Kim Kardashian's 'Strict' Diet That Helped Her Lose 16 Pounds In 3 Weeks

The world is still talking about the controversial moment Kim Kardashian walked the May 2022 Met Gala red carpet in Marilyn Monroe‘s iconic Jean Louis-designed gold glittering dress – the one she wore to sing “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” to then-President John F. Kennedy in – almost a year and a half after it happened. And in the 43-year-old Kardashians star’s eyes, we guess that’s a win!

However, the mom-of-four walking the red carpet in the late Hollywood icon’s dress was met with a lot of controversy. Many Monroe fans didn’t think that Kim – or anyone – should wear the dress, as it was made specifically for the Gentlemen Prefer Blondes star, and reportedly came with instructions that no one else should be allowed to wear it. Kim borrowed the dress from the Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum, and only wore it on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a few minutes, before carefully changing into a replica just a few minutes later. And while the replica fit Kim’s body perfectly, the original didn’t, which led to Kim frantically (and again, controversially) rushing to lose weight to fit into it. Following the Met Gala, Kim confessed she lost 16 lbs in just three weeks for her red carpet moment, but how did she do it? Let’s discover what she has said about her Met Gala diet in the past…

What Did Kim Kardashian Say About Losing Weight To Fit Into Marilyn Monroe's Dress?

As the dress was such an iconic piece of fashion history that was going to be returned to the museum the second Kim took it off, it couldn't be altered, which meant that Kim had to alter *herself* to fit into it! The Skims founder opened up about having to lose 16 lbs in just three weeks to be red-carpet ready; and the fact that she knew she would only be wearing the original design for a few minutes didn't actually bother her!

Speaking about having to lose weight to fit into the late Hollywood icon's dress, Kim previously said: "I always thought [Marilyn Monroe] was extremely curvy. I imagined I might be smaller in some places where she was bigger and bigger in places where she was smaller. So when it didn't fit me I wanted to cry because it can't be altered at all."

"I knew I had to lose at least ten pounds for it to even go up on me," Kim explained in a Kardashians episode, before likening the challenge to an actor preparing for a movie role. "This is exhausting, but it feels like a movie role. How an actor will lose weight for roles – this feels like my role is Marilyn Monroe. I am determined."

What Did Kim Kardashian Do To Lose 16 Lbs In 3 Weeks?

The Skkn by Kim founder went into detail about some of the things she did to help her lose 16 lbs in such a short space of time. "I would wear a sauna suit twice a day, run on the treadmill, completely cut out all sugar and all carbs, and just eat the cleanest veggies and protein," she confessed, adding, "I didn't starve myself, but I was so strict."

After losing 16 lbs in three weeks, Kim was able to finally fit into Marilyn's dress. However, it still wasn't a perfect fit, as the zip reportedly couldn't zip up all the way, hence why Kim had to cover up with a white jacket.

What Do The Experts Say About Kim Kardashian's Met Gala Diet?

Losing that amount of weight in such a short space of time obviously comes with its risks. Even though Kim said that she didn't starve herself, she did confess that she had to follow a very strict diet and lifestyle routine, which a few health experts have condemned.

Kim's diet is "definitely not a safe way to lose weight," Jonathan Valdez, RDN, the owner of Genki Nutrition and spokesperson for New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics reportedly told Women's Health. Valdez explained that losing so much weight so quickly can be hard on the body, saying: "Rapid weight loss risks include electrolyte imbalances, gallstones, gout, fatigue, constipation, diarrhea, and nausea."

FitOn trainer Bree Mitchell, CPT also told the pub that Kim's diet is extremely unrealistic and unsustainable. "I certainly don't think it's a long-term solution," Mitchell said, before saying that losing weight through an extreme diet, such as Kim's, actually means the weight will come back even faster. We guess the quicker you lose it, the quicker you can gain it back! "When you go that far in one direction, that's where that rebounds on the other side," Mitchell said, adding that any water weight loss will also come back as soon as you start drinking more water again. "Your body's always going to find a way to get what it needs."

Speaking about more dangers of the diet, Mitchell also said that levels of stress and cortisol will likely go up when embarking on a diet like this, which means the body won't be able to absorb all the valuable nutrients from meals. Mitchell said that a diet like Kim's Met Gala diet can also have negative effects on the metabolism and even lead to muscle loss, saying, "We work hard for our muscles," and "you really do risk losing muscle after that type of extreme weight loss."