When Mama June boasts a 300-lb weight loss, people listen. Not to be outdone, her daughter Alana Thompson, better known as Honey Boo Boo, is on a diet after concerns about obesity. This plus-size family was pretty much the joke of TLC, but in the new show "From Not to Hot," folks are starting to take them seriously. The celebrities' diet tips might make you re-think how you eat, too.

Mama June has critics thinking twice

The former "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" mom once topped the scales at 461 pounds. Then she had gastric bypass surgery and plastic surgery and shed 300 pounds--actually 314 in total.

June Shannon claimed she was down to 138 pounds last year. Bariatric surgery alone doesn't drop the pounds. It seals off part of the stomach so you can't eat as much, as Lee Sutton of "My 600-lb Life" found. This may sound brutal, but the proof is in the numbers. Shannon showed off a size four dress, down from 22, on Instagram.

Mama June puts a new twist on snacks

Before and after surgery, June Shannon had to change her diet. The reality television star of "From Not to Hot" got a personal trainer, Kenya Crooks. He helped her find low-calorie solutions to cravings. She now swaps frozen grapes and apples for salty snacks to get the crunch with fewer carbs. Honey Boo Boo's mom admits she gained a few pounds back in the 18 months since gastric bypass.

Facebook and YouTube commenters who once hated her are now praising her honesty and willpower in keeping the majority off.

Reality show fans see a less-sweet Sugar Bear

For years, people have shamed Mama June for letting HBB get fat. Then they saw in "From Not to Hot" what she had to contend with from her ex, "Sugar Bear." Everyone thought Mike Thompson was such a sweetie, but he showed a passive-aggressive, manipulative, and abusive side on the WETV reality TV show.

He even used his daughter, Honey Boo Boo, to stick it to Shannon. Mike and his morbidly obese wife, Jennifer Lamb, mocked June's weight and accused her of anorexia. They undermined her diet rules and force-fed gobs of wedding cake to the suggestible young Alana.

Alana degreases

For the new season of "From Not to Hot," celebrity Alana Thompson gave an interview and viewers thought she might finally be growing up.

The obese beauty queen of "Toddlers & Tiaras" said she was working at weight loss by cutting out grease. Now, before you scoff, think about it. Sugar, fat, bread, and carbs are all linked to diabetes and obesity. Maybe she hasn't quit the candy obsession, but it sounds like she's trying to reverse bad habits and halt weight problems. That's more than can be said for many adults.
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