From Overweight Comedian to Size 4 Comedian (and Weight Loss Coach)

How I Lost 90 Pounds and Found My Mission

Fact checked by Nick BlackmerFact checked by Nick Blackmer

Meet the Author

Holly Logan is a stand-up comedian and actor. She is also a weight loss life coach certified in personal training and nutritional coaching.

One night when I came offstage after my stand-up set, someone sent me a picture of myself they took during the show. I managed a smile, but inside I was mortified. How did this happen? At 200 plus pounds, I felt huge.

In one year, I turned it around, going from 233 pounds to 143 pounds—a 90-pound weight loss. I did it with a weight loss procedure, a mindset overhaul, balanced eating, an intensive physical fitness program, therapy, and support.

I’m still performing, but I’ve become a certified personal trainer, certified nutrition coach, and weight loss life coach. While my journey may not be your journey—we are all unique—I hope it inspires you. Weight loss is not a cookie-cutter process, especially when you can’t have the cookies so often anymore.

"While my journey may not be your journey—we are all unique—I hope it inspires you. Weight loss is not a cookie-cutter process, especially when you can’t have cookies so often anymore."

Choosing My Weight Loss Path

When I moved to Los Angeles and did stand-up and acting in films and commercials, my weight yo-yoed from heavy to heavier. I was usually cast as the jolly, bubbly girl. My comedy was about my weight. My relationships were about my weight. It was all about my weight.

The turning point came when I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2021, and the doctor put me on steroids. My weight ballooned. A few months later, another doctor assured me I did not have, and had never had, Crohn’s. I was 47; 5 feet, 5 inches tall; 233 pounds, and the extra weight wouldn’t come off.

I had frequent migraines, was depressed, and my self-esteem was in the basement. I was a closet binger who’d eat normally around friends but spent close to $2,000 in a year on secret food deliveries.

My physical and mental health were shot, and I wanted to get the weight off, finally and forever. I looked into the gastric balloon, which reduces stomach capacity but only stays in for six months. It sounded great until I heard the price tag of $20,000 was not covered by insurance. That was a no for me.

The doctor had another idea: endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty. Instead of an incision, they go in through your esophagus and suture off part of your stomach, making it 70% smaller. The clincher was that I was a candidate for a clinical study. If accepted, there would be no cost.

We set a goal. I wanted to reach 165 pounds, which was ambitious for a gastroplasty but not out of the question.

How My Body Responded to My Weight Loss Procedure

I had my procedure on January 4, 2023, and was off on my journey to a healthier me. I started with a diet of liquid and pureed food for 15 days. It went so well that I stayed on the liquids a bit longer (with my doctor’s approval).

I reached 165 pounds that summer but wasn’t ready to stop. I was eating well, working out, building muscle, and my body felt like it was going to do what it was going to do. My doctor said as long as I was healthy and not fatigued, I could keep going. I reached 143 pounds on January 9, 2024, and plan to stay there.

You Still Have to Do the Work

It’s important to look at bariatric procedures or weight loss medications as a tool, not a magic solution. I changed my diet, but I also got into therapy and found new coping mechanisms for stress. I’ve left emotional eating behind. I exercise most days. The basic drill is:

• Eat a balanced diet; I do 40% protein, 35% carbs, and 25% fat.

• Do resistance training, because if you only do cardio, you’ll lose lean muscle.

• Don’t compare your journey to anyone else's.

• Find support since help helps.

After my weight loss, I still faced an obstacle: body dysmorphia (a mental health condition causing an overwhelming preoccupation with your body and appearance). I only saw the heavy girl. I kept telling my chunky jokes onstage till a friend said, “You can’t do that material anymore. You’re too small.”

I was a size 16 before surgery, and when I got down to a 10, I went shopping daily to try on clothes. I was sure the sizes were marked wrong.

One day, a friend said I needed to “see myself.” She handed me a size 4 dress from her closet and said, “Why don’t you try this on?" I thought there was no way—but it fit! However, in my mind, I was still chunky.

Finally, one day, it all clicked. I had just edited a before and after picture together, and I sat back, took a look, and thought, Holy cow, I’ve lost a lot of weight. I began to believe in myself. Sometimes I walk past the mirror, and I’m like, Whoa, you are tiny. Yes, I’m very proud of myself.

"It’s important to look at bariatric procedures or weight loss medications as a tool and not a magical solution."

My New Mission: Helping Others

My body is happy with what I’m doing, but challenges remain. I have loose skin from the weight loss, especially in my stomach and inner thighs.

I’ve had to adapt my career to my new size. I can’t get the same roles or make the same jokes as the jolly heavy girl. My new set is told from the other side of losing weight. I’m writing a TV pilot, too, based loosely on my experience.

When I became certified as a trainer and coach, I knew I would focus on helping people with obesity or overweight with their nutrition, exercise, and behavioral changes. My guiding principle is tailoring plans to each individual.

If you are ready to make real changes, find support and professional guidance and start moving toward a healthier body and mind. Make it your own journey because we don’t all follow the same path.

As told to Nancy LeBrun

Read the original article on Verywell Health.