For much of his life, Chaz Bono has walked a journey of transformation. The son of Cher and Sonny Bono, 54-year-old Chaz underwent female to male gender transition from 2008 to 2010. He also wanted to adjust his weight, seeking to get skinnier not for looks but for health.
So began a long and remarkable weight loss journey, starting around Chaz’s time on Dancing with the Stars and resulting in Chaz losing 50 pounds and then, after a bit more careful hard work, an additional 30 pounds.
Chaz Bono’s starting point for his weight loss journey began around the time of ‘DWTS’
In September 2011, Chaz became a competitor on DWTS, paired alongside professional ballroom dancer Lacey Schwimmer for the program’s 13th season. In Touch Weekly notes that, unlike most competitors, Chaz stayed around his usual weight without losing much from the demanding training.
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However, in November 2012, Chaz’s scale read around 250 pounds, and it was then that he vowed to lose weight. Initially, his goal was a 50-pound loss. Soon, he moved the goal post to 80 pounds and got to work, focusing on changing his way of eating to get to where he wanted.
These days, he still sticks with a diet abundant in vegetables and meat.
Chaz Bono reflects on what worked and what didn’t work for him
For Chaz, it wasn’t about restricting the amount on his plate; it was more about what he put on it. “I’ve just changed the way I eat,” he explained. “Diets don’t work. You just have to change what you eat, and I have.” By May 2013, Chaz made it to 190 pounds and was ready to keep on going.
“I cook a lot of different stuff,” he went on. “I really avoid grains and starches, so meats and vegetables and fruits are my diet. I make them all different ways to keep it interesting.”
But Chaz has also incorporated some very physical activities into his routine. For instance, “I still enjoy dancing. I still take classes.” But he also thoroughly enjoys martial arts.
Chaz has crossed his weight loss journey goal and then some and achieved the desired health benefits, but perhaps one of the biggest prizes was the boost to his self-esteem.
“I just have a lot more confidence and that feels really cool,” said Chaz, adding, “I really like what I see in the mirror.” In fact, Chaz is ready to retrace his old stomping ground, sharing, “I’d love to do ‘Dancing [with the Stars]’ all over again. I’d do it so much better now than I did then!”
