Rebel Wilson has recently been in the news for undergoing a major weight loss transformation, but the changes she’s experienced are so much more than her physical appearance. Rebel Wilson has cemented herself as a radiant comedienne in Hollywood, taking something that was seen as a disadvantage (her weight) and turning it into a positive that ended up making her career. Here’s a closer look at her journey.
1. A cameo in Bridesmaids
In 2011, she appeared on Bridesmaids as Kristen Wiig’s problematic and boundary-crossing roommate with an infected tattoo. Interestingly enough, she was considered for Melissa McCarthy’s role, but ended up being so hilarious, that they created the roommate character specifically for her. That role skyrocketed her from small-time Australian comedian to full-on celebrity. She only earned $3,000 for this role. But hilariously enough, the actor who played her roommate in this movie was her roommate in real life for a few years!
2. Moving on up with Pitch Perfect
While the first Pitch Perfect only made Wilson $65,000, the success of it led her to make a whopping $2 million for the sequel, with a reported multi-million dollar bonus. To prove she had the skills to sing in this movie, she auditioned with the Lady Gaga song “Edge of Glory” and recreated the audition on an episode of Graham Norton.
3. Starting her fitness journey
In 2012, Rebel Wilson started her gig as a spokesperson for Jenny Craig in Australia. Her original goal was to lose 55 lbs, or 25 kg. Ultimately, she ended up losing just 20 lbs, but only because her contract with the Pitch Perfect franchise dictated that she couldn’t lose any more than that. Fortunately, this would only be the beginning of Rebel’s journey towards weight loss and health improvement.
4. A changed mentality
In the beginning of her career, she actually gained more weight intentionally because she thought it would make her funnier. But throughout the years as she reached new levels of success, she completely changed her perspective and revealed in the summer of 2020 that she would be starting a journey to lose weight instead. She changed her mentality to one of perseverance. Tabloids all over broke news of Wilson’s “Health Year” mission, where she would try to reach her goal weight of 75 kg. Perhaps this goal was set due to her inability to succeed with Jenny Craig back in 2012.
5. Getting serious with a trainer
Her personal trainer Gunnar Peterson only has kind words to say about the star and her dedication to her workout routine, which consists of a range of strength work with dynamic intervals between different activities. Think grueling sled work, rope work, and focus mitts. Her trainer has said she’s “crushing” the assignments that he’s been giving her.
6. The wellness center that changed it all
Wilson’s weight loss experience and life transformation really happened in 2019, she attended VivaMayr wellness center in Austria. With more financial resources than her Bridesmaids days, she was able to experiment with methods beyond the DIY fads and diets of her past. Rebel had great results after following their diet plan, and in the beginning of 2020, she re-attended the center to “boost my immune system and lose my last 2 kilos” according to People magazine. The diet consists of whole foods with a high alkaline content, such as fresh seafood and dairy products from sheep rather than cows.
7. Losing weight but staying body positive
In 2021, she wrote an inspiring caption to her IG followers that we wholeheartedly agree with: “Rather than step on the scale, look at yourself in the mirror and be like ‘dammmm girrrrrl …you’re smart and talented and accomplished and perfect just the way you are.’ 😘.”
Ultimately, Rebel revealed that even though she had a goal weight, the experience wasn’t about the number. It was about changing unhealthy behaviors to healthy ones.
8. Coming to terms with her past
Wilson has always had a self-admitted sweet tooth and love for desserts, but today, she identifies that past behavior as emotional eating. Wilson said that she was dealing with the stress of becoming famous worldwide, and told People that “I guess my way of dealing with it was just eating doughnuts.” Today, she’s learned that her self-worth and value are so much more than that, but recognizing these past, problematic issues was key in her Year of Health.
9. Balance rather than all-or-nothing
Some people are extremely strict in their diets, but Wilson is all about moderation and balance rather than completely cutting things out. A lot of nutritionists and health professionals agree with this mentality. She’s used In-N-Out Burger as an example, saying that she’ll still go, but has cut her order in half. After all, that “forbidden fruit” mentality just makes you want it more!
For Rebel, her journey is ever-evolving, and doesn’t stop with a specific weight loss goal. Instead, she’s all about taking every day to be the best version of herself, always keeping an eye on improvement and constant transformation.
