Back in 2012, Kathy Najimy made headlines thank her significant weight loss. After trying different health regimens, she found Zumba, and it worked out for her. Since then, she has advocated for dance workouts to help other people improve their physical and mental well-being. Do you want to know more about the inspiring story of Kathy Najimy’s weight loss journey? Let’s find out.
The American actress and activist is famous for her roles in Sister Act, Hocus Pocus, The Wedding Planner, Rat Race, and more.
The American actress worked hard to lose 50 pounds, but what was the catalyst for her journey? Why she began it?
Reader's Roadmap
Get To Know Kathy
American actress Kathy Najimy was born in February 1957. She rose to fame in the 1990s with roles in some iconic movies and hit TV shows. She is also famous as a writer and activist. Kathy has been married to fellow comedian Dan Finnerty.
Kathy began her career in show business as part of the comedy duo Kathy and Mo. In it, she acted alongside fellow comedian Mo Gaffney, and then landed her breakthrough role as Sister Mary Patrick in the movie Sister Act in 1992. In that one, she appeared alongside Whoopi Goldberg. Kathy reprised her role in the sequel.
In the late 1990s, she portrayed Peggy Hill in the animated TV series, King of The Hill. She also appeared in the hit movie Hocus Pocus in the 1990s.
Her diverse acting career includes a variety of memorable roles. Some of the most notable are Sister Mary Patrick in Sister Act, Peggy Hill in King of the Hill, Mary Sanderson in Hocus Pocus, Olive Massery in Veronica’s Closet, Mindy Sterling in The Wedding Planner, Aunt Jackie in Descendants, and Mrs. Sandoval in Younger.
All of the roles showcase her talent as a comedic actress and her ability to bring depth to the character.
How She Lost Weight?
Losing 50 pounds is not a small feat. Not many people who have embarked on a weight loss journey can say the same. But Kathy managed to do it.
When Hocus Pocus 2 was released, fans noticed a significant change in her body image. And then fans began searching for her workout routines.
The weight loss came in 2012, but it still makes headlines to this day. She did thanks to the dance workout regime Zumba. We have to say, Zumba was not the first option for her. The American actress tried different things before finally settling on Zumba.
At one point, she even considered weight loss surgery to get slimmer. At the time, no diet or workout plan worked. She tried out different things, but none showed any results.
She tried soup fasting, a watermelon diet, and everything in between. So, her next idea was to try a weight loss surgery to shed some extra pounds. Luckily, she redirected her attention to Zumba.
The moment the actress was introduced to the interval workout with high and low-intensity dance movies, Kathy knew. This is it. Not only she lost 50 pounds, but she also managed to keep it off with the help of Zumba.
Speaking about it, she says, “I looked for a workout I could do on a regular basis and not dread. I want to dance and laugh and have fun. And I literally got to dance my ass off”.
The famous actress has advocated for the benefits of Zumba for more than 10 years. The Hocus Pocus star talks about how she managed to keep the weight from coming back. And there are many physical benefits. For example, the pain in her knee and lower back were gone. Now, she feels she has more energy and can walk a lot faster.
But more importantly, it helped her mental well-being. Kathy is not a confident woman who knows she can do anything she puts her mind to. And that is a wonderful feeling not many people experience.
How Weight Loss Helped Her Boost Her Confidence?
Kathy has spoken about the physical benefits of losing weight. But there is more to that. Her weight loss experience helped her in many different ways, including improving her mental well-being.
She says, “I am not afraid, will I fit into that ride? Will I fit into the seat on the plane? I have more confidence to say yes to jobs. I don’t have to worry about finding a costume that will fit me. That part of it is somewhat relieved”.
Nowadays, Kathy is no longer stressed out thinking if she will fit into something. She knows she will, and is happy to do it.
Helping Others Feel The Same
You can say Najimy is more than just an actor. Her profession requires her to be with people and around people. And like many celebrities, she is vocal about certain things.
After her weight loss experience, the American actress has become an activist for many causes. One of the many is voicing her opinion about social issues like body positivity, women’s rights, AIDS awareness, and LGBTQ+ rights.
In one interview, she talked about how she did not believe that if you were an activist before you were an actor, your journey should not stop.
In that interview, she said, “A lot of people think that actors should just shut up and act. And I respect that point of view if it is an actor who doesn’t have anything to contribute. But if you were a political person before, and you just happened into a movie, to stop being a political person makes no sense”.
Can You Shed Pounds With Zumba?
Do you want to shed pounds the same way that Kathy did? Well, the good news is that signing up for Zumba classes is easy. And you can do it as well.
As we said before, Zumba is a popular dance fitness program. You can turn it into an effective way to lose weight and improve your overall well-being. How Zumba helps people shed some pounds? Here it is:
- Zumba is a high-energy dance workout that can burn a significant amount of calories. Per some studies, a one-hour class can burn between 200 and 500 calories, depending on weight and intensity
- Zumba is a full-body workout, incorporating a variety of dance moves and styles, including salsa and hip-hop
- You can think of it as an alternative to your cardio workout. This cardiovascular exercise can improve your body’s ability to burn fat. It also helps in lowering blood pressure and improving cholesterol disease
- Last, but not least, Zumba is fun and engaging. Instead of losing fat and burning calories the boring way, you do it by playing, dancing, and having fun with likeminded people
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- Marlyne Barrett’s Weight Loss Story: The Mindset Shifts That Made All The Difference
