Kelly Clarkson Reveals Diagnosis That Prompted Her Weight Loss

Kelly Clarkson is opening up about the decision to change her lifestyle after being diagnosed as pre-diabetic a couple of years ago. The 41-year-old host and singer shared her diagnosis during Monday’s episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, responding with a story about her own health journey after guest Kevin James told her that she was looking great.

“Well, I was told I was pre-diabetic,” Clarkson said, laughing. “That’s literally what happened… and well, I wasn’t shocked. I was a tiny bit overweight.” She continued, “But I wasn’t shocked by it. They were like, ‘You’re pre-diabetic. You’re right on the borderline.’ And I was like, ‘But I’m not there yet.’ And then I waited two years and then I was like OK, I’ll do something about it.”

Clarkson previously opened up about her weight loss to PEOPLE earlier this month, saying that life on the go in New York as a single mom to daughter River Rose, 9, and son Remington Alexander, 7, has also helped her drop some pounds. “We go walk the dogs a few times at the park. We’ll go for ice cream because my daughter will wear me down. We’ll go make slime and we go to the museum,” she told the outlet at the time, calling walking in the city “quite the workout.” Clarkson continued of her latest health inspirations, “And I’m really into infrared saunas right now. And I just got a cold plunge because everybody wore me down.”

When it comes to how she eats, the American Idol winner explained she eats a “healthy mix,” adding, “I dropped weight because I’ve been listening to my doctor – a couple years I didn’t. And 90% of the time I’m really good at it because a protein diet is good for me anyway.” She joked at the time, “I’m a Texas girl, so I like meat – sorry, vegetarians in the world!”

In 2018, Clarkson shared that after researching “this autoimmune disease” that she had as well as a “thyroid issue,” she began to eat “non-GMO, no pesticides” food that was “really organic,” which helped her drop weight and get off the medication she had been taking. She added at the time to Extra, “I’m not working out! I think people think I’m working out and I’m like, ‘Don’t think I’m going to come play some sport!’ … Literally, I haven’t worked out at all!”