Gayle Reveals How She Lost 7 Lbs to Fit Into Her Election Night Dress

From Oprah Magazine

• On October 24, Gayle took to Instagram to share a series of pictures weighing herself on a scale, showing an increase in 13 pounds throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

• Noting that her doctor said her ideal weight was 163 pounds, O's editor-at-large wrote in her caption that "the weight struggle is real!"

• A week later, on November 3, Gayle updated her followers with a new photo of her scale showing a seven pound weight less after she completed a "soup fast."

Despite online workouts and yoga apps, the fact that most businesses like gyms have been shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic have left many of us stuck at home all day in close proximity to all our favorite snacks—including Gayle.

"CRISIS!" O's editor-at-large wrote in an Instagram post on October 24 where she posted a series of pictures of her standing on a scale. "The weight struggle is real!" Starting at 159.2 pounds, the pictures show the weight slowly increasing as Gayle weighed in at 160.8, 165.6, and 167.6. The most recent picture showed the CBS This Morning co-host weighing in at 173, which she noted was "fatter than I’ve been in long time," adding that due to COVID-19, she was also "scared to get a pedicure (big sigh)."

Noting that the doctor estimated her ideal weight to be around 163 pounds, Gayle admitted that was "not happening anytime soon...blaming corona quarantine & Halloween candy corns I just bought!"

She concluded: "Make it stop!"

A week later, on November 3, Gayle updated her Instagram followers about her pandemic weight journey with a new picture of her scale. "Just completed a 5 day soup fast & the results are in!" she wrote in the caption. "Trying to get into a mustard yellow dress for [election] night coverage...praying to sweet black baby Jesus it now fits." The soup fast resulted in Gale weighing in at 165 pounds—a seven-pound weight loss and only two pounds away from her "ideal" weight per the doctor. Luckily, Gayle even fit into her dress ahead of her role in CBS's election night coverage.

After bravely opening up and showing pictures of the scale showing her weight fluctuation, many shared reassuring messages for Gayle in her comments. Ava DuVernay commented with supportive emojis "👊🏾👊🏾👊🏾," meanwhile Andy Cohen noted: "A. You have pretty feet. B. I’m in the same boat. Can’t stop eating ice cream." NBC's Sheinelle Jones wrote, "most relatable post of the day!!!! ❤️"

Many followers also wrote comments praising Gayle for sharing, noting that they have also put on some pounds during COVID-19. One supporter wrote: "Thank you for your honesty and vulnerability—we all can relate and we love your beautiful soul inside and out!" Another noted: "You have LOTS of company on this one. You are brave. I hid my scale!"

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Gayle has been openly sharing her journey as she adjusts to the new normal, including wearing face masks, going outside for walks, learning to prepare meals at home, and reuniting with Oprah after quarantining on opposite coasts.

During an April 2020 interview on The Talk, Gayle talked about how being single during the pandemic had made things feel "very, very daunting and actually very, very scary to me." But she also made a point to put things in perspective: "You know I sit here, knock on wood, healthy...It is still very sad for me, but people are dealing with a whole lot worse. And I don't minimize that whatsoever."

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