Reality star “Mama June” Shannon has revealed her weight loss secrets after dropping 300 pounds and getting down to a size 4.
Last year, Shannon underwent gastric sleeve surgery and began shrinking from 460 pounds down to somewhere in the mid-100s. The entire process was documented on her show, Mama June: From Not to Hot.
In an interview with People, Shannon revealed how she’s been able to maintain her size-4 frame.
READ MORE: Mama June of ‘Honey Boo Boo’ reveals drastic weight loss transformation
“It’s not easy to eat like you’re ‘supposed to’ and hit the gym all the time, but I’m just trying to maintain it the best I can,” she said.
While Shannon insisted it’s “all about portion control,” she also admitted that one of her secrets is that she sleeps in until 1 p.m. and skips breakfast.
“This sounds bad,” she added, “but I’m more of a snacker.”
READ MORE: Mama June Shannon spent US$75K on controversial weight loss surgery
Canadian nutritionists say breakfast is the most important meal of the day – it provides your body with fuel and revs up your metabolism, setting the tone for your appetite and cravings for the rest of your day.
“Breakfast skippers are more likely to be overweight and miss out on important nutrients like calcium. Research shows that people who skip breakfast tend to eat more calories later in the day. Often these aren’t healthy calories … they’re from snack foods,” warned Christy Brissette, a Toronto-based registered dietitian and president of 80 Twenty Nutrition.
Your breakfast determines your blood sugar levels, fat burning and energy, according to Kirstin Schell, a personal trainer, nutritionist and project manager at Goodlife Fitness.
READ MORE: Skipping breakfast may be hardening your arteries. Here’s why
Shannon told People that her typical snack consists of grapes and cheese. For dinner, she’ll make a meal from one her “go-to” dishes, such as baked chicken with quinoa or baked pork chops with corn and beans.
Shannon said that when she gets a craving for something sweet, her “favourite cheat snack” is Little Debbie jelly cakes.
Overall, Shannon said that she weighs herself often but the most weight she has gained back since her surgery is 5 pounds.
“My legs are still a little bit fat and I have a jiggle-o and some cottage cheese, but I feel like I got what I wanted,” she said. “When I look in the mirror, I’m happy.”
READ MORE: Mama June of ‘Honey Boo Boo’ fame undergoes drastic transformation
Last April, the 37-year-old reality star got candid about what it was like emotionally to prepare for her final surgeries, with one being a procedure on what she called her “turkey neck.”
“I don’t wanna disappoint anybody and not be the skinny Mama June that everybody’s looking forward to,” she said. “But if I go through with something that’s as serious as the next surgery, it can’t be about making everyone happy — it’s gotta be about me.”
Shannon said she was inspired to lose weight after her ex (who goes by the name of Sugar Bear) announced he was getting remarried.
The couple, who are parents to 11-year-old Alana Thompson (a.k.a. Honey Boo Boo), were in a common-law marriage for over a decade. They split after he admitted to cheating on Shannon.
The second season of Mama June: From Not to Hot premieres on Jan. 12.
—With files from Carmen Chai
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