Lauren Manzo is the daughter of Caroline Manzo, a popular American television personality and entrepreneur, and is renowned for starring in the reality show The Real Housewives of New Jersey (RHONJ), and her spin-off show, Manzo'd with Children.
The 36-year-old diva, Lauren, is quite active on social media and posts glimpses of her daily life regularly. Lauren Manzo’s weight loss became a matter of public discourse after she revealed her toned appearance. She lost 100 pounds and was backlashed by trolls, body shammers, and critics.
Nonetheless, the public figure shut down criticisms and negative comments about her appearance with fiery replies. Scroll down to know her struggles and how she dealt with people who tried to rub her positivity.
Who Is Lauren Manzo?
Lauren Manzon is one of the popular faces of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. She got married to Vito Scalia in 2015 and the couple is blessed with a baby girl named, Marchesa ‘Markie’ Anna Scaliain in 2017. After 8 years of being hitched, they confirmed the news of getting divorced through social media.
In addition to Lauren’s married life, how she lost weight is a topic of discussion. In May 2024, she took to Instagram and shared a few clips of her before and after losing weight. She slimmed down her figure by shedding 100 pounds. Minutes later, the comment section was flooded with trolls and criticism, denoting that she didn’t look ‘herself’.
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In response, Lauren emphasized that although she is a public figure, that doesn’t mean she is a public property. People don’t have any right to drop in hateful messages and pass negative comments.
Everyone has their own success story and struggles and so did she. Roll your eyes over to know how she lost weight and counter the comments made about her and her slim physique.
Lauren Manzo Weight Loss Journey Unveiled
One of the Instagram users claimed that Lauren had a tummy tuck, highlighting that she underwent a non-surgical transformation. Abdominoplasty, also referred to as tummy tuck, is a procedure to reduce excess fat and skin present around the abdomen.
As per research, it strengthens the abdominal wall musculature and has become a renowned modality for those who wish to remove excess abdominal tissue after weight loss (1).
Once, in a video clip, Lauren was talking about body sculpting, to which a commenter said that it would have been appreciated if she promoted the importance of exercising and dieting rather than sculpting the body. Basically, body sculpting is a common cosmetic surgical procedure popular for its advantages, including aesthetic improvements and numerous metabolic benefits (2).
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Lauren clapped back at such body shamers and critics saying that she was in constant touch with her functional medicine doctor and also focused on major lifestyle changes. As per the World Health Organization, about 60% of related factors to a person’s overall health and quality of life are largely correlated to lifestyle (3).
On the other hand, Manzo agreed with a couple of commenters who stated that she looked skinny. The TV personality confessed that her weight kept yo-yo-ing, and hence, she not only carried out a couple of things to gain weight but also tried to maintain it. At that time, she was also heavy and unhealthy, and that’s what affected her mental health.
In May 2024, Manzo finally revealed that she lost 30 pounds with the help of a weight loss drug Mounjaro, as she was morbidly obese, weighing 280 pounds. Tirzepatide, also known as Mounjaro, is a medication approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treating type 2 diabetes. Moreover, it yields clinically significant improvements in weight loss and glycemic control (4).
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Under the advice of a functional medicine doctor, the actress followed a gluten-free and dairy-free diet and lost 50 lbs. Research states that the consumption of a gluten-free diet is associated with weight loss and has immediate health benefits that may prevent the development of future diseases (5). When she was unable to drop a few more pounds through the diet, her doctor suggested Mounjaro, an injectable therapy that contributes to weight loss by slowing gastric emptying (6).
Lauren grew up in the public eye, and people have seen how hard it was for her when she weighed heavy on the scale. In one of the interviews, she expressed that some people do not like, appreciate, or recommend the usage of Mounjaro. However, it is a shot in the stomach once a week and much similar to the drug Ozempic. This drug is beneficial to anyone who is prediabetic or diabetic.
RHONJ’s Manzo’d with Children alum Lauren Manzo confessed that her diet and workout routine have helped her for two years to lose weight. Here is what her diet consisted of.
Read More: Al Roker’s Weight Loss: How the Journalist Toned His Appearance
Lauren Manzo’s Weight Loss Diet Plan
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The mother of one, Lauren has been receiving negative comments since the day she began starring on RHONJ back in 2009. However, in one of the clips, she said “I can’t win, and that’s OK because truthfully I am happy.” She is her own worst critic dealing with body dysmorphia, a condition that includes distressing slight defects in appearance (7).
While discussing her personal struggles with weight, Lauren mentioned that skipping gluten and dairy products from her diet has helped her a lot (8). Defending her body transformation, she asked body shammers and commenters whether her “being healthy” was a confusion or a major issue.
The daughter of Caroline then opened up saying she ate a ciabatta sandwich with a bunch of deli meat on it, lots of fritos, and loads of mayonnaise. And, she is doing completely fine. Research claims that meat is an important source of high-quality protein and several key micronutrients including B vitamins, zinc, and iron (9).
Some of the commenters also said that her body looks like a skeleton, making her look terrible. While continuing to be candid about her weight loss and health journey over the past years, she expressed that she underwent a lap band surgery.
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Due to its technical ease, lap band surgery is one of the more popular weight loss surgeries. It involves two primary mechanisms — restriction and malabsorption. Restriction refers to achieving weight loss by limiting the intake of calories whereas malabsorption is the altering of the intestinal tract to bypass a certain length of the small intestine (10).
Nevertheless, the reality star dragged an internet troll for calling her weight loss “pathetic” while eating burgers, mashed potatoes, and deli sandwiches. Sandwiches are one of the major contributors to sodium. However, depending on the ingredients and bread of the sandwich, they can contribute micronutrients and fibers to the diet (11).
Lauren Manzo’s Exercise And Workout Routine
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's BMI chart, 115 lbs. is a "healthy" weight for someone 5'3" (12). Lauren admitted that the only thing she needed to do to make herself healthier was to build muscles.
Lauren adopted a healthier lifestyle and her workout routine is no joke. In one of the videos posted by her on social media, she was seen throwing punches and pushing around her muscular trainer. Adding to that, she also did some pull-ups.
A research study concludes that regular physical activity and exercise can aid in staying healthy and energetic, as you get older (13).
In addition to the diet that she followed, the public figure also mentioned losing more weight while recovering from a sinus infection. When Manzo weighed 280 lbs, her mental health issues took a toll. She suffered from anxiety, depression, and high blood pressure. However, with a proper diet, workout routine, and a sustained lifestyle, she managed to tone down her appearance and maintain a healthy weight.
Exercise and any kind of physical activity can help in the reduction of stress and anxiety. It boosts happy chemicals, sharpens memory, improves self-confidence, and increases brain power, muscles, and bone strength (13).
Below are a few glimpses of her before and after weight loss.
Lauren Manzo’s Before And After Weight Loss Images
Before
( Image Credit: Getty Images)
After
( Image Credit: Getty Images)
Lauren Manzo’s weight loss journey is a story of inspiration. It shows that despite being stuck in the web of criticism and hateful comments, one can be a fighter and achieve fitness goals. Her powerful responses show that she is clearly the winner when it comes to her lifestyle, and of course, weight loss. Although critics trodded her in the dirt, she rose up like dust. That’s what makes her journey a testament to determination, courage, and resilience. Achieving a thinner frame was not easy for her, however, through all odds, she claims herself as healthy and happy.
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Sources
1. Abdominoplasty
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK431058/
2. Cryolipolysis for Fat Reduction and Body Contouring: Safety and Efficacy of Current Treatment Paradigms
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4444424/
3. Impact of Lifestyle on Health
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4703222/
4. Tirzepatide
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK585056/
5. Health Benefits and Adverse Effects of a Gluten-Free Diet in Non–Celiac Disease Patients
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5866307/
6. Weight loss efficiency and safety of tirzepatide: A Systematic review
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10159347/
7. Understanding and treating body dysmorphic disorder
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6343413/
8. The Gluten-Free Diet: Fad or Necessity?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5439366/
9. Association of lunch meat consumption with nutrient intake, diet quality and health risk factors in U.S. children and adults: NHANES 2007–2010
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4696330/
10. Laparoscopic Gastric Band Placement
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526062/
11. The Relationship of Diet Quality with Proportion of Daily Energy Contributed by Sandwiches Varies by Age over Adulthood in Racially and Socioeconomically Diverse Adults
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7551748/
12. Body Mass Index Table 1
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmi_tbl.htm
13. Benefits need and importance of daily exercise
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306118434_Benefits_need_and_importance_of_daily_exercise
