
Somaya Reece Reveals Her Weight Loss Strategy & The Breast Reduction That Changed Her Life

A few years ago, she quietly began undergoing a make-under. She toned down her style, changed her eating habits and then made headlines when she announced that she’d be undergoing a breast reduction. The results, revealed on her Instagram, were more than anyone could have ever imagined. Somaya spoke to us by phone from her LA home to talk about what she calls ‘the best decision she’s ever made’, and shared her diet plan for those who are interested in losing weight and getting fit.
Check out our interview below.
When did you first start the weight loss plan?I’d been trying to lose weight for a long time. I first started losing weight at the end of 2011.
This was your first battle with your weight, right?
I’ve been dealing with weight issues for years. I used to be really super thin. When I first started modeling, I had a team of sharks around me, who didn’t have my best interest in mind. I had an agency that told me I had drop a lot of weight.
So you’ve felt the outside pressures to be thin, for a while now?
[Back] When I was on my MySpace, people didn’t understand I was starving to be thin. I wasn’t eating. At one point I was a size 0, and I’m 5’10. I had a lot of really bad people advising me and I got sick. I collapsed on a set of a commercial. I was rushed to the hospital and treated for malnutrition and low iron. Finally the doctor told me, if I continued to not eat, I would die.
And that’s when you started gaining weight. How did that make you feel?It made me angry, and finally I just said if no one’s gonna love me as I am, then is this business really worth it. So I started eating normally and I got thick, which is how my body naturally is.
[easy-tweet tweet="Finally I said if no one’s gonna love me as I am, then is this business really worth it."]
So cut to years later, and you’re on Love & Hip Hop. Did you start to feel pressure to lose weight again?
It’s funny because I actually felt resistance to being thin. Now I had a team that kept telling me ‘thick is in’. And coming to New York was a big piece of it, being in LA it’s hard to stay in shape out here. You’re in a car all day. Working on the show, I was always doing stuff and the hustle is so fast paced, I was struggling to keep up. I had to switch up what I was doing.
Where did you start?
With my diet. My schedule was so crazy that I wasn’t eating, and then by the time I did eat, I would just grab anything. And finally I realized I wasn’t getting enough calories to lose weight. So I had to start becoming super strict about what I was eating, and how often. I started setting a schedule, making sure I ate every three hours, which is harder than you might think.
And did you change what you were eating?
Absolutely. I started eating clean. No fried foods, no junk food. Lots of vegetables, fruit, lean proteins. And I had to get a hold of portion sizes. I started drinking protein shakes, especially in the morning because I’m not big on breakfast.
What type of working out did you do?
I started working out 3-5 times a week. I was walking, climbing stairs, taking classes in the gym, when I’m in LA I hike, that’s like my thing. I do a lot of weight training, multiple reps with low weights. I’ll do two to three sets of an exercise using no more than 3-5 lbs weights. It helps build lean muscle. And that burns fat.
And this was your lifestyle, everyday?
I would allow myself a cheat day every once and a while, where I would eat something that I’d been craving. We’re talking maybe a donut or burrito. That was important, so I didn’t feel like I couldn’t have the things I loved.
How soon did you start seeing results?
Right away. But there was always the issue with my breasts. They always made me appear bigger than I really was.
Was that the leading reason you started considering the breast reduction?
There were a bunch of reasons. I’d always had a flat stomach, no matter how big I got. But you didn’t know it, because of my breasts. And I’d hear people talking about how my blazers never closed, or how they couldn’t take me seriously because my boobs were always out. But I couldn’t help it. And the scarring from bras, that’s real. And it hurts. They were just too big.
How did the people around you react when you told them you were considering the surgery?
My old management was against it. He insisted that I would lose my fan base. My family, especially my mother, was very supportive. She was the one that encouraged me to speak out about it. She said that my story might inspire someone else.
What was the public feedback?
I had this one guy tweet to me ‘If you cut off your boobs, I’m unfollowing you.’ But even though I got a lot of negative feedback like that, I also got A LOT of support. It’s overwhelming how much support I got from other women. So that let me know that I did the right thing by speaking out.
How was the recovery after the surgery?
The first week was the hardest. For a second I had to ask myself, did I really do the right thing? Its hard not being able to do anything for yourself. My sister had to bathe me. And that’s…a humiliating feeling. The pain wasn’t constant but when it did hit? It was terrible. There were a couple of times where I bumped myself and that was the worst. And I had to sleep sitting up for five weeks.
How do you feel now?
Now, I feel like it’s the best thing I could’ve ever done. I’m so much happier. I feel better. My back feels better. My clothes fit. I’m more comfortable. I don’t feel like I’m gawked at. And it’s totally changed my shape.
In total, how much weight have you lost?
I’ve lost a little over 20 lbs. But it’s all fat. And I’ve developed some long, lean muscle. I was more concerned with being healthy. I have energy now. I can keep up with my schedule. And I feel so much better about myself.
What is your new bra size?I went from a 40EE to a full D cup. I’m happy. The doctor told me they took about two pounds from each breast.
What’s next for you?
I’m continuing to work on my music. And I want to talk more about my weight loss and hopefully inspire others to reach their own goals.
Somaya shared with us her menu for a typical day. Catch it on the next page.
Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by xoNecole/YouTube
Self-Validation, No Meals After 5 P.M. & The Wellness Rituals That Helped Lizzo Take Her Power Back
Don't let the "weight release" fool you, Lizzo's transformation wasn't just physical. It was spiritual, emotional, and deeply personal. In her Women's Health cover story, the "Good As Hell" artist opened up about the low point that became the catalyst for radical change in her life, inside and out.
In the summer of 2023, Lizzo found herself at the center of what she calls painful allegations when some of her former dancers filed a lawsuit against her. The 37-year-old singer has denied their claims, and though she has experienced "backlash my entire career," going through such legal woes coupled with public scrutiny proved to be detrimental to her mental health, leading her to one of the darkest periods of her life.
She told Women's Health, "I got very paranoid and isolated. I wasn’t even talking to my therapist. I wasn’t present. I wasn’t open. I wasn’t myself anymore."
After spending months in isolation, Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, decided to go to a tour stop on the Renaissance World Tour. She was nervous that the public would shun her, boo her, or reject her, but instead, she was embraced. It shifted something in her and after feeling so in the dark, she saw the light again. "It made me feel like, wow, maybe I don’t want to die," she shared with Women's Health.
"That was the kick-starter to me being like, ‘Okay, Melissa, get your ass in gear and take your f*cking life back.’"
Her first step in Operation Get Your Life Back? Cutting out the external noise. She gave her team total control of her social media and stopped looking at comments. "My validation was from external sources, people telling me they loved me, or that I look good, and accepting me," she explained. "But if that’s all I’m getting my validation from, when it changes—and it will, because people are not always going to like you—what happens? Where are you going to get your love from?"
Lizzo continued, "I can convince myself that I’m beautiful, my body fine, no matter how big or small. But reminding myself that you can’t let others tell you who you are—that was hard work."
Lizzo started going to therapy again, she started practicing quigong meditation, reading books, journaling, and doing sound baths. She released unhealthy relationships, drank echinacea tea, and began incorporating Pilates as a means to "feel sacred" and "be gentle" with herself.
But what many have interpreted as a "weight loss transformation" after she popped out sharing she met her "weight release" goal earlier this year, Lizzo has clarified that it has been something deeper for her than the aesthetic of a smaller body. "I wanted to be big-girl skinny," she told the mag. "Every big girl knows what I’m talking about. Big-girl skinny is 250 pounds." According to her, it was her back issues that inspired her to take the physical part of her wellness journey seriously.
I DID IT! #weightrelease
@lizzo I DID IT! #weightrelease
Through her friend Kelly Rowland, she linked up with her now-trainer Marvin Telp and developed a fitness regimen that prioritized strength and intention. Her weekly schedule now includes moves like single-leg deadlifts, reverse flies, and lateral lunges, along with infrared sauna sessions and cardio. Add to that a change in eating habits after realizing her vegan diet no longer served her (to be fair, she wasn't doing the vegan thing the "healthiest" way).
All the meat substitutes, bread, cashew cheese, and soy left her bloated and lightheaded, so now she's switched things up a bit to fill the nutritional gaps. When it comes to diet, it's heavy on the protein and vegetables for Lizzo. A typical day eating looks like scrambled eggs and cauliflower hash browns for breakfast, Thai chicken salad or lettuce wraps for lunch, and turkey meatloaf with greens for dinner.
She also has a strict cutoff of no meals after 5 p.m. to support her GERD and give her body the time it needs before bed to digest her food sans the acid reflux. Of her relationship with food and wellness, she told Women's Health, "There's a balance. I think that's what true health is."
Read Lizzo's full cover story with Women's Health here.
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Featured image by Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock