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Image Source: Getty / Dimitrios Kambouris / MTV / Paramount Global Unfortunately, we still live in a world where criticism of fatness is pervasive. After years of navigating unsolicited commentary about her body, though, Lizzo is making one point abundantly clear: she has no intention of being thin. On May 15, Lizzo stitched a video from TikTok creator @tiffriahgrande, who set out in search of fellow fat folks who are working out for their health rather than to lose weight. “Heavy on the not trying to escape fatness. Heavy. F*cking. On it,” Lizzo says.
Since going vegan in 2020 and switching up her workout routine, the singer has experienced some weight loss. This has prompted internet trolls to question whether she’s trying to shed the fat label that she and so many of her fans identify with. For Lizzo, who has always been vocal about uplifting bodies of all sizes, these accusations couldn’t be further from the truth. “I think a lot of people see a fat person that way and immediately just assume everything they’re doing is to be thin,” she says. “I’m not trying to be thin. I don’t ever want to be thin.”
“My body is going to change. Everyone’s bodies change. That’s life. That’s what the human existence is, human experience is.”
For the Grammy winner, exercise is not about losing weight. Rather, she says, it’s a means of preparing her body and mind for what often goes unrecognized as a physically demanding career. “I have a very high-performance job,” she tells fans in the video. “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 [that] restrict my breathing.”
Lizzo says she loves her job, but she also points out that it “takes a lot of physical endurance to do what I do.” Attempting to run across the stage, belt out note after note of her vocally demanding discography, and deliver flawless choreography without working out would be like running a marathon with no practice. She also enjoys exercise and sees the practice as a way to holistically care for her body and mind. “I’ve always loved moving my body; I’ve always loved working out,” she says.
@lizzo #stitch with @𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐲🫧
While Lizzo acknowledges that her body may fluctuate in size over time, she clarifies that the only changes she concerns herself with are maintaining balanced mental and emotional well-being. “Exercise has helped me shift my mind, not my body,” she says, pointing out that increased endorphins have helped boost her self-esteem.
“My body is going to change,” she continues. “Everyone’s bodies change. That’s life. That’s what the human existence is, human experience is.” She adds that physical changes are natural, and accepting that change is inevitable is what’s most crucial. “Everything I eat, everything I do, every time I move my body, it’s all for this,” she says, pointing to her head. “‘Cause if this ain’t happy, none of this is happy.”