Nebraska-born, top plus-size model and superstar Ashley Graham was discovered at just 12 years old at a model and talent convention.

Graham signed her very first modeling contract with the local agency, before making a big move three years later to join mega-agency Ford Models.

She’s done any and everything since then, from runway and editorial modeling, to movies and TV commercials, among other things. However, her golden moment came when she became the first plus-size model to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated in a bikini, for the sports magazine’s 2016 Swimsuit Edition.

Graham has since been in the spotlight multiple times over because of the changes her fans and others have seen in her body, which has some serious sparks flying.

She’s been slammed many times before either for losing what made her famous or for promoting obesity, but she doesn’t seem to care about what people think.

Want to know how she moved from flab to fab? Follow along to find out her weight loss diet, whether she used supplements or surgery, and the famous Apple Cider Vinegar associated with her new body.

Who Is Ashley Graham & Why Is She Famous?

Ashley Graham is a plus-size model, TV presenter, actor, YouTuber and activist who began her career as a model in high school.

Back then, Graham already had the modeling requirements that body brands sought after, what with her white skin, flat tummy, charisma, beautiful face and perfect hair. Soon enough, she was the go-to model for brands that wanted e-shop and catalog shootings.

The 32-year old star has modeled for Vogue Arabia, American Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, and Glamour. She’s also done advertising campaigns for Calvin Klein, H&M, Marina Rinaldi, and Bloomingdale’s, among other brands.

The American model is known for her body confidence and accessibility, and is one of the most popular faces in the modeling industry, especially for curvy or plus-sized women as she prefers to call them.

In fact, she’s been described as the “real beauty” movement’s ambassador that celebrates real women’s bodies instead of the impossible fashion industry standards for women’s bodies.

How Much Does Ashley Graham Weigh?

According to The Sun, Graham weighs about 201 pounds, with measurements of 42-30-46, and a bra size of 38D.

There’s a lot of interest and backlash in equal measure over Ashley Graham’s weight. She’s been slammed for several reasons, but she doesn’t seem to care about such comments.

She’s even the proud founder of ALDA, and a serious body positivity activist – a role that she takes seriously as she inspires and empowers millions of her followers.

Recently, she received comments about having lost more weight, but she denies it. The curvy supermodel said in an interview with Glamour magazine that she received backlash over her appearance and that she seems to have lost weight.

She wishes that people knew her well enough to know that her body was the same and that she hadn’t changed anything about her weight other than the weight she gained in the last five years.

This isn’t the first time she’s been criticized for her figure. One time she posted workout videos on Instagram and people said she exercises to lose weight so she shouldn’t be a plus-size model anymore. However, Graham set the record straight saying she does it to get energized and feel good. Graham doesn’t let the hate get to her though. Sometimes she actually writes back to her trolls just so they can back off.

She has her own size-inclusive denim collection that she designed, which put her on the Forbes’ list of the highest-earning and paid models in 2017. Consequently, she also became a Revlon brand ambassador.

It is this success that she believes has led many to post lots of nasty things that aren’t true, but she’s been around for a while and believes she’s just been given a voice.

What Is Ashley Graham’s Diet?

Despite the criticism, Ashley Graham is a fan of working out, but she also maintains a healthy diet for a healthy lifestyle.

Graham follows a super strict diet that’s filled with veggies and green juice, but sometimes she loves to indulge in some mac and cheese, and pizza crust dipped in Nutella.

You’re probably wondering what she eats in a day, but what you’ll discover is her menu is so easy to follow. Here’s a breakdown of what the queen of positivity has in her diet.

Drink

Graham loves her green juice, and she takes some every day. Her favorite green juice combo is a blend of lemon, kale or spinach, ginger, apple, beets, and parsley. Sometimes she takes a bottle of the Green Giant juice by East Coast chain Juice Press, whenever she’s on the go, which has similar ingredients plus cayenne powder for a little kick.

Lunch

Ashley Graham rarely puts meat in her lunches until at night because it’s slow to digest. However, her lunches still have a lot of protein. Plus, she packs some green salads with carrots, avocado, quinoa, tomatoes, and any green leafy vegetable. To dress the salad, she adds some pesto sauce, but she also loves brown rice and quinoa bowls with tahini and veggies.

Dinner

Graham loves having veggies lightly sautéed with olive oil and sweet potato or chicken with Brussels sprouts. Those are her go-to meals for dinner. Sweet potato is one of her favorite foods, which she enjoys with baked salmon and arugula.

Snacks

Snacks are a part of Graham’s diet, and the most common are bananas and apples. She loves fruits that she can grab and eat on the go, but she also reaches for some squares of super-dark chocolate whenever she has an energy crash in the afternoons.

Graham is a huge proponent of the balanced diet, though hers is a little bit different. She prefers to eat healthy but lets it off the hook once in a while. Her trainer takes her through some pretty intense workouts three times a week, which means she has some room to eat and splurge on mac and cheese and mashed potatoes.

She also has an insane pizza hack, which is a meal and dessert all at the same time. She says she goes fat girl on by taking the crust of a big pizza pie and dipping it in Nutella.

Ordinarily, her weight loss diet is low-carb, full of real food, and lots of fruits that she eats on an empty stomach, probably because of the stomach upset and acid reflux she suffered before. She’s also careful about what, how, and when she eats and focuses on proteins only when paired with non-starchy veggies, plus greens and whole grains.

Ashley Graham Workout Routine

Ashley Graham’s social media accounts are chock full of photos that show how intense she works out. Her trainer, Dawin Pena, the co-founder of the gym she goes to takes her through HIIT like lunges, ball smash, jumping squats, burpees, jackknife, and scissor legs.

She also does strength training like planks, sledgehammer swings, push-ups, resistance band hip thrusts, barbell squats, and double band sumo deadlifts.

Graham has also run a 5K marathon, which was her first one at the time, and does aerial stretching for a more flexible body. She loves kickboxing, which is her favorite form of exercise as she’s able to burn more calories, strengthen her muscles and bones, and improve her reaction time.

The fitness enthusiast does different types of workouts so she can stay strong, fit, and agile.

She puts fitness as one of her priorities and mixes up things in the gym with fun activities like rollerblading. However, it’s not every day that she works out; she too has her days when she doesn’t like it.

Since she became a model, Graham has worked hard to advocate for body positivity while shattering health and wellness stereotypes. She focuses on how her emotions, not body, can be changed by working out.

In fact, her greatest reward from working out is in knowing that her mind feels well, over and above what she gains for her own body. She’s not irritated or anxious but feels calmer and more equipped to make better diet and life decisions in general.

She also works on shattering mindsets and beliefs that health isn’t limited by your body shape or pant size. She believes anyone can be healthy at any size so long as you move your body.

Graham’s workout approach is trial and error, trying out different classes that she likes though she wouldn’t do again. Now, she loves things she never imagined she’d ever like, including kickboxing. Her favorite workouts are with trainers based in New York City at The Dogpound, co-founded by Dawin Pena.

Pena’s description of Graham’s workout routine is not for the faint of heart though. It includes a blend of the classics for a total body conditioning routine, and high-intensity work with hammers, medicine balls, and a large tire.

He believes she’s busy, but it doesn’t get in the way of her getting a great workout in a short amount of time. Generally, Pena says she does some calisthenics and weights with a high rep count, for a higher heart rate, plus anywhere between 15 and 35 reps per exercise that focus on her body parts and spiking the heart rate.

Graham is also a fan of aerial yoga and other simple activities like jumping rope and rollerblading. Her busy schedule doesn’t stop her from engaging in fitness, as she finds a way of squeezing it in, even taking her resistance bands wherever she goes.

She loves doing lower-body moves like the resistance band hip thrusts that target glutes and hamstrings, which she does even in the hotel gyms. She believes people can do anything they set their minds to, including losing weight.

Ashley Graham Weight Loss Supplements & Surgery

Does Ashley Graham use supplements? Did she undergo surgery to lose weight?

These are some common questions you’ll find with popular weight loss stories especially those that are highly publicized and are usually related to celebrities.

Ashley Graham brings a whole new perspective to modeling as a first in many aspects for plus-size models. She continues challenging the views of past modeling stereotypes and what it has been.

She also uses her recognition to do good in society, making sure young girls know their beauty, besides being a successful model, TV presenter, and YouTuber.

So how did she get her current stunning transformation?

Well, Graham does have some favorite supplements, but they’re not necessarily related to food or weight loss in that regard. In fact, one of her favorite ones is a sleep supplement that helps you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up without feeling groggy.

Graham is such a huge fan of the supplements that she even posted a picture of the Daily Energy supplements on Instagram because extra energy begins with good sleep.

The supplements are made with melatonin, which works with the L-Theanine amino acid and botanicals to encourage a calm feeling so you can relax and sleep faster without using drugs or chemical sleep aids.

The botanicals in the sleep supplements include lemon balm, passionflower, and chamomile. It also has plant-sourced antioxidants and plant-sourced phytonutrients so you’re sure you’re not just chewing sugared candy.

Other supplements that Ashley Graham can’t get enough of include her moisturizer, toothpaste, and sunscreen.

She revealed some of her personal care products on Instagram including the IntelliWHITE Coco Brite toothpaste, made from xylitol and coconut oil, to keep your smile pearly white. She also uses Carasoin Cold Fusion Intense moisturizer for flawless skin, as it contains omega-3s, and vitamins A, C, E, and D.

Finally, she uses Elta MD UV Sport Sunscreen, a water-resistant lotion that protects against harmful UV rays with SPF 50, thanks to the zinc oxide it contains.

Ashley Graham Surgery

Graham has also done cosmetic acupuncture surgery that is said to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.

If you know about acupuncture treatments for sleep, pain, digestive problems, and weight loss, then you understand cosmetic acupuncture.

Cosmetic acupuncture is a non-surgical and non-chemical approach to anti-aging, which claims to help improve the look of dark spots, fine lines, and wrinkles.

You’ll hear celebrities Kim Kardashian and Gwyneth Paltrow touting the acu-facelift procedure on their social media channels. Now Ashley Graham is one of the latest to experiment with it.

Graham showed herself lying down in a recent video with several needles stuck in her face. She was doing some well-aging acupuncture, according to the post, and you can even see every angle of her face as she moves the camera.

The procedure is a holistic anti-aging alternative to other invasive procedures including Botox, but it’s relatively painless, however scary it sounds or even looks.

Cosmetic acupuncture is done by licensed acupuncture practitioners who find acupuncture points on the face and create micro-injuries with tiny needles. The injuries stimulate your body to increase blood flow by creating an immune response, and in turn enhance collagen production, while reducing inflammation. This way, you get a more youthful appearance.

The procedure varies from one practitioner to another, and lasts about 1 hour to 70 minutes, with between 20 to 40 needles used.

It also has several styles and techniques like you would with workouts, and it’s important that you get it done by a licensed practitioner specifically trained in cosmetic acupuncture.

The overall goal of using cosmetic acupuncture is to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, but ultimately, people tend to experience a bright complexion. The needling also helps enhance the function and health of the muscle tissue and skin, building collagen through micro-injury, and increasing circulation to your tissues.

It makes sense why Graham and other stars would opt for cosmetic surgery given its benefits, and voluntarily have needles stuck in their face.

How To Get In Shape And Look Gorgeous Like Ashley Graham

If you’re looking to start dieting, working out, and getting the Ashley Graham look for yourself, whether you’re a plus-size or not, here are a few things you can start doing:

Shake off the haters

Ashley Graham is wary of haters in her life but for her to achieve the body she has right now, she has to ignore the mockers and not let it get to her. She shakes off whatever negativity comes her way to achieve her health and fitness goals. Fitness is double-edged so avoid whatever negative comments you get or names people call you so you can achieve your goals.

Have a positive mindset and body image

A healthy body image begins in your mind, so does body positivity. You may see images of perfect bodies all around you or in your head, but you can change that by accepting and knowing your body type, respecting other people’s body types, and not be bothered by how curvy or skinny you look. Make fitness and healthy living a priority in your life too.

Eating healthy

Ashley Graham eats healthy foods that she makes an important part of her diet, though she does indulge in a little junk food now and then. She draws energy and strength to workout by eating healthy so that she doesn’t feel tired. Eating clean also helps you protect your body from fatal diseases like kidney, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and changes your life altogether.

Workout

You can stay active by working out at least three times or days in a week. Don’t make working out a punishment but ensure you enjoy it for better results. You can swim, go for long walks, run, dance, do bodyweight exercises, lift weights, kickbox, or engage in TRX training, and more.

Cheat meal days

This isn’t a must, but you can have cheat meal days where you can have some extra calories in your healthy lifestyle. For example, you can earn a cheat meal day after having six days of working out to prevent your weight loss from plateauing. You also get to enjoy your current diet without feeling guilty.

Sleep

As we’ve already seen, Ashley Graham believes in getting a good night’s sleep to get more energy for the day ahead. Sleeping for at least 7 to 9 hours at most every day is mandatory for the proper functioning of your brain and body. It also helps your body flush out any toxins, kicks out negative thinking, and enhances your mood. For a better and healthier glow like Ashley’s, get some good, quality sleep.

Passion and doing what you love

If you’ve lost touch with your passions and your hobbies, pick them up again. By doing what you really love, and you’re not under pressure to perform it well, you can improve your productivity, reduce stress, and stop feeling overworked every time.

Wrapping Up

Ashley Graham is a superstar, icon, and a huge role model not just for young ladies, but also for older women and millions of other people. 

Her decision to lose weight is a personal one and should be respected. She’s also passionate about body positivity, and this is a great thing to help other people struggling with their weight and body image. 

If you’re looking to have the same look as Graham’s, just because someone’s body-shamed you or you just don’t like how you look, there are practical ways of getting into your desired body shape but don’t do it because someone else told you to. 

Do it because you have a strong desire to from within, and you want to for your own good and health, but remember, your size has nothing to do with being healthy or looking fit. 

Your target should be to be fit and healthy and take care of your body every day.