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Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness on How His 70-Pound Weight Gain Led Him to Self-Love
The expert groomer wasn't always as confident as he is today.
Those of us who have tuned into Netflix’s Queer Eye (a spinoff of Bravo’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy) have gotten to know Jonathan Van Ness as a fierce hair stylist who exudes nothing but confidence and just pure fabulousness. Not only does he promote self love and body positivity on the show, but he actively spreads this positive message to fans through his social media accounts as well. However, what you may not know about Van Ness is that he also struggled with body image issues before getting into the positive mindset he’s in today.
In a recent post on Instagram, Van Ness opened up about his weight loss journey, which helped him open the door to self acceptance.
"After my step dad passed away I gained 70 pounds in 3 months. I didn’t like how I felt or looked, it’s so important for me to look back and tell that man from 5 years ago he was lovely and gorge. I can celebrate where I am now as long as I send love to the “me’s” along the way #transformationtuesday #selfacceptance #fitness," he captioned the photo.
The fab groomer also shared that this moment in his life ultimately helped him find a new view on fitness. "There was a time when I was like, ‘Oh my god, I have to lose this weight because if I don’t, then who’s gonna date me?’ [Now], my working out is about me. It wasn’t always like that, but that’s where it’s landed," he recently told InStyle magazine. "It’s something that I choose to share because I want to help people feel better and I found that for me, just sharing myself seems to be helping."
We so appreciate Van Ness for truly being open about his own path to self acceptance. BTW, Jonathan, you are flawless, honey — then and now.
