Real Housewives of Orange County star Emily Simpson has come a long way in her weight loss journey, which she attributed partly to Ozempic.
“We finished filming in November [2022] and I remember we filmed the title cards and our showrunner sent a photo of me that he took with his cell phone. And honestly, I didn’t even recognize myself,” Simpson, 47, exclusively told Us Weekly on Tuesday, July 25, while promoting the current season of RHOC. “I was like, ‘Who is that?’ And then I was like, ‘Oh, that’s me.’ I really neglected myself those four months that we were filming. I ate too much, drank too much, didn’t go to the gym, didn’t work out and I felt really down, really depressed, really dark when we finished filming.”
Once filming wrapped, Simpson underwent a full blood panel during a doctor’s appointment — where the medical professional floated the idea of trying either Ozempic or a similar semaglutide.
“At that time I didn’t even know what Ozempic was honestly,” she recalled to Us. “The doctor was just like, ‘Oh, there’s this new weight loss drug and it’s just been FDA approved and it’s great. I think it would really help you lose some weight and you’ll feel better and you’ll be able to get working out again and feeling more like yourself.’ And I was like, ‘OK, sounds great.’ Anyway, I did that in December. It was great for my diet. It really just kickstarted me into eating better and eating healthier ’cause it makes you feel like crap ’cause nothing tastes good.”
While the controversial drug — which is designed to help individuals who struggle with weight-related issues — helped get Simpson on the right track, she also revamped her diet and exercise routine.
“I cut out a lot of things and I go to the gym seven days a week and work out. I work out like I’m training for a fitness competition. … That’s kind of the whole story,” she said on Tuesday. “The thing that bothers me the most is that when people comment on the way that I look, they constantly say, ‘Ozempic, Ozempic.’ And it’s like, yes, I did use that nine months ago or however many months ago it was, but I don’t like that it discounts all the hard work I put in. I don’t care if you say that all you want, but at least gimme credit for seven days a week, getting up at 6 a.m. every morning and busting my butt in the gym every single day.”
The Bravo star further explained that she did not want to use Ozempic “for long” and only to get a “jumpstart” on her new wellness regimen.
“It was very motivating when I started to notice that I was eating better and I’d lost a little weight and then the liposuction [in my arms] was helpful,” she told Us. “It was a good kickstart for me, but it was very difficult for me to function. I have three small children, so I couldn’t feel like that all the time. I can’t constantly feel nauseous. So it was very short-lived, but it was very effective.”
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
