How Rosie O’Donnell Avoided Negative Side Effects After Using GLP-1s For Weight Loss

Comedian and talk show host Rosie O’Donnell says approaching her weight loss with careful consideration helped her avoid some of the negative side effects associated with popular weight loss drugs, such as Mounjaro and other GLP-1s.

Days before her recent revelation, Rosie O’Donnell spoke about the “miracle” weight-loss drug and credited it with helping her change her lifestyle. During the candid interview, the former “The View” moderator said it also helped her develop better eating habits.

While speaking with Anna Navarro on a recent episode of the “Bleep!” podcast, O’Donnell, 64, said she’s been using GLP-1s for weight loss over the last three years. Instead of going all in on the first go, O’Donnell said she slowly increased her dosage to help her body adjust.

The most common side effects of GLP-1 agonists include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, according to the Cleveland Clinic. However, O’Donnell avoided all of that by being intentional with how she used the tool.

“I did the lowest dose for [the first] year with 2.5. Then I did [the second] year at 5, and now I’m just finishing year [three] at 7.5,” she said.

Rosie O’Donnell Said Mounjaro ‘Changed My Life’

O’Donnell has been open about weight loss before. In a recent interview with PEOPLE, the public figure said that using GLP-1 drugs has positively impacted her life.

“Mounjaro changed my life,” she said. “I couldn’t even pronounce it at first.”

According to O’Donnell, she began using the drug after receiving a health diagnosis three years ago. She said she was “stunned” by the drug’s effectiveness, such as quieting “food noise.”

“I’ve had trouble with my weight my whole life. I know the shame and humiliation dealt to people who are overweight,” she said.

“My kids would come home from trick-or-treating with pillowcases full of candy and hide it,” she continued. “Smart children. I’d wake up at three in the morning and go, ‘There’s a Nestlé’s Crunch bar somewhere.’ I couldn’t help myself.”

Rosie O’Donnell Had A Face Lift

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Elsewhere in her interview, O’Donnell opened up about her facelift, which she had to tighten her skin after losing 65 pounds on Mounjaro. O’Donnell explained that she went through with the procedure after noticing that her “marionette lines” made her look sad. “I’m like, it’s my face. I actually feel happy here,” she said.

However, she spoke with a few of her friends, including Ricki Lake, about it and decided to go through with the operation. It wasn’t an easy choice, though, said O’Donnell, who mentioned wrestling with the decision before pulling the trigger.

“I decided the real power of feminism is women get to decide what they want to do to their body and when,” she said. “But I didn’t make it public until people started saying, ‘God you look so much better, What are you doing?’ I didn’t want to be one of those people who says, ‘Oh nothing….’ Just like with the Mounjaro. I didn’t want people who are struggling with their weight to feel like something was wrong with them.”

Andy Cohen Took A Similar Approach To O’Donnell

O’Donnell isn’t the only public figure who took a slow and steady approach to using a GLP-1 for weight loss. A previous report from The Blast details host Andy Cohen‘s confession about “microdosing” the popular drug to help him reach his body goals.

“Given that for 20 years I have been asking people about their body regimens and that I’ve been pretty vocal about every time I go on a diet … I do think it would be completely hypocritical not to share that I did this summer lose a good chunk of weight by micro-dosing a GLP-1 all summer,” he said.

How Has A GLP-1 Helped Cohen?

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Cohen went on to say that he decided to use the drug after being unhappy with his weight and being notified of health risks, such as “plaque” in his arteries.

Like O’Donnell, though, using the drug has helped Cohen create healthier, more sustainable habits that he can stick with moving forward.

“It really helped me with cravings, which I was having a very hard time with, and really forcing myself to be more disciplined with my diet and with working out. I am on a pretty rigorous health journey,” he added.