Melissa Peterman’s Weight Loss: Why the ‘Reba’ Star Says the Number on the Scale Doesn’t Matter
Learn why she prioritizes confidence—and cottage cheese!—to feel her best
Melissa Peterman, also known as the spunky and lovable Barbra Jean on the hit sitcom Reba, has captured the hearts of fans through her humor and inspired many with her weight loss journey. Though she reportedly lost 60 pounds, for Peterman, it was never about the number on the scale—her health and happiness have always been a priority.
From gaining weight during pregnancy to losing it for a role, she’s celebrated her body at every stage of life. And it was her commitment to balanced lifestyle changes and a positive mindset that ultimately led to her long-term health success. Keep reading to learn more about Melissa Peterman’s weight loss and why confidence is key.
Melissa Peterman’s weight loss wasn’t about the scale
While Peterman hasn’t publicly commented on her weight loss journey, which fans speculated happened between 2005 and 2007, she has reflected on her body image and confidence over the years.
“I’ve been very lucky that I’ve been on TV, and I’ve been a lot of different sizes and ages,” she shared with Bustle in 2014. “I’ve been pregnant and fake pregnant. I’ve been at a point where I felt really healthy and like how I looked, which is very rare for women at any time. And, there’s been times where I haven’t.”
Here’s how Peterman lost weight and transformed her health:
She embraces her figure
Throughout Peterman’s career, she said she’s been fortunate that her size hasn’t hindered any opportunities.
“I’ve been really lucky that I’ve never not worked or been told I have to change what I look like to be on TV,” she told Bustle. “I am almost like 6 feet tall, and I’m an Amazon and I can’t pretend to be this petite, tiny, little thing.”
“Even at my smallest I ever was, I still looked like a football player,” she joked. “So, I celebrated it. I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m tall, so guess what, I’m going to go on an audition and I’m going to wear heels and be like the tallest of tall,’ because I can’t change me [not] being short. I can’t change [not] being little. So I celebrated it.”
And rather than shy away from weight fluctuations, Peterman embraces them. “I do think as you get older, you should let things go,” she said. “It’s like, ‘Yeah, I got a muffin top. I’ve earned it, and it was super fun making it. It’s awesome, and I don’t want to give back those breads and carbs. I like them.”
Peterman’s positive outlook not only helps with weight loss, but with every facet of life, says Cristina Del Toro Badessa, MD, a board-certified physician specializing in personalized and integrative medicine at Artisan Beaute. “The mind leads the body. If you believe you can do something and feel happy and proud of your hard work, you will continue your positive self-improvement journey.”
She prioritizes protein
The Baby Daddy star said that while she’d love to start every day with a nutrient-dense meal, in reality, she often reaches for protein-packed cottage cheese on the go—which is still a smart choice.
“I would like to be able to tell you that every morning I start my day with an organic egg white omelet with fresh spinach picked from my garden, a side of turkey bacon and a fresh fruit smoothie, but most mornings I eat cottage cheese from the container while looking for my son’s shoes,” she told Self.
“Then I eat an apple on the way to his preschool, and the closest thing I have had to a fresh fruit smoothie since I had my son is a watermelon jolly rancher!” she jokes. “For special occasions, I add cinnamon in my cottage cheese and dip the apple.”
Cottage cheese is the perfect choice if you’re in a pinch and need a healthy meal, explains Jennifer Habashy, NMD, MS, assistant medical director at Claya. “It’s a nutrient-dense, high-quality, protein (which supports muscle repair, growth and satiety), making it great for weight management,” she says. “With about 28 grams of protein per cup, it’s low in calories and carbs—ideal for maintaining muscle and stabilizing blood sugar.”
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
