Melissa McCarthy Wins At People’s Choice Awards, Shows Off 75-Lb Weight Loss From Low-Carb Diet

Melissa McCarthy hasn’t just lost 75 pounds: The actress also has succeeded in doing what some feel is even harder, and that’s keeping the pounds from coming back. Stunning at the People’s Choice Awards this week, McCarthy took home an award and also took unofficial honors as a celebrity weight loss winner.

Wowing in her chic style, Melissa won Favorite Comedic Movie Actress at the awards show. She charmed the audience with her sweet acceptance speech, reported Closer Week.

“I want to thank you that I am lucky enough that I get to go to work and do something that I love everyday and that is 99.9% because of you.”

McCarthy has been showing off her weight loss since January of 2015, using a high-protein, low-carb diet. And while she wowed the audience with her impressively slimmer figure, Melissa also charmed celebrity fans backstage.

Until this year, McCarthy had never met Fuller House stars and fellow comedians Bob Saget and Dave Coulier, and the People’s Choice Awards provided the perfect opportunity, reported Glamour. Lori Loughlin joined in the excitement, and it all got captured on Twitter.

.@DaveCoulier next time look up! ? #FullerHouse meets #MelissaMcCarthy @bobsaget @LoriLoughlin @andreabarber @ScottWeinger @juanpablodipace pic.twitter.com/tInIxolxcl

— Jessica Radloff (@JRadloff) January 19, 2017

Although awards shows inevitably mean competition, Time magazine pointed out that Melissa deserves kudos for the friendliest attitude toward the other nominees in her category, although she did it with delightfully sarcastic humor.

Accepting her award for Favorite Comedic Movie Actress, McCarthy teased that she had been involved in combat with most of her competition. Kristen Wiig has “wing span” that’s “incredible,” joked Melissa.

“[Wiig] is like a beautiful, strong, aggressive orangutan,” said McCarthy before teasing about two other comic actresses.

“Kristen Bell and Rebel Wilson slashed my tires.”

While Melissa can’t resist a joke when it’s time for awards, she’s serious about the topic of body image. Prior to starting her own fashion line, Seven7, McCarthy attacked body-shamers, reported People magazine.

“People don’t stop at size 12.”

Melissa revealed that she feels there is a “big thing missing” when it comes to the fashion industry, with malls tending to “segregate plus-size [women].” McCarthy described how plus-size sections tend to be “upstairs hidden by the tire section,” mocking the reasoning behind that layout.

“‘We’ll put you gals over there because we don’t want to see you and you probably don’t want to be seen,'” she said.

But while Melissa is fierce in her belief that women of all sizes and shapes deserve to be able to choose beautiful clothes that flatter their figures, she’s also devoted to her low-carb diet. However, Shape quoted a source close to McCarthy who revealed that Melissa is “not obsessed with dieting; she’s looking for a happy medium.”

Noting that McCarthy credits her weight loss to a high-protein diet, the publication’s insider also said that Melissa began her diet because of her children.

“She realized she wasn’t being as healthy as she could be,” said the source.

“[Melissa McCarthy]wants to set a good example for her kids and wants to be around to become a grandmother too.”

As for sharing her pride in her weight loss from that high-protein, low-carb diet, McCarthy revealed her new dress size last year, reported the Daily Mail.

“I actually am a 14,” said the mom of two.

In addition to crediting her high-protein, low-carb diet, Melissa has stopped eating junk food, according to the media outlet. But she also noted that she makes sure to get lots of sleep.

“You bring it real down, you don’t do anything fun and you go to bed at 7:30 — that’s the trick [to weight loss].”

In addition to making movies and caring for her children, McCarthy has been working on her clothing line, Melissa McCarthy Seven7 Collection, which she said is doing well.

“Every time I fight for a seam or a better fabric or something, I think the fight’s worthwhile,” added Melissa.

Clothing sizes range from two to 28W, and McCarthy views her success as a way to make the point that “women come in all sizes.” She noted that 70 percent of women in the United States wear size 14 or larger, which technically puts them in the plus-size category.

“So you’re taking your biggest category of people and telling them, ‘You’re not really worthy,'” Melissa summed up. “It doesn’t make a lot of sense numbers-wise.”

[Featured Image by Christopher Polk/Getty Images]