Mama June’s Weight Loss of over 65 Pounds Resulted from Diet, Workout, And Surgery!

Mama June’s weight loss journey wasn’t the usual one. In addition to surgery, she committed herself to a clean diet and workout, setting a goal of 170-180 lbs!

Sanchari Bhattacharya
Written by Sanchari Bhattacharya , Health & Fitness Expert
Updated on Apr 09, 2025 | 05:22 PM IST | 4.4M
Mama June Weight Loss
Mama June Weight Loss (Image Source: Getty Images)

In April 2024, Mama June announced on her Instagram that in just six weeks, she went from 311 down to 195 pounds. Leaving the audience jaw dropped, the most-loved television personality revealed about undergoing a gastric sleeve surgery, consuming medication, and hitting the gym to get back to her healthier self. What made Mama June’s weight loss journey a success was the combination of a healthy diet, increased protein intake, sugar limitations, and regular exercise. Additionally, she vouched for several cosmetic procedures to look the best version of herself. 

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In one of the public discussions, Mama June stated that she used Semaglutide to lose weight. What makes her fans happy is the fact that she open-heartedly keeps giving her followers a glimpse of her personal life. Right from the highs and lows of her life, including her battle with health issues, the reality star keeps everyone updated. 

Read on to know the inside details of Mama June Shanons’s transformation!

Who Is Mama June?

Mama June’s Weight Loss

( Image Source: Getty Images)

June Elizabeth Stroud née Shanon aka Mama June was born on August 10, 1979. She is the mother of 4 and was first introduced to the audiences through her appearance on TLC's Toddlers & Tiaras

The Shannons have been under the constant limelight starting from Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Dr. Phil, and The Doctors to Mama June: From Not to Hot. 

Mama June struggled with being morbidly obese and got gastric sleeve surgery done in 2015.  As per research, it is the most common operation to assist patients with severe obesity, aiming for weight loss (1). It aims to reduce the volume of food taken in and its absorption (2). 

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On the day of her weight loss surgery, June went from 550 pounds to 311 pounds. Later, in six weeks, she revealed transiting from 311 to 195 pounds. 

Roll your eyes over to know how the renowned celebrity lost weight. 

Read More: Heather Gay’s Weight Loss: How the ‘RHOSCLC’ Star Shed 25 lbs with Ozempic

How Did Mama June Manage to Lose Weight?


Following the bariatric surgery, Mama June’s weight stayed stable at around 130, 140, and 150 lbs. Later when her daughter Anna was diagnosed with adrenal cancer, her stress levels ticked up. As a result, she didn't focus on her diet and eating habits and regained some of the lost weight. 

As per research, stress can induce abnormalities in food intake behavior and fat storage, causing subsequent weight gain, and leading to obesity (3).

In April 2024, Mama June disclosed about considering revisional bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery leads to pronounced weight loss and improvement of pre-existing diseases. Moreover, it can positively affect the quality of patients and improve physical performance (4). 

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In addition, she relied on weight-loss injections and hoped to reach her goal weight by this December. While considering the surgery, the mother of four learned that she wasn’t a good candidate for the procedure. 

In her video posted on social media, June mentioned that her stomach and the hole leading down were still the same size. Hence, the doctor affirmed that the revision surgery would do no good to her.

Nevertheless, Mama June curbed her eating habits but her efforts were in vain. Later, she decided to give a shot to semaglutide injections, the popular weight loss drug. Semaglutide treatment is associated with weight loss and is suggested for treating patients with overweight or obesity (5). Through her social media handle, she explained that she had started taking four units of the medication for four weeks. With the help of her doctor, she also adjusted the doses. 

A few months later, the star reported losing 16 pounds. At the end of June, she had dropped 30 more lbs. On average, she used to shed at least 4 to 5 pounds per week. Cut to July 2024, after 11 weeks, the popular star weighed 245.4 pounds. 

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Read More: Trisha Yearwood’s Weight Loss: How the Singer Transformed over the Years

Details of Mama June’s Weight Loss Diet Plan


In 2017, she started working with Kenya Crooks, a weight loss expert to revamp her diet. The expert helped rework Shannon's diet and changed how she looked at food. He had to cut down her portions since they were really big.

Research states that an increase in portion size is connected to the rise in the prevalence of obesity.  A small change in the diet can reduce energy intake by 120 kcal per day. (6). Hence, the expert changed the way she consumed her food and how she worked out. 

In addition to dietary changes, June also increased her protein intake. She used to be very strict with her diet and shared several hacks for sneaking protein into her everyday diet. Right from high-protein cookie dough and protein yogurt to protein bars, she tried it all.  Research claims that adequate intake of protein is one of the key nutritional factors to prevent loss of muscle mass and strength (7).

Through her social media handle, June shared a glimpse of her lunch, which included a plate of grilled salmon and corn. She explained that the grilled salmon had 440 calories whereas the corn contained 120 of them. 

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Salmon is regarded as an excellent source of nutrients like protein, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. It plays a critical role in cardiovascular health and neurological health (8). On the other hand, whole-grain corn lowers the risk of developing diseases like obesity and also improves digestive health (9).

Altogether, her meal had 560 calories and also 31.7 grams of protein. She also mentioned that she doesn’t eat out much and often cooks her meals at home. 

June started thinking about food and diet in a whole different way and considered it as a lifestyle change. Alongside a healthy diet, she also carried out exercises. 

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

Insights Into Mama June’s Workout Routine


In addition to weight-loss interventions, Mama June opened up on hitting the gym more often than usual. She stepped up her everyday regime and her husband, Justin Stroud, was incredibly proud of her for signing gym membership. 

In one of the videos, her husband shared that it was not really about losing weight but more about wanting to be healthy, especially when you want to be around for your children’s lives. It is also true that lifelong exercise is associated with a longer health span (10).

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Mama June has been hitting the gym three to four times a week. When she isn’t able to go to the gym, she would incorporate vibration plate exercises twice a day for 40 minutes. It is an emerging alternative exercise that can be easily performed by older adults to improve muscle strength and physical performance (11).

Read More: 50 Cent’s Weight Loss Secret: How He Lost 43 lbs without Ozempic

Mama June’s Before and After Weight Loss Images

Before

mama june weight loss

( Image Credit: Getty Images)

After

mama june weight loss

( Image Credit: Getty Images)

Mama June embarked on her weight loss journey when she weighed 285 pounds. Take a look at how she slimmed down!


Mama June is definitely not the first Hollywood celebrity to reveal that she vouched for weight loss drugs to shed desirable weight. Her openness about her experiences further connects her audience, allowing her fans to witness her struggles closely. Mama June's weight loss transformation showcases her determination to enhance her health and well-being for the good. She serves as a reminder that with the right mindset and consistency, significant changes are possible!

Sources:

1. Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK518968/

2. Long-term effectiveness, outcomes and complications of bariatric surgery

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10353499/

3. Editorial: Stress-induced weight changes

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10241186/

4. The Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Quality of Life in Patients with Obesity

https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/13/4225 

5. Weight Loss Outcomes Associated With Semaglutide Treatment for Patients With Overweight or Obesity 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9486455/ 

6. What is the role of portion control in weight management?

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4105579/ 

7. Protein for Life: Review of Optimal Protein Intake, Sustainable Dietary Sources and the Effect on Appetite in Ageing Adults

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5872778/ 

8. Investigation of the nutritional composition of different types of salmon available to Canadian consumers 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154320300375 

9. Corn phytochemicals and their health benefits 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213453018301009 

10. Health Benefits of Exercise

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6027933/ 

11. Effectiveness of Whole-Body Vibration Training to Improve Muscle Strength and Physical Performance in Older Adults: Prospective, Single-Blinded, Randomized Controlled Trial 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8226869/

FAQ's

What challenges did Mama June overcome during her weight loss journey?
Mama June regained weight due to an increase in stress levels after her daughter was diagnosed with adrenal cancer.

Has Mama June’s weight loss journey starred on TV?
Yes, Mama June: From Not to Hot chronicled her weight-loss journey in detail.

About The Author
Sanchari Bhattacharya
Sanchari Bhattacharya
Health & Fitness Expert

Sanchari, a certified Health & Nutrition Life Coach and Naturopath, has 10+ years of experi...

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