'Matlock' star Kathy Bates was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2017
Kathy Bates began her weight-loss journey years ago after common movements became major challenges.
The Academy Award-winning actress set the record straight on accusations she relied on Ozempic to shed weight after losing 100 pounds over a span of seven years.
Bates, 76, admitted to using the medication, but was adamant that she put in the work herself, both mentally and physically.
KATHY BATES SAYS SHE'S ‘LOST 100 POUNDS' AFTER IT BECAME ‘HARD FOR ME TO WALK'
Kathy Bates used diet, exercise and Ozempic to help with weight-loss efforts. (Getty Images)
She noted that her weight-loss journey began years ago, and she lost 80 pounds before using Ozempic, which then helped her shed another 20 pounds.
"There’s been a lot of talk that I just was able to do this because of Ozempic," Bates told People magazine. "But I have to impress upon people out there that this was hard work for me, especially during the pandemic. It’s very hard to say you’ve had enough."
The "Matlock" star was inspired to take charge of her health after she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2017.
"I have to impress upon people out there that this was hard work for me, especially during the pandemic. It’s very hard to say you’ve had enough."
— Kathy Bates
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"I ate because I was afraid, and I ate because it was a FU to my self-esteem," she said. "[Diabetes] runs in my family, and I'd seen what my father had gone through. He had had a leg amputation. One of my sisters is dealing with it very seriously, and it terrified me. It scared me straight."
Kathy Bates lost 80 lbs. on her own before turning to Ozempic. (Getty)
Bates first changed her diet and stopped eating after 8 p.m.
"I used to eat terribly: burgers and Cokes and pizza," she said, but admitted that she still leaves a little room for an occasional treat.
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"We’ve been having trucks come to the lot over at Paramount to thank the crew, and yesterday we had Pink’s Hot Dogs. Oh, my God, I hadn’t had a hot dog in such a long time. Today I’m getting back on my track."
Figuring out a new workout routine is paramount for Bates now that she has wrapped the first season of the CBS reboot, where she stars as attorney Madeline "Matty" Matlock.
Kathy Bates stars as attorney Madeline "Matty" Matlock on the CBS reboot (Brooke Palmer/CBS)
"That's going to be my next thing that I'm worried about because I won't be on set running back and forth," she said "I have a treadmill here at the house, and I might try Pilates.
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"People always ask, 'Don't you want a trainer?' No, I really don't. I don't want anybody over my shoulder. It's just very important to me to keep this going. I don't want to slip."
"I have a treadmill here at the house, and I might try Pilates. People always ask, 'Don't you want a trainer?' No, I really don't. I don't want anybody over my shoulder. It's just very important to me to keep this going. I don't want to slip."
— Kathy Bates
Her weight loss "coincided beautifully" with the timing of the series.
"Madeline uses her unassuming demeanor and wily tactics to win cases and expose corruption from within," the new "Matlock" series description said. (Art Streiber/CBS)
"Physically, I’m capable of doing this show," Bates said. "I don’t have to sit down. I can stand up all day long and walk and move and breathe and do so many things that I couldn’t before."
Her weight loss has been beneficial in so many ways, including with her lymphedema symptoms, a condition which causes swelling in the body.
"It's been a tremendous benefit for me," she said "I'm lucky that I don't have to wear my compression sleeves every day. It's such a thrill to be able to put my arm into a jacket, and it fits."
Tracy Wright is an entertainment reporter for Fox News Digital. Send story tips to
