Gabourey Sidibe Undergoes Weight Loss Surgery
“Empire” star Gabourey Sidibe slimmed down since she had laparoscopic bariatric surgery in May. The actress, who rose to fame in the 2009 film “Precious,” documented her weight loss journey in her memoir, “The Is Just My Face: Try Not To Stare.” The book is due on stands in May.
The 33-year-old shared exclusive clips of the memoir with People Magazine Tuesday, though she would not reveal how much weight she lost since the procedure. “I have a goal right now, and I’m almost there,” she wrote in her memoir. “And then once I’ve got it, I’ll set another. But my starting weight and my goal weight, they’re personal. If too many people are involved, I’ll shut down.”
Sidibe tried to shed weight naturally for more than a decade. But when was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, Sidibe knew she had to make a serious decision about her health. “I just didn’t want to worry,” the actress told People Magazine Tuesday. “I truly didn’t want to worry about all the effects that go along with diabetes. I genuinely [would] worry all the time about losing my toes.”
A post shared by Gabby Sidibe __ (@gabby3shabby) on Mar 8, 2017 at 1:39pm PST
After the procedure, Sidibe sought out the help of a nutritionist and trainer. “The surgery wasn’t the easy way out,” she said in her memoir. “I wasn’t cheating by getting it done. I wouldn’t have been able to lose as much as I’ve lost without it.”
The Oscar-nominated star emphasized her decision to get weight loss surgery was more about health than vanity. “It has taken me years to realize that what I was born with is all beautiful,” she wrote in her book. “I did not get this surgery to be beautiful. I did it so I can walk around comfortably in heels. I want to do a cartwheel. I want not to be in pain every time I walk up a flight of stairs.”
The size of her clothing does not define her. “There’s nothing ugly about me. Anyone trying to convince me that I am — and it’s usually me — is wasting her time,” she said. “I was in a war with my body for a long time. If I’d started treating it better sooner, I wouldn’t have spent so many years hating myself. But I love my body now.”
And she certainly wants to keep her curves. “I know I’m beautiful in my current face and my current body. What I don’t know about is the next body,” she wrote about her current figure. “I admit it, I hope to God I don’t get skinny. If I could lose enough to just be a little chubby, I’ll be over the moon! Will I still be beautiful then? S---. Probably. My beauty doesn’t come from a mirror. It never will.”
"Empire" star Gabourey Sidibe secretly had laparoscopic bariatric surgery to lose weight after she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. She is pictured Feb. 11, 2017 in Pasadena, California. Photo: Getty Images
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