By Jessica Wedemeyer
5:17am PST, Dec 30, 2021
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Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at the year's biggest celeb body moments — from weight-loss transformations to post-baby body debuts, fitness overhauls and more — starting with this music star's new look… Billy Joel debuted his dramatic slimdown during a concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Nov. 5. The previous week, during a late-October appearance on "The Howard Stern Show," the musician revealed that he lost 50 pounds after undergoing back surgery earlier in the year. "The pain afterwards was so bad I lost my appetite," he explained, adding that he ultimately "embraced" the situation. "I said, 'OK, I won't eat as much,' and I ate less and less and less and less and then there was just life aggravation and that tends to, you know, impact your appetite too." The "Piano Man" hitmaker added that he was "happy" with his unintentional slimdown.
Now keep reading for more of the biggest celeb body moments of 2021…
RELATED: Celeb plastic surgery transformations revealed
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"Spider-Man: No Way Home" star Jacob Batalon — who plays Peter Parker's best friend, Ned, in the Marvel franchise — spoke to Men's Health about the weight-loss journey he began in 2019 that's left him 112 pounds lighter, as seen here at his blockbuster movie's Los Angeles premiere December 2021. The actor hired a personal trainer and started working out six days a week and, inspired by his girlfriend, tried a plant-based diet. "Even when I wasn't doing anything physical, I found myself getting sleepy at work and it was because of all the fat food I was eating. I felt like I could barely walk upstairs without being out of breath, and this one day I kind of just saw myself without a shirt on and it was just ridiculous," he explained to Men's Health of what inspired him to change his habits. "I could not believe I let myself get this far. That's what sort of started it all."
RELATED: Celeb weight-loss transformations
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Emily Ratajkowski nearly broke the Internet when she took to Instagram on March 19 — just 11 days after her first child, son Sylvester, was born — to show off her post-baby body in this mirror selfie promoting her clothing line, Inamorata. Just peep those flat abs! Yes, abs… less than two weeks after giving birth!
RELATED: Celebs' post-baby bodies revealed
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We didn't think Luke Evans could get any hotter. And yet… On March 19, the "Beauty and the Beast" star took to Instagram to show off his new super-buff bod. "8 months of work but I got there," the 42-year-old actor captioned side-by-side photos of himself from June 2020 and February 2021.
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John Goodman wowed when he showed up at an event for Tubi's "The Freak Brothers" in Los Angeles on Dec. 6 looking trimmer than ever. The "Roseanne" star has been on a weight-loss journey for several years now — it's estimated he's lost about 200 pounds over the course of the past decade. But he's never looked better — or healthier! — than he did this year.
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Just call her the incredible shrinking woman! In early 2020, Rebel Wilson officially kicked off her weight-loss journey. By the end of the year, she'd reached her goal weight of 165 pounds. But that wasn't the end of the road for the funnywoman, who continued shedding pounds well into 2021. When she walked the red carpet for the first time this year at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures premiere party in Los Angeles on Sept. 29, it was clear just how far she'd come. Two months earlier, she revealed that she was down 70 or 75 pounds.
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Adele finally revealed the results of her years-long weight-loss journey when she donned a curve-hugging black Schiaparelli gown to star in the Nov. 14 CBS television special "Adele One Night Only," which she recorded in Los Angeles on Oct. 24. During an interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired as part of the special, the chart-topper revealed that she got fit with the help of a personal trainer, and at her peak, she could deadlift 160 to 170 pounds. She also started boxing and going on daily hikes.
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Wow! Gal Gadot looked red-hot in a sequined Loewe dress at the premiere of "Red Notice" in Los Angeles on Nov. 4 — about four months after she gave birth to her third child, daughter Daniella, in mid-2021.
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"Dancing With the Stars" pro Alan Bersten has always been in good shape, but in 2021, he got seriously fit! On July 27, he took to Instagram to show off his transformation. "A few months ago I made the decision to change my life for the better," he captioned before and after photos of himself, adding that he "made a choice to get healthier … not just [to] look better, but to feel better mentally and physically." He went on to explain that he started the year feeling "depressed," "sluggish" and "a little unmotivated." So he started eating healthier and "working out every single day, sometimes 2 or 3 times a day." Continued the professional ballroom dancer, "I became obsessed with change. I started to see progress. That was the hardest and yet most rewarding part. The progress didn't come instantly, but through discipline and consistency — I never gave up. I was able to achieve my goal of being comfortable with myself again, mind and body. Fast forward to today, I have never felt better. I have more confidence, I have more mental strength, I have a stronger sense of work ethic."
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Tiffany Haddish lost 40 pounds in 2020, but that wasn't the end of her health and fitness journey! She kicked off 2021 by getting into even better shape, as evidenced by the side-by-side before and after photos she posted on Instagram on Jan. 19. "Before my 30 day transformation and after. Now #SHEREADY to build Muscle and Maybe shave my armpits," she wrote in the caption, attributing her fit figure to the 30 Day Transformation Team program.
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The kind of honesty we like to see! … Fans were floored when Halsey rocked a skintight black catsuit to perform on the Oct. 9 episode of "Saturday Night Live" just three months after welcoming son Ender Ridley. But the singer wasn't exactly flattered by the buzz about their post-baby body. They took to Instagram on Oct. 11 to share the reality of the situation: "I did 'SNL' two nights ago and a lot of people were quick to say how good I looked. That was a weird feeling," the new mom captioned a slideshow of photos showing off their changing body, adding that they "have no interest in working out right now" because they're "too tired and too busy playing" with their son. The chart-topper went on to explain that "the body behind all those compliments the other night was wearing a custom tailored outfit and lighted perfectly after much testing, so I could feel good and do my job." Wrote the "Without Me" singer, "I do not want to feed the Illusion that you're meant to feel and look 'great' immediately postpartum. That is not my narrative currently. … I will never have my 'pre baby body back' no matter how it changes physically because I have now had a baby! And that has altered me forever; emotionally, spiritually, and physically. That change is permanent. And I don't want to go back! But In the spirit of honesty, I'm really tired and not a superhuman and this is really hard. Doing my best to serve my art and my family whilst keeping it all so very real."
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On April 15, Sherri Shepherd took to Instagram to show off the results of her recent weight-loss journey: She lost 20 pounds! "My goal was 15 pounds but I just hit 20 pounds! It's been a [journey] of mental self-talk… believing in my worth… knowing my son Jeffrey needs his Momma healthy and whole and wanting to live a life filled with joy. I've shed tears because I relied on sugar and carbs (the bad ones), cookies and candy to get me through but In changing my lifestyle and my relationship to food, I love the way I feel. Clear headed… more clarity, focused and walking in my purpose!" she captioned a video of herself dancing to Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk" in her backyard while rocking a skintight blue tee and jeans.
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On March 8, actor Bronson Pinchot took to Instagram to reveal the major transformation he underwent after adopting a "self-designed healthy plant-based eating program." He later told Page Six that he shed 60 pounds after revamping his diet in May 2020. Following his slimdown, he went through a box of clothing from his time playing Balki Bartokomous on the ABC sitcom that made him a star (the series aired from 1986 to 1993) and was thrilled to discover that some of the items — which he hadn't touched in 25 years — still fit. "I thought, 'I'm pretty sure I'm the only 61 year old within a 10-mile radius that's getting into his clothes from when he was a 26 year old doing two aerobics classes a day.' And that feels pretty good," he told the New York Post's gossip column.
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On Feb. 10, Shay Mitchell took to Instagram to share side-by-side mirror selfies showing off her transformation after switching up her fitness routine the previous month. The "Pretty Little Liars" alum got out of shape, she explained in the lengthy caption, during the height of the coronavirus pandemic after welcoming her first child, daughter Atlas, in late 2019. "2020 was the year of searching for something to make us feel good. Not even good… to feel fine. Feel 'normal.' For me that came in the form of comfort food, comfort clothes and throwing my fitness routine out the window. And that was okay… for a while," she wrote, adding that she made "a pact" with herself "that 2021 would be different." Continued the actress, "I wanted to focus on myself again, because I'm the best version of myself for Atlas — and everyone else — when I take care of myself first." She saw results just four weeks after she started taking Openfit fitness classes: "In just 4 weeks I have felt more fit than I have in a long time," she claimed, adding that she also felt "more healthy, energetic and engaged."
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On Oct. 18, "The Pioneer Woman" star Ree Drummond showed off the results of her 2021 weight-loss journey — she lost 60 pounds in just nine months! — during an appearance on the "Today" show. She got in shape, she explained in May when she was down 38 pounds, by cutting calories, exercising more and lifting "a lot of weights."
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Define "insanity." Christina Milian rocked a bikini on a yacht off the coast of Cannes in France on Aug. 2 — just three months after welcoming her third child, son Kenna, on April 24.
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On April 14, The Miz took to Instagram to show off the way he transformed his body during the first three months of 2021. "I set out on a journey to not only get ripped, but to get healthier. I started at 220 pounds and currently I am at 206 pounds," he captioned side-by-side photos of himself from Jan. 8 and April 11, adding that he "weight trained 4 days a week," "focused on eating the right foods" and "went gluten free, dairy free and soy free." Continued the professional wrestler and "The Real World" alum, "I've never been a guy who enjoyed the gym. I hate getting started, but once I'm in there, I'm locked in and when I'm done, I'm always glad I did it. … I'm doing my best to make sure I can continue to do my job at the highest level for many years to come. This routine for 3 months has now turned into a habit I want to keep. I love the way I look and feel. There are tough days where I just want to eat like crap, and honestly, I'll indulge. I know there are no shortcuts. You have to put in the work for the results you want." He concluded by encouraging his followers to "find a group that motivates you, find your goal and PUT IN THE WORK."
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HOW?! On June 16 — just a month after Christine Quinn had an emergency C-section to deliver her first child, son Christian — the "Selling Sunset" star stepped out in Los Angeles in midriff-baring separates.
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On Oct. 7, "Pawn Stars" personality Austin "Chumlee" Russell showed off the results of his weight-loss journey at a red carpet event for the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit Las Vegas. A few days later, he told TMZ he'd dropped 160 pounds after undergoing gastric sleeve surgery in early 2019.
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On Feb. 22 — just six weeks after she gave birth to her first child, daughter Bowie, on Jan. 11 — "Gossip Girl" and "The Orville" actress Jessica Szohr took to Instagram to show off her ridiculous post-baby body. "Still blows my mind that I grew a little human inside me. My body transformed into her home for 10 months. While I look forward to getting back to exercising, I am grateful for my fast metabolism and I am proud of my body… it is resilient and strong!" she captioned a mirror selfie showing off her trim figure, noting in the caption that she used a Bumpsuit waist trainer to keep her "mid area in one place."
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Way to go, Christopher Schwarzenegger! In the fall of 2021, the University of Michigan grad — the youngest of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver's four children — revealed that he'd undergone a major transformation over the course of three years. While wishing his son a happy 24th birthday on Instagram on Sept. 27, Arnold shed some light on how exactly Christopher got in such great shape: "Between your boxing classes, your weightlifting classes, your stretching classes, your cycling classes, and on and on, I can't even keep up with you! I can't wait to see what you accomplish this year," wrote the proud papa.
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On Oct. 22, a trim Tyler Whitman smiled wide on the red carpet at the re-opening night performance of "The Phantom of the Opera" on Broadway. The "Million Dollar Listing New York" real estate agent had a lot to smile about! As he revealed in an essay for Today.com less than two months later, December 2021 marks the fifth anniversary of his weight-loss journey: He lost 200 pounds between late 2015 and late 2016, and five years later, he's managed to keep the weight off! "You know those before-and-after photos of people who have lost a lot of weight? Instead of before and after, I prefer to say past and present — because it's not as though the work is done. This transformation is something I have to show up for and do work for every day," he wrote.
