Jessica Simpson signed a Weight Watchers deal back in December 2011, which was worth $3 million. Though she was pregnant at the time, the deal was designed to begin once the baby was born, to help the singer and actress to lose her baby weight. It has been estimated that she has gained 25 pounds throughout her pregnancy.
Why Jessica Simpson Was a Great Choice for Weight Watchers
The entertainer and successful business woman was a natural choice for WW, then known as Weight Watchers. Not only was she known to be driven and self-motivated, but the opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of the weight management program for losing baby weight was an easy bonus. Moreover, Jessica Simpson has been known for having a great, fit looking body, which Weight Watchers could not have ignored.
According to Rachel Ray, with whom Jessica Simpson shared her secret eating habits during her pregnancy, Simpson hadn’t made any attempt to control the cravings that she has experienced and has been giving in to her desires for toasted peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. In fact, she said that she ate them by first shaking salt on her hand in a manner similar to the way it’s done before taking a tequila shot, except that she was doing it before each bite of the PB&J. Not exactly a low-sodium, calorie-controlled diet!
Still, since the star had every intention of making the effort to get her weight under control again after having her baby, she certainly couldn’t be faulted too heavily. This was particularly true when Jessica Simpson backed up her commitment through the Weight Watchers deal.
Weight Watchers Wasn’t the Only Program to Woo Jessica Simpson
Though the Jessica Simpson Weight Watchers deal was the one that was finally signed, the celebrity did admit that there were a number of weight loss programs that made offers. Pregnancy isn’t the first time that this star has been in the spotlight for her weight changes. Her weight has fluctuated throughout her career.
It has been suggested that she chose Weight Watchers for more than just monetary reasons, but that she was hoping that the gig will help her to get her weight down and keep it there; especially since she intended to marry Eric Johnson, her fiancé and the father of the child, after the baby was born.
Keeping Perspective
While it does appear that the Jessica Simpson Weight Watchers deal was designed to have the celebrity hopping directly from the delivery room to the gym, she did want to stress that she is not trying to send new mothers the wrong message. She openly stated that she is enjoying everything about being pregnant, and that this includes the way that her body has changed. In an interview, she said that she had never felt as connected with her body as she did while she was pregnant. She has also tweeted throughout the pregnancy about the stylish maternity wardrobe that allowed her to remain chic as she showed off her bump.
As a result, it appears as though the Jessica Simpson Weight Watchers deal was simply the next step in her life, which is continually in the spotlight and demands her to look her best at all times. Both the celebrated diet program and the celebrity herself stood to gain from this partnership, especially if her next step is to don the latest in bridal fashions.
Trying Other Programs
While the Weight Watchers deal was a first for Jessica Simpson in terms of being the face of a dieting program, it was not the first program she had ever tried. Most notably, she had tried Atkins, which she discussed openly at the time.
She used this strategy while she was at her singing peak and while she did swear by it at the start – having successfully experienced rapid weight loss – she later explained that it had left her “messed up mentally” and that she suffered from constipation and bloating.
Did Weight Watchers Work for Jessica Simpson?
Both the program and the endorsement seemed to work out very well for the performer. Through the help of Weight Watchers, Jessica Simpson lost 60 pounds after her daughter was born in 2012. Some of the weight did come back during her second pregnancy in 2013, but that was to be expected. She admitted in a 2014 USA Today article that “Being pregnant for two years took a toll.”
That said, she also explained that having learned all about the program in between the two pregnancies made a substantial difference and that she was leading a “healthier lifestyle” while pregnant with her second baby as a result. Though she took a break from WW while she was pregnant the second time, she did return to it postpartum once her doctor gave the nod.
