It’s that time of year when people are trying to lose weight and make up for all the debauchery of the holidays. We’ve heard from so many celebrities who are promoting various paid diet programs, “detoxes,” and sponsored weight loss products. It’s nice to hear from someone who just wants to lose weight and doesn’t have an agenda – yet. Hoda Kotb of The Today Show, 52, revealed on Instagram that she weighs 152 pounds and wants to lose weight in the new year. She later said on the Today Show that she’s eating more than she realizes due to mindless snacking.
Here’s what she said on Today. E! has a brief clip of this too which you can see on their site:
Kotb also shared her weight gain shocker on the Today show.
“So you know when you have a good night ’cause you don’t eat much ’cause you’re in front of your boyfriend and then you get up in the morning and you work out and you’re like, ‘Yes, yes, yes’?” she said. “I got on the scale and I took a picture of it and I weigh, I weight, I’m just gonna say it…152.”
“And I was so ticked. You know when you look at something and you go, ‘What happened?'” she added.
Kotb said Today show nutritionist Joy Bauer told her to start putting snacks inside of a plastic bag every time she moves to eat them. Kotb then took out a Ziploc plastic bag containing Life Savers mints and red grapes.
“This is in between meals,” she said. “You don’t realize how much grazing and eating weird things that you’re doing and I was counting things and she said, ‘Well how many of those do you eat?’ And I said, ‘Usually a handful.’ So I threw a handful in. So all day long, I was supposed to put everything in between meals in this bag.”
I really like that idea to put what you would eat into a bag! I just enter everything into an app, but that would work too. Other people write it down in a notepad. There’s this show in England on Channel 4 called Secret Eaters which had a US version that never caught on here. (It’s available on demand but only to UK residents.) I’ve seen a few episodes and it’s absolutely fascinating to see people say that they don’t eat much, that they eat “healthy,” and then observe how much they really do eat. They know there are cameras throughout their house and yet many people sit and snack in front of the TV constantly. Some add excessive butter and oil to dishes and don’t realize how fattening that is. That show helped me understand mindless eating and how I underestimated it.
Hoda is 5’9″ tall and a weight of 152 pounds puts her BMI at 22.4, which is right in the middle of the healthy range. I understand why she would want to lose weight in her profession, but she is by no means overweight nor does she need to lose weight by objective measures. She looks very fit.
As you get older your calorie requirements do decrease and it’s easier to gain weight. My mom is on MyFitnessPal with me and I see what she eats every day, which is much less than I do frankly. She gets a lower calorie limit because she’s in her 70s and can’t exercise due to plantar fasciitis. (She just had the injection treatments, I hope that works for her.) My dad is also on MyFitnessPal with us, he’s eating more than my mom and losing weight faster because he’s a man and their TDEEs are higher. It sucks but that’s the way it works.
Looking at these pictures of Hoda fills me with joy. She just looks so thrilled all the time! I just got a great idea for another new year’s resolution – smile more.
photos credit: WENN, FameFlynet and Getty
While I do find the idea with the bag great, to act all shocked at this number on the scale doesn’t seem healthy. It’s a good weight for a woman of her age and height – actually, it’s a good weight, full stop.
That is a healthy weight 😒 ughhh
It is a healthy weight, but she’s on tv, there are pressures, and she knows what she wants for her body. I doubt she wants to be 120, probably she has a “number” that she likes to be at. I don’t see her wasting away to nothing anytime soon. She drinks far too much wine for that to happen! 🙂
yes, but it muddles the message. She could have said that she gained some weight over the holidays – without naming the number. But now she basically told many women with normal weight, but ( maybe) some self-esteem issues that they are fat.
This seems like a good thing, to not be ashamed of a number on a scale, but since everyone has a different body type, this could actually cause more problems.
I’m 5’10 and when I weighed 150 people thought I was too thin. If I had issues, I could read a story like this and start to think that I was overweight.
Women are just never going to win when it comes to weight and the media. The number on the scale and your dress size is 100% individualized based on so many factors.
YES. I understand wanting to be healthier – but it seem so out of touch for Hoda to act like her weight is a BIG REVEAL and a BIG DEAL. She is smackdab in the middle of the healthy range for her height (128-168lbs).
Her weight is totally fine for someone so tall. If she said she wanted to lose inches or tone up, then I’d get it. The number on the scale means nothing for a lot of people out there. People always think I’m 10-15 pounds less than what I look because how I carry “extra” weight, it’s more evenly distributed than all in one place. People (or should I say women) focus too much on that number when they really shouldn’t.
I’m 5′ 1″ and can gain by eating 1700 calories a day. Moderate exercise. 65 years old
The bag thing does work well, when you do it. Like, I love snacking on chips and cheese poofs etc, and if not careful, will eat the whole bag! Sometimes I will split the bag into individual serving sizes, but I am also often too lazy to do that. So I generally don’t buy those snacks.
Global obesity problem, but god forbid someone says they want to watch their weight.
I hear what you’re saying, but I think you’re kind of missing the point in this particular situation. This woman does not have an obesity problem. She’s not even clinically overweight. She is smack-dab in the middle of the healthy range for her height.
Trying to intertwine this with the ongoing debate over body positivity, etc. (which, from your comment, I’m assuming you are not a proponent of) doesn’t work… This is someone who IS healthy, who SHOULD be body-positive, but instead feels that she needs to lose more, most likely due to societal pressure to be smaller. And while I can give her grace because of her profession, it’s super tone-deaf to post the actual number in the context that there’s something wrong with weighing 152. What kind of message is that sending to the women who follow her, who also have healthy weights? Not. Good. Enough.
Not. Your. Decision.
I’m slim, but when I gain weight it goes on my stomach. I call it my jelly belly. If I say anything about wanting to lose the band of fat around my waist, everyone feels entitled to tell me I’m skinny, obsessed etc. I want to lose it for me, because I don’t like it. But according to your logic, a decision like that reflects societal pressure? Okay…
I agree with Slushee. It’s her body and if she’s not happy with her weight, she has the right to do something to change it. Maybe that’s NOT a healthy weight for her. I’m 5’6″ & have a very small frame. As soon as my weight hits 125, I have a constant nagging back ache, so despite being in a “healthy” range, it’s too much for me to be happy and healthy.
152 is a healthy weight, but she works on TV and that may factor into her “lose some pounds” attitude. I really like her. She looks like my mom, so I’m definitely biased, plus it’s great to see fellow North Africans on TV.
I think it’s probably the TV thing – it would make sense. Everyone is so ridiculously tiny in the entertainment business. There’s very few “normal” sized people, it seems.
There’s something about Hoda that I love. I don’t even watch her show or anything, but I’ve seen clips here and there. She seems to genuinely enjoy herself, and it’s nice to see that. Her smile is infectious.
Christmas is SUCH a snacky time too. We must have eaten our own body weight in M&S party food over the holidays. Damned delicious pop ’em in the oven deliciousness.
I love her! Instead of hearing about Megyn Kelly taking over for Savannah Guthrie, I’d rather eventually see Hoda take over (not that I’m one for pushing Savannah out or anything)…I just think Hoda appears to be way more down to earth and is someone I could relate to in real life. I wish I could stay home from work and watch her show every day! BTW, she looks great as she is, but I understand the dilemma.
TV is such a weird world. That is a perfectly healthy weight.
I’m 5’9″ and big boned (yes it’s a thing! Structurally large is a thing). And I can carry up to 200lb and still look and feel healthy. Going over 200 is where I start to look flabby and feel gross.
I weighed 160 in high school and people were honestly concerned that I was starving myself.
Every body is different. She is probably a petite build. But still, not sure I love the message that being 5’9″ and weighing in the 150s is a problem.
Agreed. For what it’s worth I used to work with a former dietician/nutritionist to the stars. She said every.single.celebrity she worked with never matched up with their height claims. She humorously said if a famous female says she’s 5’7″ that means 5’4″ and if a man says he’s 5’10” that means he’s 5’6″. Lol. She also said they are all notoriously small boned and very small frames.
Oh and frighteningly skinny in person. Lol. The camera really does add ten pounds. Or more.
Yes. I’m 5’10 and about 175-180 and I wear a size 6/8. It’s about your frame and muscle mass. I try to go by what my clothes feel like and how I feel. I’m also skeptical of BMI because technically I’m borderline obese… and I’m definitely not.
I love Hoda! In a sea of fake obnoxious tv people she’s the real deal. That’s all I have.
Our obsession with weight goes significantly beyond ‘health’.
Hoda is being honest about how she feels about her perfectly healthy and normal weighted body. She wants to be closer to the perfect that we promote, which is either a size two, or a size two waist with big booty and boobs.
has your mom tried the graston technique for her feet? i obviously don’t know her feelings on chiropractic care but it was extremely effective in treating my plantar fasciitis and in 4 years i have never had another flare up. the treatment itself can be painful but i can’t express how amazed i was at the results.
my dad also suffered from PF for like – 7 or 8 years. he eventually had to have knee surgery because the way he walked/moved to overcompensate for the foot pain tore his meniscus. he tried the graston technique after i had it and he got 90% relief in like 5 weeks. i can’t recommend it enough. their website allows you to look up a provider by zip code for chiropractors or physical therapists who are certified to do it.
I’m so glad I happened to hop onto this thread this morning! I had surgery last summer to remove the os trigonum bone in my heel after years of running. It seemed to go well and I was pain free for several months but now I have what I *think* is either scar tissue buildup or PF. I have an appointment with an orthopedic doc at the end of the month but I’m absolutely miserable and can’t exercise and have gained 15 lbs over the last 6-8 months. Now I am reading up on the graston technique and will ask the doctor about it when I go!
I love CB 🙂
Thank you Lizzie I haven’t heard of the Graston technique but I will ask her and we will look it up if she doesn’t know about it. She did do physical therapy for a while but it didn’t end up working for her. That’s really interesting about your dad! My mom had a knee replacement and after that she got the PF. They must be related and we will look into this. Lindy I hope you get some relief from this and answers from the doctor. Take care of yourself and feel better!
Thank you so very much for putting this information into this thread. I visited the website, and sent info to the Mr. at work, he surely could benefit. Thanks again!
Call your gal Oprah….I’m sure she has a plan idea you can follow to add more coins to her wallet!
Pffft.
I LOVE Hoda!!! I just want to be friends with her. I live in NYC and have considered stalking her and asking her to get drinks with me but then I talk myself down cause, you know, I don’t want to be a stalker etc.
Hm.
I’m 5’8″ & was 169 this morning. I’m also a 34 DD & a size 10- when I was 150 & a size 6/8 I could see bones in my chest, my ass vanished, & it grossed me out.
Different strokes.
It’s funny how people’s bodies are different. I’m 5’7″ and 154, the heaviest I’ve ever been since some thyroid stuff. Size 10, 32G (sigh). Since I’m an “apple” shape, I look dumpy because I carry my weight in my front. My thyroid was too high for a while and I was down to 130 pounds and a size 4 in pants! Crazy.
There’s nothing wrong with preferring to be on the lower end of the healthy weight range. Many people who are in the middle to high end of the healthy BMI range are actually overweight by body fat percentage anyway. At the highest weight I’ve ever let myself get to, my BMI was 22.67 and I looked chubby and decided to nip it in the bud before things got worse. I was carrying a lot of extra fat in my thighs and some in my waist. At a BMI between 18.5-19 I feel and look great. Unless you have significant muscle mass, to have a healthy body fat percentage you should probably be at the lower end of BMI range.
Plantar fasciitis is the WORST. The cure for me was 4-5 sessions with an Airrosti doctor (incredibly painful but it worked), wearing Teva mush flip flops 24/7 (no walking ever without shoes), and rolling out my foot with a frozen water bottle. Healing is possible but it can be challenging to find the right combination of approaches – hope your mom is able to find hers!
Thanks for letting me know what worked for you Rachel. Glad you were able to find relief!