'Now I only have cake on my birthday!' Sonny and Cher's transgender son Chaz Bono opens up about his 85lb weight loss

By Sadie Whitelocks

PUBLISHED: 10:43 EST, 28 November 2013 | UPDATED: 12:36 EST, 28 November 2013

Sonny and Cher's transgender son Chaz Bono has opened up about his dramatic 85lb weight loss, claiming he feels 'more confident', 'healthier' and 'happier' than ever.

The 44-year-old LGBT advocate, author and musician, told Extra TV that he has cut out 99per cent of grains and dairy from his diet, adding: 'I pretty much eat vegetables, meat, fruit, nuts . . . My birthday is the one day of the year I'll do cake.'

In a bid to get rid of the excess skin hanging off his body he went under the knife this month - an experience he described as 'not fun, but worth it.'

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Chaz Bono
Chaz Bono

What a difference a year makes: Sonny and Cher's transgender son Chaz Bono has opened up about his dramatic 85lb weight loss, claiming he feels 'more confident', 'healthier' and 'happier' than ever

His 5ft 5in frame previously tipped the scales at 250lbs, putting him in the obese category. But now, thanks to adopting a healthier diet, he weighs a lighter 165lbs.

Asked what his famous mother thinks about his transformation, he replied: 'She's pretty darn proud of me.'

 

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Chaz admitted before he starred on the popular reality show Dancing with the Stars in 2011 he was in denial about being overweight.

'I was kind of in denial about how heavy I was, but was ready to do something about it.

Turning point: Chaz admitted before he starred on the popular reality show Dancing with the Stars in 2011 he was in denial about being overweight

Turning point: Chaz admitted before he starred on the popular reality show Dancing with the Stars in 2011 he was in denial about being overweight

A family affair: Chaz , pictured with his mother Cher in April 2012, says she's 'pretty darn proud' of his transformation

A family affair: Chaz , pictured with his mother Cher in April 2012, says she's 'darn proud' of his new look

'I was thinking my weight was holding me back from opportunities in my life, and I was worried about my health.'

They hooked him up with a nutritionist, doctor and exercise plan. In four months he managed to shed 40lbs.

'I was thinking my weight was holding me back from opportunities in my life, and I was worried about my health'

Since then he has gradually watched the weight slip away, with his mother reportedly giving him cash incentives to keep things on track.

Summing up the process so far, he said: 'I feel really good. I feel healthier. I feel lighter. I feel more confident, and I feel really happy.'

Chaz underwent a female-to-male gender transition between 2008 and 2010.

In May 2010, he legally changed his gender and birth name, dropping Chastity.

A documentary on his experience, Becoming Chaz, was screened at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and later made its television debut on Oprah Winfrey's network OWN.

 
Flashback: Chaz, pictured left with his father Sonny, underwent a female-to-male gender transition between 2008 and 2010

Flashback: Chaz, pictured left with his father Sonny, underwent a female-to-male gender transition between 2008 and 2010 - he legally changed his birth name, dropping Chastity

His mother Cher recently confessed she ‘had a hard time’ coming to terms with Chaz’s sex change.

She told the UK's Sunday Times Magazine: 'I didn’t have a hard time in the beginning when Chaz came to see me and told me, "This is what I want to do." ’I said, "Well, if you’re miserable, then you’ve got to do it."'

The 67-year-old added: 'But then as it was starting to happen, you know, it’s a strange change for a mother to go through.

'It was difficult, but now I don’t think about it so much.'

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That's one ugly woman. It's not a man & never will be, don't give the publicity seeker the attention she craves.

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I'm still struggling to understand the reasons to name your child Chastity.

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WOW! He looks great! He was always nice looking but all that fat just made him look dumpy and older. Good for him! I need to lose 20 # and it's HARD! I can't imagine over 80#! Congrats Chaz! Weght Watchers should hire him!

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He's handsome!! Impossible to imagine what he has been through in life.

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Yeah growing up as the daughter of multi millionaires must have been hard for HER.

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Funny Cher gave him cash incentives to stay on track, I did the same when my daughter got to hefty. It works.

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He looks brilliant. Well done. I think he is a very handsome fella. Good luck to you sir. :)

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You mean she looks a mess. Get it right.

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good for him. it must be incredibly challenging to have to live out the most intimate details of your life with the public scrutinizing and judging you at every turn. i wish him the best and hope he finds happiness.

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That's a her, not a him. Still illegal for her to use men's public toilets.

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i have a friend who transitioned from male to female recently and with that came a weight loss of over 100 pounds. i think there is sometimes a disconnect from the body one does not want to be in that begins to heal with the transition. may we all experience peace and find our true path. :)

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looks like a different person.....and not for the first time

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he she was pretty as a girl why change!!!!

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The person felt like they were in the wrong body, it's not about look's. It's matching the outside with the inside.

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She still is a woman, just even more ugly.

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