Missy Elliott: The Story Behind Her Dramatic Weight Loss

Missy Elliott will receive the Video Vanguard Award at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards Monday night and is performing at the Prudential Center in New Jersey during the show. The performance will give the music legend the opportunity show off her dramatic weight loss, which she recently credited to going four months without soda and bread.

Back in May, the “Get Ur Freak On” rapper posted a photo on Instagram to show off her new look while wearing an outfit from Versace’s Vogue print collection.

“Proudly to say it’s been 4 months I have only drank water no other juices or soda & I cut out bread & Lord knows that’s been the hardest for me,” the 48-year-old wrote. “See I’ve NEVER been a water drinker but this have helped my skin [raised hands] it really restore glow back & I don’t feel sluggish.”

Elliott continued, “NOW the other thing if I can only cut out JUNK FOOD… s– that’s my weakness. [Facts] But if I can give up those other things I’ll fight that to! Maybe two cupcakes a month.”

Back in 2011, Elliott told PEOPLE she was living with Graves’ Disease, an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid. She was first diagnosed with the illness in 2008 and had an effect on her motor skills. Some of the symptoms she dealt with include dizzy spells, mood swings, hair loss, lumps in her throat and a fast heart rate.

After she was treated for the disease, Elliott told PEOPLE she was “feeling great” and was “managing the condition through diet and exercise.”

The Video Vanguard Award is just the latest honor for Elliott this year. Back in May, she received an honorary degree from Berklee College of Music in Boston. She also became the first female hip-hop artist inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

During her speech to graduating Berklee students, Elliott told them it is never too late to accomplish your dream.

“As long as you are breathing, it is never too late. Because people will tell you you’re too old, people will tell you it’ll never work.” she said, reports The Root. “You have come too far to quit.”

In another interview with Marie Claire, Elliott said she hopes to be just as influential to a younger generation as her influences were to her.

“Mary [J. Blige], Faith [Evans], Puff [Sean Combs], all of them taught me so many things. I want to be that person that people say, ‘Hey, Missy said she did it like this,’” Elliott said. “If a billionaire told me they read 400 books to become a billionaire, I’m going, ‘Where is the Barnes & Noble at? Let me get 400 books.’ And just giving wisdom, because that blessing don’t come for you, like my grandma said, to keep it for yourself. It is to share. And hopefully I have done that. I do want to make the generation behind feel like, don’t be afraid, because we are in a time where so many people can be artists.”

Elliott has won seven MTV VMAs out of 41 nominations. In 2003, “Work It” won Video of the Year.

The MTV VMAs kick off at 8 p.m. ET on MTV.

Photo credit: Erika Goldring/Getty Images