Sheryl Underwood is celebrating a 90-lb. weight loss as The Talk premieres its 13th season on CBS. The longtime co-host, 58, revealed to PEOPLE in a new interview that she’s been on a wellness journey over the past year and a half that’s kept her from needing to undergo gastric bypass surgery.
Underwood remembers getting a wake-up call from her doctor when she was between 230 lbs. and 250 lbs. “My lab work: diabetic, pre-diabetic, hypertension, all the things that you hear, especially with women,” she recalled. “I really wanted to get ahead of it.” Through tears, Underwood revealed she was even secretly researching weight loss surgery before one of her doctors recommended one last non-surgical option โ an injection called Wegovy that helped suppress the Emmy winner’s appetite and jump-started her weight loss.
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From there, Underwood also began making lifestyle changes, from getting more sleep to drinking more water and changing her diet. “I’m eating fruit and vegetables that I never thought: green, leafy. I’m getting into eating blueberries and eating strawberries, and also getting more fiber in my diet with fiber supplements,” she shared. Getting moving was another important component.
“You want to move around,” the actress explained. “But unfortunately, I’m in a career where you drive to work, you sit down and get your hair and makeup on. Sometimes I just get up and walk around, or I try to talk on the phone and walk around, or I’ll do something while sitting in bed โ I may do a little exercise, little stretching and things. I love the stationary bike because then I can listen to my music and be on the bike.”
Through all these changes, Underwood said she’s dropped four dress sizes already, and she has a goal set to lose another 25 lbs. In the meantime, the weight loss is definitely impacting her health. “I feel amazing when I look at the lab work: normal, normal, normal, work on this,” said the star, who hopes she will be able to stop taking blood pressure medication in the future. “And then I’ll call my doctors: ‘What do I need to work on?’” One of the biggest milestones on The Talk this year will be celebrating her birthday episode in a special new way. “I’ve never worn a dress!” Underwood revealed.