Lizzo Reveals How She Stays Healthy Without “Trying to Escape Fatness”

Lizzo is rallying behind a TikTok creator that doesn’t want to “escape fatness,” but would like to be considered healthy. The hitmaker turned to the platform earlier this week (May 15) to respond to the video and to address toxic diet culture.

The “Truth Hurts” artist clarified that she has no interest in being thin. However, Lizzo confessed that she does incorporate a robust fitness routine into her lifestyle to stay mentally and physically fit.

“Heavy on the not trying to escape fatness,” said Lizzo. “Heavy f—ing on it. I think a lot of people see a fat person that way and immediately just assume everything they’re doing is to be thin. I’m not trying to be thin. I don’t ever want to be thin. Will my body fluctuate from this size? Will I get a little smaller, depending on some of the choices I make, or a little bigger, depending on some of the choices I make in my life? Yes, I’m used to fluctuating.”

The powerhouse vocalist then pointed to her head, referring to her mental health. She stressed that her “goal” is always to move her body to benefit her mental state. Lizzo acknowledged that she’s okay with her body changing over time, as long as her mind is sharp.

“Once I started working out for mental health, to have balanced mental health for endorphins, so that I don’t look at myself in the mirror and feel ashamed of myself and feel disgusted with myself, exercise has helped me shift my mind — not my body,”

She continued, “Everything I eat, everything I do, every time I move my body, it’s all for this [mental health]. If this ain’t happy, none of this is happy.”

Although Lizzo prioritizes mental health, she did confess that her eating habits and workout routine have had a significant impact on her performance.

“I have a very high-performance job,” shared the singer. “For 90 minutes a night, I have to do choreography, I have to sing, I have to dance, I have to rap, and I have to play the flute. And I have to emote, and hype a crowd in very tight clothes, sometimes clothes where it restricts my breathing.”

Lizzo clarified that she never always took her physical health seriously, especially at the beginning of her career. As the four-time Grammy winner got more seasoned, she recognized the importance of working out daily.

“It’s fun. I love my job. It takes a lot of physical endurance to do what I do, and I used to be very rockstar lifestyle, used to throw myself around on the stage,” she admitted. “As I got more professional in my career, I started to take the physical part more seriously. I’ve always loved moving my body.”

Lizzo is a vocal advocate for body positivity. Most recently, the platinum-selling artist launched Yitty, an inclusive shapewear line. The purpose of the clothing brand is to make her fans of all sizes feel “Good as Hell.” Yitty is named after Lizzo’s childhood nickname.

Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for BET