Kathy Bates Details The Diet That Inspired Her Massive Weight Loss

Actress Kathy Bates understands how life changes when one loses weight, and she wants to make sure fans and critics understand how she went through the laborious process, despite whispers of taking any shortcuts.

The "Titanic" alumna is getting candid about the emotional toll eating had left on her life and impacted her lifestyle before deciding to take the crucial step of losing weight.

Despite what critics think they know, the 76-year-old actress is opening up, and sharing the real story of her weight loss journey.

The "Matlock" actress found herself facing a life-changing diagnosis five years ago, before making the decision to get serious about her weight loss. According to People, Bates had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

Facing the diagnosis was akin to looking into the mirror for the actress; she did not have to look very far to witness its impacts.

Opening up to the publication, Bates revealed, "[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," the "Misery" alumna admitted.

Being one of the most esteemed actresses of her generation hasn't seemingly impacted the "Fried Green Tomatoes" actress at all. She was painfully honest with the publication when admitting her self-esteem was a key component of her weight gain.

"...I ate because it was a big FU to my self-esteem," Bates also explained. Fear related to a possible diabetes diagnosis also drove the actress to eat for fast comfort.

Bates was honest with the publication when sharing exactly what she ate regularly with the public.

"I used to eat terribly: burgers and Cokes and pizza,” the actress shares. The first step to revitalizing her lifestyle was to cut out the fried food and soda, and Bates did just that.

Without the excess temptations, the actress started applying a piece of advice she revealed she had received on behalf of her niece. According to Bates, her niece shared, "When we’re full, we experience an involuntary sigh,” she said. “I just pushed the plate away," sharing what she did to curb any temptation to eat.

Keeping herself away from the kitchen at nighttime was also helpful; Bates does not eat anything after 8:00 PM.

Keeping her new lifestyle up now that "Matlock" has wrapped its first season- People described it as "buzzy"- is a factor of her weight loss that isn't far from Bates' mind, especially since the actress admitted not to having a concrete workout plan.

She explained, "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," Bates admits.

Weight loss has also been a "tremendous benefit" for the actress, as it has improved her lymphedema condition. According to People, the disease is caused by a buildup of lymph fluid. Swelling is a result.

Getting in shape has been a great improvement to Bates' lifestyle; being able to navigate the physical demands of shooting "Matlock" gave her a leg up in being able to enjoy other benefits weight loss brings, like nicer fitting clothes.

"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," she shared.

Being able to use her platform for good, and being able to show other women that slimming down is possible is also a goal for the actress.

Bates did get real with fans: While she saw results from using Ozempic (she lost 20 pounds using the drug after previously losing 80), it was not the only factor in her weight loss journey. She is also aware of the "talk" regarding her Ozempic use.

"There’s been a lot of talk that I just was able to do this because of Ozempic," Bates revealed, before getting serious. "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," she stressed.

The first season of "Matlock" is currently airing on ABC.