A Real Housewives of New Jersey star is recalling the cruel ridicule she endured over weight on national television.
Lauren Manzo, the daughter of RHONJ star Caroline Manzo, appeared on the hit Bravo series alongside her famous family from 2012 to 2013, followed by the spin-off, Manzo'd with Children.
But she found herself subjected to cruel scrutiny about her physical appearance: 'On TV at 21, people would tell me I was fat and disgusting,' she told People.
While she has now dropped an impressive amount of weight with the help of the medication Mounjaro, memories of her struggles remain.
'I could be full to the point where I was in pain, but my brain was still, "It's time to eat,"' the 37-year-old said.
On top of the numerous diets she tried out over the years, she even went under the knife in an effort to drop the pounds, undergoing lap band surgery.
Lauren Manzo , the daughter of RHONJ star Caroline Manzo, got real about her weight loss struggles in a new interview
The star has shed a remarkable amount of weight in recent years with the help of weight loss medication Mounjaro
While she lost weight, she found herself beginning to vomit - a concerning sign she ignored 'because I was skinny.'
The lap band was removed but she ended up putting on an 'insane' amount of weight. Eventually, she weighed 208 pounds.
But it wasn't until recently that she found something that truly worked for her.
With the help of weight loss medication Mounjaro, Lauren is now in incredible shape - and last year she wore a bikini for the first time during a trip to Florida, she shared with People.
She credits the medication for saving her life.
'I really believed [Mounjaro] saved my life,' she said. 'What they say about food noise – I had never heard that term.'
She has been honest with fans about her weight loss journey on her social media accounts, sharing impressive before-and-after photos capturing her transformation.
'From surgery, functional medicine (which changed my life) giving up gluten & dairy (sob emoji). I still miss it but it’s been worth it!' she posted to Instagram back in 2023, along with a jaw-dropping before and after photo.
'And of course, my experience with Mounjaro to lose my last 30lbs. I have been promising you guys I’d do a video on all the details soon and I promise it’s on my to do list for when Markie starts school again! Thank you all for your kind words and support. I’m feel amazing and happy to feel like “Me” again. I don’t even know that girl on the left & i’m proud of how far I’ve come!'
While she was thanking fans for the support, not all the feedback she has been receiving has been positive.
Last year she was forced to defend herself after social media trolls criticized her decision to use the medication.
She addressed the scrutiny surrounding her slimmed-down figure as she explained to her followers that she is 'finally at a healthy weight.'
Lauren and her mother Carolina were on RHONJ and then got their own spin-off, Manzo'd with Children
Lauren with her Bravo star mother in 2010
Lauren with Melissa Gorga and Jacqueline Laurita on The Real Housewives of New Jersey back in 2011
After receiving a mean message under another post, claiming it was 'sad' she has become nearly unrecognizable, the TV personality admitted she was 'just confused' and 'sick of these comments.'
'They make no sense,' she said in the recording. 'I'm 5 foot, 3 inches and 115 pounds. The only thing I need to do to make myself healthier is build muscle... which I admit I'm too lazy to do.'
Lauren continued to defend her impressive weight-loss while pointing out that she doesn't 'look sick' and how 'nobody would question' her size if she still looked the same.
She has now found a health routine that works for her
'As [long as] I feel good, I'm okay,' Manzo added. 'I'm fine. This isn't sad. I just ate a ciabatta sandwich with a bunch of deli meat on it, a load of mayonnaise and Fritos. I'm fine.'
She concluded: 'Nothing sad here.'
The Manzo'd With Children alum, who welcomed her daughter Marchesa 'Markie' Anna Scalia with ex Vita Scalia in 2017, previously revealed she underwent lap band surgery.
During a previous appearance on Page Six's Virtual Reali-Tea podcast, the mother-of-one spoke about going gluten and dairy-free for a over a year, before going on Mounjaro.
Lauren is mother to eight-year-old Marchesa 'Markie' Scalia, whom she shares with her ex Vita Scalia
'I get it — people don't like it, people don't applaud it, people aren't whatever, but it's a shot in your stomach once a week, it's the same as Ozempic,' she explained.
Lauren continued: 'And honestly, I really do believe that obesity and things like that — they are a major issue with people — it is causing mental health issues for me.'
'You guys have seen the struggle with this since I'm 20 years old, and it's been really hard for me,' she told listeners. 'I understand that people that are prediabetic or that are diabetic do need this, but I also do believe that [the Ozempic trend has] helped people [with food issues too].'
'I mean, I'm not gonna lie, I feel like there have been times that I've been on the brink of an eating disorder or had issues myself. And this is the one thing — even above weight loss surgery — that has helped me a lot and cured me and mentally made me so much better. And I'm really grateful for it.'
She displayed her bikini body in a recent TikTok video
Her mom said she could not understand why her daughter had weight on her: 'She was working out like an animal [and] eating right' but 'she just could not lose weight.'
The weight loss comes amid another major transition for Lauren - life as a single woman.
She officially finalized her divorce from Vita Scalia earlier this year.
The former couple got married on July 18, 2015 at a church in New York City and then separated after eight years together.
They share one daughter together: eight-year-old Marchesa 'Markie' Scalia.
