Chaka Khan’s weight loss, explained

Chaka Khan is one of the definitive soul singers of the 1970s and 80s. As the lead singer of the band Rufus and a solo star, she landed one classic single after another. She’s still an amazing performer and, at age 71, is still looking incredible.

The singer recently lost 60 pounds, leading to speculation as to whether she was ill or simply going on a diet to improve her health. Fortunately, the latter proved to be true. Khan has now shed light on her eating habits and the way she lost weight, and it caught many fans off guard.

Is Chaka Khan vegan?

Dietary changes and/or restrictions often come into play when assessing a noticeable change in a person’s weight. Chaka Khan’s weight loss was no different. The singer told Essence that she went vegan in 2020, as a means of improving both her health and the way she felt overall, compounded by a diagnosis of diabetes.

“I felt like I need to heal my body, so I would just fast and eat no meat, no dairy,” Khan told the outlet. I’ve never been a fan of meat, dairy and sugar.” The singer continues to practice vegan dietary habits, but the real culprit behind her drastic weight loss has nothing to do with being vegan. She was able to shed over 60 pounds by fasting. Plain and simple.

“I started getting my mindset, then I started the fasting,” Khan explained. In a separate interview with BET, the singer expanded on her fasting process. She admitted that she went on a liquid diet for months in 2020 as a means of slimming down. It was easier than it sounds. Ironically, Khan claims that exercising has proven to be much more daunting than a liquid diet.

Chaka Khan’s diabetes

Chaka Khan’s interest in becoming a vegan predated her diabetes diagnosis. The singer felt that a liquid diet, and fasting, would be the drastic change that she needed to make in order to give herself a strong, healthy foundation upon which to combat her new condition.

A big reason why Chaka Khan felt so compelled to change her way of living was so that she could be around to serve as a guardian and good example for her granddaughter. “I adopted my 10-year-old granddaughter last year,” she said in 2020. “I have to be there for her. I knew I couldn’t go out like this.”

The singer has managed to keep the extra weight off and remains healthy as she enters her 70s. She recently performed her classic song “I’m Every Woman.” alongside fellow Prince associate Sheila E at the 2024 American Music Awards, and proved that she still had the musical chops to burn down the house.

In a profile with Harper’s Bazaar, Khan assured fans that she’s feeling food as ever. She is excited for the future, and what it has in store. “I’m not counting,” she said, with regards to her age. “I’m just living every day like everybody else.”