She shocked her fans late last year when she admitted to taking weight-loss drugs after previously claiming she would not take Ozempic or similar drugs.

And Oprah Winfrey showcased the incredible progress she has since made on her weight-loss journey when she was spotted out in Santa Barbara, California, on Tuesday with her friend Maria Shriver, 68.

The legendary talk show host, 70, revealed an impressively sporty figure in athletic clothing as they appeared to arrive at a gym for a joint workout.

Despite her initial denial about using weight-loss drugs, after admitting to using them, Oprah went on to vehemently defend using the weight-loss aids and criticized those who try to ‘shame’ them earlier this year.

After working up a sweat, the two television fixtures dropped by a commercial construction project.

It wasn’t clear what connection they had to it, but Oprah and Maria were seen stepping inside the under-construction building for about 15 minutes. 

They also appeared to chat with some contractors at the property during the brief visit.

Following the visit to the property, Maria drove Oprah in her green Range Rover to a local coffee shop, where they picked up some beverages.

They appeared to conclude their day out with a drive back to Oprah’s Montecito mansion, which is a little over 90 miles north west from Downtown Los Angeles.

Oprah looked svelte in a gray–green long-sleeve shirt that hung on her loosely.

She paired it with lighter-green cropped leggings covered in a raised pattern, which she contrasted with a sleek pair of burgundy Adidas Ultraboost trainers from Beyoncé’s Ivy Park collection.

The book club influencer wore her long dark hair parted down the middle, with thick waves cascading down her shoulders.

Maria was dressed in a similarly casual outfit featuring a white graphic T-shirt and sleek black leggings.

She stayed comfortable in black, white and gray New Balance trainers, and she had her arms full with a powder blue bag, a royal blue jacket and a large water bottle. 

Oprah previously made a public appearance earlier this month when she joined her longtime friend Gayle King at the Sun Valley Summit in Idaho.

The conference, which has been dubbed ‘summer camp for billionaires,’ does its best to keep each year’s topic and agenda secret in order to provide more privacy for its CEO and tech guru attendees. 

Oprah has lately lost around 40lbs thanks to weight-loss drugs, along with regular exercise.

Earlier this year, she released the TV documentary An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution, which featured her hitting out at those who shame people who turn to weight-loss drugs.

Since coming clean about using Ozempic, Oprah has opened up about some of the more traumatic bumps along the road of her decades-long weight-loss journey.

Earlier this month, during an appearance on The Jamie Kern Lima Show podcast, the Beloved actress recalled her first appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, which was an episode guest hosted by the late comedian Joan Rivers.

‘I’ve been shamed on The Tonight Show by Joan Rivers. I had my first appearance on The Tonight Show,’ she shared.

She recalled that Rivers — who died in 2014 after a botched elective procedure — had turned to her from behind the host’s desk to ask, ‘”Tell me, why are you so fat?” … on national television.’

‘And I don’t know what to do with that,’ Oprah continued. ‘I just am like, “Well, I just love potato chips, Joan.” She [goes], “No seriously! Shame on you! Shame on you!”‘ 

She then described how Rivers taunted her about the prospect of being invited back on the show.

‘”I’ll let you come back if you lose 15 pounds. You need to lose 15 pounds.” She says to me on national television,’ she recalled Rivers joking, although the comedian likely had no say over guests when Carson was back to his regular hosting duties.

‘And I accepted. I accept that I should be shamed because how dare me, be sitting up here on The Tonight Show,’ she continued.

Oprah said she ‘had agreed that I was going to go away and lose 15 pounds,’ but instead she ended up gaining weight.

‘Of course, I didn’t lose the 15 pounds. I went and ate my way to another 10 pounds,’ she admitted.

In the same interview, Winfrey described how she feared her audition for a role in The Color Purple was a failure due to her weight.

After not hearing back, she decided to check into a ‘health retreat’ to help her lose weight, which she said was referred to as a ‘fat farm’ at the time.

While there, Winfrey said she tried to accept that her weight had cost her the role, and she let go of her dream of starring in the film. 

But then she received a phone call from The Color Purple’s producer, Steven Spielberg.

‘I cried and prayed some more, and in the moment I felt the release… a woman comes running out and she says, “There’s a phone call for you.” The phone call from Steven Spielberg saying, “I hear you’re at a fat farm. You lose a pound, you could lose this part.”‘

‘The fact that it happened in the instant I’d known I’d let it go was the greatest life lesson I have ever received.’

‘That became my grounding teaching for the rest of my life and career,’ she shared. ‘Do everything you can, work as hard as you can, and then let it go.’

Winfrey ultimately landed the role of Sofia in The Color Purple, and later received an Oscar nomination for her performance.

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Source: Tampa Bay Times