Lizzo inspired a wave of empowerment and body positivity by shattering beauty standards and affirming that health and self-love aren’t about fitting into a mold. Now, the four-time Grammy winner is embracing a new chapter of self-love, body positivity, and personal growth with her fifth studio album, Love In Real Life, on the way. Featured on the cover of WOMEN’S HEALTH’s Summer 2025 issue, Lizzo opens up about how she’s reinventing her life and her body—on her own terms—and the mindset shift that’s helped her change everything. Plus, in an episode of the WOMEN’S HEALTH “Strong Like” video series accompanying the cover story, the pop icon shares the workouts that make her feel strong and confident, training her mind and body with a mix of strength workouts, hiking, and pickleball.
On what inspires her to move: “I’ve never regretted a workout. After, I always feel better. I work out for mental health first. Exercise is the best mood enhancer.”
On the impact of the backlash and criticism she faced when she was sued by former backup dancers in 2023: “You look around and think about every person you’ve ever known and every experience, and you wonder, Was that real? I got very paranoid and isolated. I used to walk into glam and be like, ‘Oh, let me tell you about this crazy sh*t that happened last night!’ I couldn’t do that anymore. I pushed everyone away. I wasn’t even talking to my therapist. I wasn’t present. I wasn’t open. I wasn’t myself anymore.”
On her darkest days: “It got to the point where it’s just like, well…You ever get tired of living? It got to the point where I was like, ‘I could die.’ I never attempted to kill myself or thought about it, but I did think, If everyone hates you and thinks you’re a terrible person, then what’s the point?”
On receiving support and encouragement from fans when she attended Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour—after months of being isolated and feeling depressed: “I was so nervous…It made me feel like, wow, maybe I don’t want to die. Life is worth living. That was the kick-starter to me being like, ‘Okay, Melissa, get your *ss in gear and take your f*cking life back.’”
On how relinquishing her socials to her team and not reading comments was a step toward self-restoration: “My validation was from external sources, people telling me they loved me, or that I look good, and accepting me. It helped me build self-confidence. But if that’s all I’m getting my validation from, when it changes—and it will, because people are not always going to like you—what happens? Where are you going to get your love from? I can convince myself that I’m beautiful, my body fine, no matter how big or small. But reminding myself that you can’t let others tell you who you are—that was hard work.”
On struggling with disordered eating—binge eating, specifically—as an adult: “There were times when I would eat so much that my stomach hurt. When I was done, I would be so uncomfortable, I couldn’t breathe and wouldn’t let anyone know. I would hide it…].I had so much food noise and connected so much emotion to food. If I were sad, anxious, stressed, or working a lot, I would snack and just eat constantly. And then I would wait for everybody to leave, secretly order two separate meals on a food delivery site, then order dessert on a separate one.”
On the mental work it took to get her habits in check to achieve what she describes as a “very sustainable” lifestyle”: “There’s a balance. I think that’s what true health is…There was a lot of shame and guilt I had to forgive myself for…I’ll open up a bag of BarkThins, and once I get to the fourth one, I close [the bag]. I’ll be like, ‘Okay, Melissa, put it back on the table. You had enough.’ I’ll grab one more for the road and then drink a sh*t ton of water. It’s a beautiful balance where it’s like, if you allow yourself to have something, you can enjoy it without overindulging and hurting yourself. I’m so proud of myself for overcoming that.”
On having suffering from back pain due to pressure from her weight: “I couldn’t wear heels for an extended amount of time anymore. Now, baby, I wear heels to the grocery store!”
On how her shift toward a deeper sense of self-worth was solidified on a trip to Bali in August 2024: “I talked to this Tibetan monk who didn’t know I was a famous singer. He was like, ‘You worry too much about other people. You need to trust yourself. You need to tell yourself you are incredible, prioritize your ideas, and don’t let someone tell you they know what’s best for you more than you.’ After talking to him, I had this clarity; nothing could shake me anymore. [The public] can’t manipulate my feelings. You see somebody now who is very protective, but not guarded. I don’t not care; I just don’t carry.”
On radical self-love: “Me saying I love myself in 2016 was offensive to people…It’s radical to f*ck with yourself. I had to fight for that [to love myself]. And now I’m fighting again.”
On her transformative approach to shedding pounds, leaving room for the possibility of more shame-free physical change in the future: “Let me tell you this. It’s okay to release weight. It’s okay to gain weight after you’ve released weight, because what you’re not going to do is shame me if my body changes again and I get bigger.”
On not condemning use of GLP-1s, though she ultimately decided they weren’t for her: “If I did all of this on Ozempic, if I did all this with surgery, I would be just as proud of myself, because this sh*t is hard. Everyone who’s ever been in a bigger body knows that this sh*t ain’t easy. Existing isn’t easy.”
On always seeing herself as beautiful, no matter how her body evolves: “I like how I look now. I still think I’m big. I’m definitely in the ‘two-something to do something’ crew. I’m still wearing plus-size clothing. I have the same rolls. I got the same belly, the same thighs—I think I’m just a smaller version. Body positivity has nothing to do with staying the same. Body positivity is the radical act of daring to exist loudly and proudly in a society that told you you shouldn’t exist.”
On how the upcoming Love in Real Life—which is about cherishing human connection and the work it takes to find happiness—will be her most vulnerable album yet: “On all my past albums, I’m at the destination—like, I walked my fine ass out the door, and I feel good as hell. But nobody knows how I got there…I let you in on the process…We’re at such a turning point for human existence that if someone doesn’t show young people the way to connect, to crave human connection and seek it, it could be a lost practice…It’s about finding yourself again.”
On being ready to embrace whatever may come next: “There’s a part of me that could easily be exploited and taken advantage of that has been broken off. I don’t miss it. I’m proud of the person I’ve become. I feel like I’ve turned everything I’ve been through into growth.”
The Summer 2025 issue of Women’s Health—the Longevity Issue—hits newsstands nationwide on July 22.
[Photo Credit: Caleb & Gladys for Women’s Health Magazine]
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