Already have an account?
Get back to the
Entertainment

11 Bizarre Weight-Loss Gadgets From the Past That Women Actually Used

Tags:

Do you remember the episode of I Love Lucy where Lucy is desperately trying to get into Ricky’s latest show? OK, that could technically describe almost every episode of the classic series. However, in one particular plot, Ricky promised to finally let Lucy into the show if she dropped the several sizes necessary to fit into a dance outfit, obviously believing it would be impossible for her. Of course, the always-scheming redhead never backed down from a challenge and made it her mission to lose those pounds. After restricting her diet to single stalks of celery didn’t do the trick, Lucy became so desperate that she zipped herself into a portable sauna with just her head poking out. It was hilarious to see on TV, but obviously not the healthiest method for weight loss — even the fictional character ended up crashing before the episode was over.

As it turns out, that’s not the most bizarre example of exercise and weight-loss gadgets women have used over the years. Each of the photos below shows some truly questionable machines and methods that promised to help folks slim down, usually with the least amount of effort. Take a look to see all of the strange vintage exercise machines women actually used in the past!

Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items. Use right arrow key to move into submenus. Use escape to exit the menu. Use up and down arrow keys to explore. Use left arrow key to move back to the parent list.