On I Am Jazz, star Jazz Jennings has been honest about her struggle with mental and physical health and what finally inspired her to lose weight. Here's a candid look at her weight loss journey and positive transformation.
Category
✨
PeopleTranscript
00:00On I Am Jazz, star Jazz Jennings has been honest about her struggle with mental and
00:05physical health and what finally inspired her to lose weight. Here's a candid look at
00:09her weight loss journey and positive transformation.
00:13In June 2021, Jazz Jennings took to Instagram to address her ongoing struggle with an eating
00:18disorder, writing,
00:19"'I suffer from binge eating disorder, a disease in which I'm not only addicted to food, but
00:24I eat it in large quantities. My binging, along with an increased appetite I experience
00:28from some of the meds I'm on, has caused me to gain almost 100 pounds in a little less
00:33than two years."
00:34Jennings went on to add that she was posting about her weight gain as a means to hold herself
00:38accountable, sharing that she was ready to start making the necessary changes to drop
00:42some pounds. She wrote,
00:43"...I'm ready to take the initiative and create positive changes when it comes to my health
00:47and body."
00:48I've been saying I'm ready to turn over a new leaf, but I'm running out of trees now."
00:51Later that year, Jennings spoke with Today about putting her weight loss story out into
00:56the world. As emotional and nerve-wracking as it might have been, she figured that the
01:00best thing would be to do what she's always done — share her story. She explained,
01:04"...I just wanted to be really blunt, honest, and personal about what I was experiencing."
01:09In Season 7 of I Am Jazz, Jennings admitted that after she gained a significant amount
01:14of weight, she started to feel trapped inside of her own body, like it had become a cage.
01:19In one scene, she spoke with her grandmother, Jackie Jennings, about the toll her body issues
01:23were taking on her mental health.
01:25"...I feel, on the inside, like I'm a little bit broken, like my spirit has been shattered
01:29a little bit by all that I've been through."
01:31On another episode, Jennings opened up about how limited she felt since gaining weight,
01:35sharing,
01:36"...I can't do certain things athletically that I used to be able to do, so I'm not looking
01:40forward to be huffing and puffing, but I know that I need it, and that it's good for my
01:44body and health."
01:45She admitted that finding out how much she actually weighed after overeating for a long
01:49time was a big shock.
01:50"...Seeing myself weigh 234 pounds, it's devastating.
01:54It's pretty heartbreaking to realize, like, wow, like, I did this to myself."
01:58Jennings was also dealing with some serious health issues, including high cholesterol,
02:03asthma, and a dangerously high resting heart rate.
02:06Her family was understandably worried about her.
02:08"...She's too young to have all these health concerns, and as she gets heavier, she's just
02:13gonna get sicker.
02:14Her body is just screaming out for help."
02:17As far as most people are concerned, getting into Harvard is nothing more than a pipe dream.
02:21For Jennings, on the other hand, it's as real as it gets.
02:24In 2019, she told People magazine that she'd applied to the Ivy League school and was waiting
02:29to hear back, saying,
02:30"...I did have an interview with Harvard, and I think it went really well.
02:33I'm hoping that they will accept me because it's definitely one of my top choices."
02:37And indeed, the TLC star soon received an acceptance letter from the prestigious university.
02:42But before she could find out what life at Harvard might be like, Jennings had to face
02:46her own struggles with her mental health.
02:48As she shared on an episode of I Am Jazz,
02:50"...I was on my way to one of the greatest institutions in the world, but I was actually
02:54struggling severely with mental health issues.
02:57I started binge eating, and I gained weight, and more weight, and more weight, and now,
03:01almost 100 pounds heavier, here I am today."
03:03"...I love food so much.
03:05It makes me feel comfortable and safe and happy."
03:09Jennings ultimately chose to defer her acceptance, telling her Instagram followers that she needed
03:14to take some time to work on her mental health.
03:16Evidently, that break was just what she needed.
03:18In 2020, Jennings announced she felt ready to go to college.
03:22She started at Harvard in 2021, and she is set to graduate in 2025.
03:28While Jennings' parents have no doubt always been in her corner, she didn't feel totally
03:32supported by them after she gained 100 pounds.
03:35Throughout the seventh season of I Am Jazz, viewers watched Jennings' family try to be
03:39there for her as she embarked on her weight loss journey.
03:41However, some of her family's efforts, such as mom Jeanette Jennings keeping tabs on her
03:46food intake, fell flat.
03:47"'I do experience fat-shaming from my family.
03:49It makes me feel really humiliated."
03:52After the season wrapped, Jazz told Today that she knew her mom and the rest of the
03:55family meant well, saying,
03:57"'It was really hard to watch that trailer because my family really does support me and
04:01love me and they want the best for me.
04:03They want to see me be happy and healthy and it all comes from a place of love.
04:07But they've said comments in the past that kind of have been like, that's not the kind
04:10of thing to say.'"
04:11Jeanette acknowledged that Jazz' family could be annoying at times, but insisted they never
04:15wanted to humiliate her.
04:17There's a fine line between support and judgment, and evidently, that's something the Jennings'
04:21family had to work through.
04:22As Jazz explained to Today,
04:24"'You can be constructive at some points, but it's really just being there helping them
04:27make better decisions.'"
04:30Whenever you take on a big goal, it helps to have people who keep you accountable.
04:34For Jennings, sharing her weight loss journey with viewers and her family is what helped
04:37her establish new habits.
04:39When it comes to exercise, getting started can be the hardest part.
04:42But when Jazz started exercising, her family was there to cheer her on.
04:46In 2022, she shared workout videos on Instagram, and many of the clips featured her family.
04:51In one, she could be seen doing a boot camp workout with her brother, Sander Jennings.
04:56Jazz said that she woke up early and was feeling up for a challenge, so her brother put her
04:59through one of his training sessions.
05:01Jennings captioned her post,
05:02"'We are all on different health journeys, but starting somewhere is the first step.'"
05:07The video was both hilarious and heartwarming, especially during the moments in which Jennings'
05:11brother encouraged her to keep going.
05:13In another post, she shared a sweaty selfie and wrote,
05:15"'One step at a time.'"
05:17Jennings also shared a sweet video of her running with her dad.
05:20He had a big grin and offered some words of encouragement as they jogged, saying,
05:23"'There she is!
05:24The 2024 Jazz!'
05:26Alongside the video, Jazz wrote,
05:28"'My dad is the best.
05:30So supportive and empathetic.
05:31Thanks for always being there for me.
05:33Now I just have to be consistent in order to reach my health goals.'"
05:37By January 2024, Jennings was not only seeing results when she looked in the mirror, but
05:41she could feel the impact of her lifestyle changes in a major way.
05:45She took to Instagram to share an update on her weight loss, telling fans that she'd shed
05:4970 pounds so far on her weight loss journey.
05:52Her post read,
05:53"'Feeling happier and healthier than I've been in years.
05:55I still have a ways to go, but I'm so proud to finally be taking the necessary steps towards
05:59bettering my mind, body, and spirit.'"
06:01Fans quickly took to the comments to cheer Jennings on and celebrate her overall well-being.
06:07One follower wrote,
06:08"'So incredibly proud of you.
06:09I know how hard it is to be confident and committed to weight loss.
06:12You are an inspiration to so many, for many reasons.'"
06:15Another follower chimed in, writing,
06:17"'You always look amazing but glad you're feeling better.'"
06:19And a third poster commiserated, writing,
06:22"'By the way, why is it so easy to put on pounds and so hard to take off?
06:26Keep going Jazz!''
06:27Jennings remains committed to staying active and looking out for her health.
06:31A few days later, she posted a pre-workout mirror selfie in an Instagram story, writing,
06:36"'Ready to workout.
06:37Starting off my day right.'"
06:39In June 2024, Jennings took to Instagram to share with followers how her perspective has
06:43shifted during her weight loss journey.
06:45She posted a picture of herself posing in a blue and white dress in front of a balcony
06:49overlooking a city by the sea, and began the caption with a comment she received from a
06:53fan which read,
06:54"'I hope you're happy with yourself.
06:56Who cares what you weigh?
06:57Who cares what you look like?
06:58The important thing is you are happy in your own skin.'"
07:01Jennings shared that this comment really resonated with her, writing,
07:04"'No matter my weight, I have always felt beautiful.
07:07However, losing this weight and prioritizing my health has created a shift within.
07:11The first step toward improving your well-being is caring.
07:13I finally care about myself after years of neglecting my health.'"
07:17She went on to explain that she's proud that she's not only made such significant changes,
07:21but stuck to them, writing,
07:22"'We can always strive to be better, and choosing to be the best version of yourself allows
07:26you to soar to heights higher than ever before.'"
07:30In April 2024, Jazz Jennings posted a candid snap on Instagram of herself grinning at the
07:35camera while wearing her workout clothes.
07:37The caption read,
07:38"'Little by little, bit by bit, I'm improving every day.'"
07:41Jennings' newfound confidence has been evident in the content she's posted since.
07:46In her family's version of the jumping-to-vacation Instagram trend, she looked happy as can be
07:50posing in the sand in a swimsuit.
07:52In another post, she shared a picture of herself in a swimsuit with her siblings by the pool.
07:56In another snap, she could be seen lounging solo by the pool.
08:00Jennings used the picture as an opportunity to encourage other trans people to be confident
08:04in the skin they're in, writing,
08:06"'For me, trans joy means wearing a bathing suit with confidence.
08:09Many transgender people face insecurity when going to the pool or beach, particularly due
08:14to body dysphoria.'"
08:15I think being a woman is being just a queen, knowing that you are beautiful no matter what
08:21anyone else says."
08:22She also acknowledged that wearing a swimsuit can be an uneasy experience, but she always
08:26dreamed about wearing one without any sort of cover-up.
08:29Sharing swimsuits, which are often revealing, can intensify feelings of discomfort and anxiety
08:34about our bodies.
08:35The liberation I feel being able to wear regular bottoms freely has allowed my confidence to
08:40soar.
08:41There is no right way to look.
08:42Love yourself as you are!
08:45If you or someone you know needs help with an eating disorder, visit the National Eating
08:49Disorders Association website or contact NIDA's live helpline at 1-800-931-2237.
08:56You can also receive 24-7 crisis support via text.
09:00Send NIDA to 741741.