How Issa Rae Lost 50 Pounds: The No-nonsense Diet
Yes, she stars on a show called Insecure, but Issa Rae isn’t suffering from body insecurity these days: The funny, charming actress and writer, 32, slimmed down in a major way, reportedly losing 50 pounds from her 5-foot-8 figure. Issa looked quite different in Season 2 of her HBO show than she did in Season 1; she didn’t really need to lose weight, but she became super svelte anyway. Previously best known as the creator of the Youtube web series Awkward Black Girl, Issa claims she’s been trying to lose weight since she was 12. This time, she says, “I started just eating right. For me, [ Insecure] actually gave me a reason to do it, and it’s really just about how I feel and how I want to look. I want to look good to me naked.”
LOVE YOUR BODY
Though she didn’t work with Issa, Wendy Bazilian, a doctor of public health and a dietitian in San Diego, applauds her focus on pursuing and achieving body positivity. “She’s clearly a very smart woman. She picked a target for what she wanted to do to feel and look great — and she went after it by making healthy eating and exercise changes,” Bazilian says. “The overarching strategy that worked for her is she started paying attention to what she was eating. She made an effort to eat more produce, whole grains and lean protein at meals, and she stopped eating ultra-processed foods and liquid calories.”
Next year, Issa can be seen in the feature film The Hate U Give. And recently she became the latest face of Covergirl — an honor that “means a lot because the brand recognizes just how important it is for people to embrace their individuality and express themselves in unique and diverse ways,” Issa says. Whatever the future holds for her, Issa Rae is looking and feeling hella great these days!