Here Comes Honey Boo Boo has come and gone, and Mama June Shannon has lost a massive amount of weight.
That doesn"t mean that she"s done with reality TV. Rumors have been swirling about what exactly June Shannon"s weight-loss spinoff will be.
And now, at last, we have some details about what June has planned to inspire fans to follow her example: a workout video.
America could not tear it eyes away from the bizarre sideshow attraction that was Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.
Some reality shows are about something. Somebody"s journey or romance or career.
Here Comes Honey Boo Boo was "about" the life of child beauty pageant winner Alana Thompson and her family.
It ran for five season (well, four seasons — the fifth season aired later as "lost" after June Shannon was accused of engaging in a relationship with a registered sex offender … yikes).
But Mama June didn"t let that keep her from being a reality star.
She came back as the star of From Not to Hot, getting a total makeover.
Mama June went from over 400 pounds to well under 200, losing 300 pounds in the process.
If you"re thinking "well, some people are just bigger," keep in mind that while that"s true and while, say, football players might be in the 300 to 400 pound range, Mama June is only 5-foot-4.
We"re not out to body-shame anyone, but it was Mama June who decided that she wanted to change her weight and her whole body, and that definitely sounds like the better decision for her health.
But now that June has had multiple surgeries to aid weight loss and then to remove the excess skin …
(That"s the secret downside to massive weight loss, folks — that skin doesn"t magically go away, and needs to be surgically removed)
… What is she going to do next?
HollywoodLife reports that she wants to pay it forward and help inspire other women to transform themselves and their lives.
With a workout video.
"June is looking into making a workout video, she thinks her dramatic slim down could be great motivation for other women struggling with their weight."
Though Mama June had help and resources that most people don"t, she managed to lose, well, more weight than most people have to begin with. She could really be an inspiration.
And she did more than just go under the knife. She can share what she"s learned.
"June’s lifestyle habits have undergone a drastic turnaround since she decided to get in shape, and she now eats super healthy, in addition to working out every day."
That is so important for losing weight — with or without surgery.
It"s also important for maintaining that weight loss.
"June is fully committed to maintaining her weight loss, she’s worked really hard to drop the pounds, and she intends to never go back to her previous size."
You might think that her surgeries, which included limiting the capacity of her stomach, would totally prevent her from regaining weight.
But your body tends to try to keep its largest size, and we imagine that hers is in starvation mode and working overtime to store every calorie that she consumes.
She needs to be constantly vigilant if she wants to stay the way that she is.
"June feels like a completely different woman now, she has so much more energy, and for the first time in years she actually really likes what she sees in the mirror."
Obviously, weight loss is a personal decision, not an obligation.
But a lot of people who do choose to lose weight, whether it"s a little or a lot, find that having a peer group can be helpful.
That"s why spin classes exist. And Weight Watchers. And so on.
But that"s not necessarily feasible for everyone. A workout video about weight loss, on the other hand, with a reality star to bring it attention and recognition, could work wonders for a lot of people.
Mama June sounds particularly interested in helping to inspire other women to lose weight.
She"s not necessarily being sexist. She, herself, is a woman.
Also, we live in a society that values men by their wallets or sense of humor while it values women by their attractiveness and bodies.
Sure, there are exceptions, but the social conditioning is powerful. You still see men in their 50s paired up with 25-year-old actresses in films.
And you"re still more likely to see that kind of gap between age and gender in everyday life than you are to see it with the genders reversed.
In the video below, you"ll see June Shannon talk about the sorts of lifestyle changes that she"s made.
Don"t worry, folks — she still has cheat foods available.
That"s something important for people who want to follow her example to keep in mind — just because you want to lose weight doesn"t mean that you have to give up on ever being happy again.
Honestly, the difference in Mama June"s figure from how it was just a few years ago is wildly staggering.
She really could be an inspiration. But … when, we wonder, will this workout video actually happen?
