revealed a reduction in sugar consumption slows down the risk of obesity (8).

She completed her in-patient treatment, known to the public as rehab for prescription drug dependency and trauma. It took a week to settle it down, but as the drugs left her body, she felt a lot more peaceful. However, she used to get hungry quickly.

Lena wrote a book, Not That Kind of Girl? It is a collection of personal essays as she personally loves everything honest. A section in the book contains a record of what she ate over a nine-day period.

Since she recovered from a 10-year battle with bulimia, one can recognize the importance of Lena Dunham’s food diary, which is indeed a tool for reflection. Bulimia is a condition that occurs most commonly in adolescent females and is characterized by indulgence in binge eating (9).

She paid strict attention to details. She eats gluten-free toast, and bread, and fixates on calories. She actively pens down the calorie count of every food she eats. As per a research study, excess or minimal caloric consumption can be detrimental to one’s health (10).

For breakfast, she ate Greek yogurt, peach, flax oil, and 2 gluten-free toasts. For lunch, she consumed celery sticks and salami. To munch in the evening, she enjoyed eating cereals, dried cherries, pecans, and Greek yogurt. For dinner, she consumed 6 ounces of steak, steamed zucchini, tomatoes, and Arugula with a small bite of dark chocolate for dessert.

Dunham stated that her health was the main motivation for the lifestyle change. As per research, lifestyle has a significant influence on the physical and mental health of human beings (11). After going through some rough patches over the years and struggling with endometriosis, she opts for a healthy and clean diet and exercise to stay in the best of her health.

What Was Lena Dunham’s Workout Routine?

Lena is a huge fan of doing yoga and regularly incorporates it into her workout routine. Yoga is reported to reduce stress and anxiety (12). She also combines yoga moves with acrobatics. She also believes that exercise is much more than looking good.

The star dedicated herself to the Tracy Anderson Method convert. Lena mixes a high-cardio dance and toning program with a balanced diet to tone herself. Plus, she takes her gym time as an opportunity to take care of her mental health. Though she hasn’t spoken much about her fitness regime, her social media post speaks about her commitment to staying fit.

The actress believes that exercise has helped her manage her longtime struggle with anxiety.

Lena Dunham’s Before And After Weight Loss Images

Before

After

Lena Dunham’s weight loss journey is marked by personal struggles. Despite several challenges and chronic illnesses, she has been vocal about her experiences and thoughts about body positivity and image. In addition, she actively advocates for good mental health and serves as an inspiration to many.

Adding to that, Lena has been emphasizing the importance of self-acceptance through her resilience to prioritize well-being. She urges everyone to maintain a correlation between food and lifestyle. For anyone who is facing similar health and weight-related issues, she is undoubtedly the one to look up to.

Sources

1. Obsessive-compulsive disorder

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7370844/

2. Benzodiazepines: Uses, Dangers, and Clinical Considerations

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8629021/

3. Fibromyalgia Syndrome: An Overview of Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Management

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3394355/

4. Endometriosis: A Review of Clinical Diagnosis, Treatment, and Pathogenesis

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9537113/

5. Abdominal Hysterectomy

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK564366/

6. Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome