When Adele’s dramatic transformation became public in 2020, the internet went into overdrive. The Grammy-winning singer looked very different, and everyone wanted a shortcut. There wasn’t one. What she has described, and what her trainer and the wider reporting suggest, is a long, structured project built on physical fitness, a tighter healthy diet and a lot of attention to mental health. Here is what is known, what is speculation, and what ordinary readers can take from it.
What Method Did Adele Use to Lose Weight?
Adele is widely reported to have lost around 45 kilograms (100 pounds) over roughly two years, starting in 2018. She has never published a formal plan. The picture comes from her own interviews and from reports about her training and eating, which combined strength-focused workouts, a reduced-sugar diet that was reportedly based on the Sirtfood Diet, and major lifestyle changes. It wasn’t a quick fix or a pill. It was consistent effort, professional guidance and a complete shift in how she approached food and exercise.
She trained with personal trainer Dalton Wong, who has been named in connection with her workouts. Reports also linked her eating to sirtfoods, foods said to be high in polyphenols that activate sirtuins, a family of proteins involved in cell regulation and metabolism. Adele herself has talked far more about the training and the mindset than about any named diet, so treat the diet details as reported rather than confirmed.
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What Is the Sirtfood Diet That Adele Followed?
The Sirtfood Diet is built around foods that are said to activate sirtuins, proteins that help regulate cellular stress responses and metabolism. It became famous because of the reports linking it to Adele’s weight loss, though she has not publicly endorsed it as the reason for her results.
The foods most associated with the diet are:
- Kale and other leafy greens
- Dark chocolate (85% cocoa or higher)
- Green tea
- Red wine (in moderation)
- Walnuts
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Strawberries and blueberries
- Turmeric
- Buckwheat
- Capers
None of these are exotic. A large supermarket or a chain like Whole Foods Market will stock almost all of them, which makes the shopping list far easier than the diet’s reputation suggests.
The original programme has two phases. Phase one lasts seven days: about 1,000 calories per day for the first three days, then 1,500 for the next four. Phase two is a 14-day maintenance phase with three sirtfood-rich meals and one green juice daily. After that, followers are encouraged to keep including sirtfoods in normal meals.
Sirtuins are a genuine area of research, and many sirtfoods are nutritious. But the evidence that eating them activates sirtuins enough to burn fat in people is limited. The extreme calorie restriction in phase one, effectively a very-low-calorie diet, is what drives most of the early weight loss. A fair reading is that the foods are good for you, while the rapid drop on the scale is mainly a calorie deficit, and much of the first week’s loss is water.
How Often Did Adele Exercise?
Adele has been reported to train twice a day, sometimes three times, mixing weight training, circuit training and Pilates, often for 90 minutes to two hours in total. That is a professional-level schedule, and she has said she was strict about it during that period.
Weight training was central. Building muscle raises your basal metabolic rate, the calories your body burns at rest to keep you alive, because muscle is more metabolically active than fat. The effect is real but modest: each kilogram of added muscle burns only a small number of extra calories daily. The larger benefit of strength training is that it protects muscle while you eat less, so more of what you lose is fat.
Circuit training alternates exercises with minimal rest. It keeps your heart rate high, so it delivers aerobic exercise and strength work in the same session and burns plenty of calories in a short time. It also suits people who are short on time.
Pilates built core strength, flexibility and posture. It burns fewer calories than high-intensity cardio, but it supports muscle tone and better body composition, which is why someone can look noticeably leaner even when the scale barely moves.
Did Adele Cut Out Certain Foods Completely?
Adele is reported to have cut back sharply on sugar, ultra-processed foods and alcohol, a big change for someone who had enjoyed wine regularly. When people ask how Adele lost weight, the answer keeps coming back to these dietary changes combined with training.
Sugar reduction alone can make a real difference. Many adults eat the equivalent of 50 to 60 grams of added sugar a day, which is 200 to 240 calories with little nutritional value. Removing it creates a calorie deficit without requiring tiny portions, and it tends to steady energy and appetite through the day.
Heavy food processing is part of the problem. Processed foods are typically energy-dense, easy to overeat and low in fibre and protein, so they leave you hungry sooner. Swapping them for minimally processed foods such as vegetables, eggs, legumes, fish and whole grains lowers calories and lifts nutritional quality at the same time.
How Long Did It Take Adele to See Results?
Her transformation took roughly two years, from about 2018 to 2020. That gradual pace is healthier and more sustainable than rapid loss. Losing around 0.5 to 1 kilogram per week is generally considered a safe rate by health professionals.
The first changes are usually internal. Within weeks of starting a new routine, people commonly report better energy, sleep and mood well before the mirror shows much. Visible change tends to appear after four to six weeks of consistency, and it often arrives sooner than people expect. If you’re short on time, it’s worth reading whether you can get in shape in just 2 months.
Research on weight management generally finds that people who lose weight gradually, and build habits around it, are more likely to keep it off than those who crash diet. Adele’s two-year timeline points to sustainable change rather than a short, extreme push.
What Role Did Mental Health Play in Adele’s Weight Loss?
Adele has been open that her motivation was about her mental wellbeing, not her appearance. She told British Vogue that working out became a way to cope with anxiety and the stress of her divorce, and described it as her form of therapy. She has said she didn’t do it to please anyone else.
Exercise releases endorphins and helps lower the stress hormone cortisol, and chronically high cortisol is associated with fat storage around the middle. Reviews of clinical research have found regular exercise helps with mild to moderate depression and anxiety, and it is now recommended alongside other treatment for major depressive disorder. It is not a replacement for professional care, and anyone struggling should talk to a doctor or psychologist.
This focus matters because exercising for how it feels, rather than purely for weight loss, tends to improve long-term adherence. Motivation that comes from feeling better is easier to sustain than motivation based on appearance alone.
Can Regular People Follow Adele’s Approach?
Honestly, most people can’t replicate her exact routine. Adele had access to personal trainers, nutrition support and the time to train multiple hours a day. If you work full time and have family responsibilities, exercising twice daily isn’t realistic.
The principles, though, are well within reach:
- Prioritise protein – The minimum recommended intake is about 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight daily, and many people who train find 1.2 to 1.6 grams helps them keep muscle while losing fat.
- Reduce processed foods and sugar – Build meals around whole foods like vegetables, fruit, lean proteins and whole grains.
- Exercise consistently – Even 30 minutes of daily activity makes a meaningful difference.
- Strength train – Building muscle supports your metabolism and improves body composition. Even two sessions a week helps, and it’s a reminder that flabby bodies can absolutely be toned at any starting point.
- Look after your mental health – Exercise should improve your wellbeing, not just your appearance.
- Be patient – Sustainable weight loss takes time.
The cost of personal training in Australia typically ranges from about $50 to $150 per session. That adds up quickly, so many people choose online coaching at roughly $50 to $200 per month, or free resources like workout videos and fitness apps.
What Do Nutrition Experts Say About Adele’s Diet?
Nutrition professionals have mixed views of the Sirtfood Diet. They agree that the foods are nutritious, but the extreme restriction in phase one raises concerns. Eating about 1,000 calories a day is well below what most adults need, and prolonged restriction can reduce muscle, energy and diet quality.
Registered dietitians also point out that any diet that limits intake to 1,000 to 1,500 calories will produce weight loss, whether or not sirtfoods are involved. The result comes from the deficit, not from special properties in the food.
The positive side is that sirtfoods really are healthy. They’re rich in antioxidants, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Including them in a balanced, moderate healthy diet offers the benefits without the risks of a very-low-calorie plan.
Did Adele Use Any Weight Loss Supplements or Medications?
Adele has not said she used weight loss supplements or medication, and she has attributed her change to training and lifestyle. The weight loss industry is full of products that promise quick results and often don’t deliver.
In Australia, a dietary supplement is generally regulated as a complementary medicine by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, but many products still make claims that aren’t backed by strong evidence, and some can interact with prescription medicines or cause side effects. If you’re considering any supplement, speak to your doctor or pharmacist first.
The foundation remains what Adele described: eat nutritious food in sensible portions and move regularly. No supplement replaces that.
How Can You Turn Adele’s Principles Into a Realistic Week?
Most celebrity stories stop at what the star did. The more useful question is how a normal schedule can borrow the structure. Here is a practical weekly template that keeps Adele’s priorities (strength, variety, food quality and recovery) without the hours.
- Two to three strength sessions (30 to 45 minutes): Full-body work with squats, rows, presses and hinges. This is the main driver of changes in body composition.
- Two aerobic sessions (20 to 40 minutes): Brisk walking, cycling or a circuit class. Keep one easy and one harder.
- One mobility or Pilates session: Good for posture, core control and injury prevention.
- Daily walking: A 20 to 30 minute walk adds up and supports mood and appetite control.
- One full rest day: Adequate sleep and recovery matter as much as training.
On the food side, aim for a moderate deficit rather than a crash diet. A reasonable starting point is about 300 to 500 calories below your maintenance level, which your basal metabolic rate and activity level help determine. Online calculators give a rough estimate, and a dietitian or trainer can refine it. Build each plate around protein and vegetables, keep some of the sirtfoods you enjoy such as berries, olive oil and green tea, and leave room for the occasional treat so the plan stays livable.
Track more than the scale. Waist measurements, how your clothes fit, your strength numbers and your energy levels give a clearer picture of progress, especially when you are building muscle at the same time as losing fat.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much weight did Adele actually lose?
Adele is widely reported to have lost about 45 kilograms (100 pounds) between roughly 2018 and 2020. She has not published exact figures herself.
Did Adele have weight loss surgery?
There is no evidence of this. She has credited exercise and lifestyle changes.
What did Adele eat in a typical day?
She hasn’t shared a detailed meal plan. Reports describe a diet built around sirtfoods such as leafy greens, berries, dark chocolate and green tea, with much less sugar, processed food and alcohol.
How many calories did Adele eat per day?
This hasn’t been confirmed. The Sirtfood Diet’s first phase prescribes 1,000 to 1,500 calories daily, but how closely she followed it, and for how long, is not publicly known.
Can you lose weight just by doing Pilates?
Pilates can contribute, but it works best alongside strength work, aerobic exercise and dietary changes. It builds lean muscle and improves posture, though it burns fewer calories than cardio or circuits.
Is the Sirtfood Diet safe for everyone?
No. The very low calorie intake in phase one isn’t suitable for pregnant women, people with diabetes, anyone with a history of eating disorders, or those with certain medical conditions. Speak to a healthcare provider before starting any restrictive diet.
How can I start losing weight like Adele without a personal trainer?
Reduce processed foods and sugar, increase protein, strength train twice a week and walk daily. Free apps and online workout videos are effective and accessible.
Did Adele keep the weight off?
Adele has stayed publicly active in the years since and has not described regaining the weight. She has said that her priority is how she feels rather than a number, which is a healthy attitude for anyone.
The Real Takeaway From Adele’s Weight Loss
Adele’s transformation shows that significant weight loss is possible with dedication, professional guidance and lifestyle change. Just as importantly, she has been clear that she did it for her mental health and wellbeing, not to meet anyone else’s expectations.
The most sustainable approach combines nutritious eating, regular exercise, enough sleep, stress management and patience. Quick fixes don’t last. Real change comes from habits you can maintain for life.
If her story motivates you, start small. Add a serving of vegetables to each meal, walk for 20 minutes a day and cut back on sugary drinks. Those small changes compound. You don’t need celebrity resources to improve your health, only consistency, realistic expectations and a focus on overall wellbeing rather than the number on the scale.
If you’d like hands-on support, a personal trainer in South Melbourne can build a plan around your schedule and goals.