American gospel singer Erica Campbell performed during the 2022 Super Bowl. She performed the song Lift Every Voice. And while many people were touched by her performance, it was her looks that stole the show. Fans began asking questions about Erica Campbell’s weight loss journey. How did she slim down?
Erica and her sister Tina appeared onstage in their gospel duo Mary Mary and they completely stole the show.
And since then, Erica has given several interviews talking about her amazing experience. Do you want to know how she did it? She said she knew the Super Bowl was coming, but she also had new music and wanted to make a commitment to change her diet and workout out. Let’s take a look at her story.
Reader's Roadmap
Get To Know Erica
Born in April 1972 in Inglewood, California, Erica is a multi-talented American gospel singer, songwriter, and reality television personality. Her parents are Thomasina Atkins and Eddie A. Atkins Jr. Raised in a Christian family alongside her sister Trecina Tina Atkins Campbell, she knew music would be her calling card. Her sister Tina Campbell would later become her musical partner.
Speaking of her formal education, the gospel artist attended El Camino College in Torrance, California. There, she studied music theory and vocal performance. Following her college graduation, Erica and her sister Tina Atkins formed a gospel duo.
They called the duo Mary Mary, inspired by the biblical figures Mary and Martha. In 2000, the two sisters released their debut album, Thankful. This album featured the hit single Shackles (Praise You) and would go on to earn three Grammy Award prizes.
Since then, Erica and Tina have continued to release successful albums. They include Incredible in 2002, Mary Mary in 2005, The Sound in 2008, and Something Big in 2011.
Erica’s music is mostly gospel, but they combine sounds and elements from hip-hop music and R&B. That helps the famous singer be popular with Christian and secular audiences.
Thanks to the popularity of their music, Erica and Tina ventured into reality television. They began their own show, Mary Mary, which premiered in 2012 and ran for six seasons. The show told the story of their personal and professional lives, including their struggles and triumphs as working mothers, wives, and musicians.
Besides her work with Tina, Erica has released solo music, including her debut album Help in 2014. That album earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Gospel Album.
Throughout her career, she has been praised for helping and influencing the Christian community. She has won the Stellar Award multiple times. Erica is also part of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
Why Did She Lose Weight?
Now let’s talk about her weight loss journey. Speaking about her motivation, an unsuccessful past liposuction surgery served as her inspiration.
In an appearance on the Tamron Hall Show where she performed her new song Positive, the famous singer talked about her recent weight reduction journey. Erica achieved everything through healthy eating and exercising. And on the Tamron Hall Show, she revealed for the first everything she was trying to do.
Campbell began her story by saying, “I did have a surgery, it was lipo. I was young and really didn’t know the process of what you were supposed to do. I didn’t get the lymphatic massages you were supposed to get so my body wasn’t pretty”.
She recalled that her body was fine before the surgery, but she wanted to shed some pounds quickly after giving birth to her first child, her daughter Krista Nicole Campbell in 2004.
Yet, going under the knife didn’t go as she expected and planned. She said, “It was really a bad situation. I was in a hotel room bleeding everywhere and they sent a nurse and some Tylenol. Then I had another baby so I gained the weight again, so it was like, what was it all for?”
That was before social media and “snapback culture” was a factor. Once she delivered her last child, her daughter Zaya Monique Campbell in 2012, she wasn’t interested in taking part in any weight loss journey because of her past lipo ordeal.
The Covid-19 pandemic changed her like it did many other people. After years of going back and forth, she wanted to see changes within herself and on the outside.
So, she made a decision to commit to healthier eating and change some things. She showed her new body while performing at the Super Bowl in February 2022.
And after her sparkly blue jumpsuit caught attention, she went on to social media and thanked people.
She wrote, “Thanks for the encouragement. I Need it. It is possible to do it. It is hard! You will get frustrated, and It will seem like everyone is losing and you’re gaining weight WHILE you’re working out and eating salad. Lol, sometimes the body doesn’t get the memo. It’s emotional it’s mental but DONT QUIT give yourself time and celebrate the small wins, yes even 1lb. Do the work and be patient. Pray praypray YOU CAN DO THIS!!”
Not Her First Dance With Weight Loss
As we said before, this was not her first try at losing weight. Millions of women are always in search of a quicker route to achieving their weight loss goals. And in 2004, after welcoming her first daughter Krista Nicole, the gospel singer wanted to try liposuction.
She said about the experience, “My body was beautiful before I had it. I had just gained weight because I had just had my oldest daughter who’s now 17. So, I had the surgery. It was really a bad situation. I was in a hotel room bleeding everywhere, and they sent a nurse and some Tylenol. And then, I had another baby, so I gained the weight again”.
Speaking about why she chose that route, she answered, “It seemed like the easier choice. It seemed like the right thing to do”.
When she had her second daughter, Zaya Campbell, there was a surge in the popularity of post-pregnancy plastic surgery. But she didn’t want to go that route.
How Did She Lose Weight?
This time, Erica Campbell’s weight loss happened the natural way. It was slow and steady, but she got to where she wanted to be.
The Gospel singer has been on a fitness journey for a while, but things changed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking about how she did it, Campbell shared that she began with a simple change. She cleaned out her cabinet of unhealthy foods and did a water fast for three days.
From there on out, she continued her healthy lifestyle. And the pounds kept coming down.
Empowering Women
Back in 2013, the famous singer raised eyebrows when she released a promo picture of herself. In the photo, she wore a silky straight tresses and a white, body-fitting dress. It highlighted her bodacious body.
Then, social media users blasted the Christian star for looking “too sexy to sing for the Lord”.
But she came back at them and said, “Every time people talk about the backlash of the white dress I go, ‘what in the world?! Yes I have curves that I didn’t give to myself and I didn’t buy; you would have to talk to God about that”.
She also addressed the criticism of being called a “hoe” and “harlot” She said, “That comes with the territory. If you are not ready for that, it can make you retreat and be like I can’t do this”.
But at the end of the day, it is all about confidence. She said, “This is about confidence and realizing that God made you and that you are beautiful just the way you are. I think that young girls shouldn’t only get sexy images from people who are not proclaiming Jesus. But I am. And I am cute too”.
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- Tamela Mann’s Weight Loss: The Gospel Singer Leading A More Blessed Life
