Mama June Shannon’s total body transformation has come with some major challenges.
Ahead of the season two premiere of Mama June: From Not to Hot, Shannon shared that she dropped from 460 pounds to 160 at her thinnest. The 38-year-old reality personality has largely maintained her 300-pound weight loss since she began her journey in mid-2016, but she confessed that the holidays led to some extra indulgences.
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She told Entertainment Tonight her current weight is around 170 pounds.
“The holidays do it!” the mom of four said of her minor weight gain. “I’ve been very good, it’s over a year and a half. If you say gaining 10 pounds in a year and a half is bad, then it is what it is.”
Shannon said she’s been sticking to her diet and fitness regimen, but “medical stuff” has been a tough setback in her journey.
“I’ve been through hell and back the last few months. I’ve been through a lot within the last year. I don’t wanna give away too much, but it’s been crazy,” she teased, adding that fans will watch some of her struggles unfold in the upcoming season. “There have been some crazy ones, anywhere from being in a hospital a ton of times. It’s just crazy.”
Shannon’s daughter Alana Thompson, better known as Honey Boo Boo, said that critics’ mean comments have contributed to her mom’s decline in self-confidence, which may have led to her weight gain and health issues.
“Since she’s smaller, she’s gotten more hate,” Thompson admitted. “Everyone’s like, ‘Oh, she’s going to gain the weight back,’ or, ‘She’s not going to stick to what the doctor says, it’ll all just come back on her.’ She’s gotten a lot more hate than when she was bigger. Everybody is gonna have something to say.”
Despite the haters, Shannon said she and the family continue to allow cameras to document their journey to show off their real dynamic, complete with both challenges and triumphs.
“Honestly, our fans are awesome,” she explains. “And a lot of fans relate to what we’re going through. I have to say, we’re probably the realest reality stars. We’re non-scripted. Whatever happens, happens.”
Mama June: From Not to Hot returns for season two on January 12 at 9 p.m. ET on WE tv.
