Lizzo Dismisses Ozempic Rumours, Says She Opted For Weight Training And Calorie Deficit

Lizzo is clearing the air and keeping her followers in the loop about her fitness journey. The 36-year-old singer and Grammy winner responded to a follower on Instagram on Friday, September 20, who questioned if she was taking Ozempic — a drug often used by people with type 2 diabetes — to lose weight. Lizzo shared a series of photos and videos, including a light-hearted video where she’s seen smiling at the camera. Her caption read, “When you finally get Ozempic allegations after 5 months of weight training and calorie deficit,” along with a popular TikTok audio clip of Christoph Waltz’s character from Django Unchained saying, “It’s like a reward.”

The Juice singer also posted a screenshot of a fan’s comment asking, “Did she use Ozempic or did she snort coke?” Lizzo hilariously captioned the screenshot, “‘oZeMpIc oR cOkE?’ – a fan.” She even responded to the comment by asking, “Whyyyy do u follow me?.”

Take a look at it here:

For several months now, Lizzo has been sharing glimpses of her fitness routine. From arm exercises at the gym to jumping rope on a balcony, she’s been staying active and open with her fans.

While many of her fans have lauded her for the hard work she has been doing for her health and body, others have been wondering how much weight training and calorie deficit help in the weight loss process.

How do strength training and calorie deficit aid healthy weight loss?

Calorie deficit

According to the National Library of Medicine, a calorie deficit means consuming fewer calories than your body burns, which is essential for weight loss. By controlling portion sizes or limiting high-calorie foods, the body starts using stored fat as energy.

Eating about 1,000-1,500 calories daily or reducing calorie intake by 500-750 calories can lead to gradual, sustainable weight loss. This approach is commonly advised by many health and obesity experts.

While very low-calorie diets (less than 800 calories per day) exist, they’re generally only recommended under medical supervision as they can pose risks to health if not monitored properly.

Strength training

As per a study published in The New York Times, strength training isn’t just about building muscle, it also jump-starts fat-burning. Recent research shows that weight training causes muscles to release genetic material that promotes fat breakdown.

Resistance exercises like lifting weights, push-ups, or squats increase energy expenditure for up to 24 hours after working out. This means your body burns more calories even when at rest.

Weight training also boosts metabolism. As muscles grow larger, they burn more calories at rest, helping to manage body fat in the long term, even without immediate visible changes to muscle size.