How Dolly Parton Stays So Slim

There are many, many things Dolly Parton is famous for — her incredible talent as an entertainer and entrepreneur, her homespun Smoky Mountain charm, and her selfless charitable acts, just to name a few. Of course, there’s no denying her iconic looks help make her all the more memorable. Her extreme hourglass frame might even make you wonder how she’s able to stand up straight onstage, but we’ll chalk that up to another one of her countless amazing skills.

Obviously, we’d all love to know her secret to keeping such a trim physique — especially when it comes to that teeny, tiny waist. According to an interview with People magazine in 2018, the songstress tries to stick to a low-carb diet during the work week to keep things cinched in. Then on the weekend, Parton isn’t above splurging on the occasional Southern treat, like her mama’s recipe for chicken and dumplin’s. “I’m a hog at heart,” she joked to People. “I’ve been up and down with my weight through the years, so I can definitely relate to that.” Other country favorites she likes cooking up for herself and husband, Carl Dean, include biscuits and gravy, fried sausage and spam, or skipping the kitchen altogether to grab some of her favorite junk food items from the gas station while on tour.

Another trick she’s learned to make sure her waist doesn’t appear to stick out on stage is storing her mic pack in her notoriously huge wigs! Graham Norton, a popular Irish talk show host in the UK, revealed this little tidbit back in 2017 while discussing the time he spent making a documentary with the Queen of Country. “Dolly Parton is so tiny, and so proud of her tiny waist, that she has a little pocket built into all of her wigs for her microphone pack, so that her waist can stay as tiny as possible.” You have to admit, that’s a pretty handy way to keep excess baggage from weighing down her middle. Like her song says, “Just because I’m blonde, don’t think I’m dumb” — and we certainly never would!

Parton is currently revealing more of her trade secrets and life stories on the NPR podcast, Dolly Parton’s America, and will be featured in an upcoming special on ABC with Good Morning America host Robin Roberts on November 21. Right after that, we’ll be treated to an eight episode series, Heartstrings, inspired by her classic songs that will air on Netflix November 22.