Maria Ilieva revealed details about the big change in her appearance, which has not gone unnoticed by her fans in recent years. The singer admitted that behind her new figure are four years of effort and serious health problems that she faced after the birth of her daughter Sofia. In a candid interview with bTV, she said that at one point her weight reached 100 kilograms, and attempts to lose weight on her own were unsuccessful.
"Five years ago, when I gave birth to my daughter Sofia, it turned out that I was 100 kilograms and I needed help", Maria said.
Initially, the singer decided to deal with the problem the usual way - with less food and more exercise. She started exercising every day and drastically limited her diet, but despite her efforts, her weight barely budged.
"It was a great pain. There was a moment when I was super hungry and drank water and ate some tiny things just to keep from fainting", she admitted.
Even when the scale showed a few hundred grams less, her weight would soon return. This gradually discouraged her and made her seek professional help.
"I became terribly hopeless. I exercised every day and seeing that it wasn't working, I found my doctor", Ilieva shared.
After an examination by an endocrinologist, it became clear that the reason for her difficulty losing weight was not simply in her diet. According to the singer, she was diagnosed with severe metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, which appeared after her pregnancies. As part of the prescribed treatment, medications from the GLP-1 receptor agonist group were also included.
However, Maria is adamant that her change is not due to some miracle cure, but to continuous efforts and perseverance.
"This is a huge amount of work and discipline that are behind this change. There is nothing magical, unfortunately, anywhere", she said.
The singer admits that it was her experience that made her look at weight problems differently. According to her, many people blame themselves for not having enough willpower, without suspecting that behind their unsuccessful attempts to lose weight there may be a health problem.
"This is not a lack of willpower, but a diagnosis and it should be treated by specialist doctors", Maria also emphasized.
The singer did not hide that after her pregnancies she had serious diastasis - a separation of the abdominal muscles, because of which she subsequently underwent abdominoplasty.
"I had very severe diastasis", the singer admitted.
The great interest in her weight loss gradually inspired her to start a new venture. After receiving thousands of messages from women who wanted to learn how she achieved the change, Maria decided to create the podcast "The Diva Method". In it, she talks to medical specialists on topics related to women's health, hormonal changes, reproductive problems and aesthetic interventions. Her first guest is the endocrinologist who helped her deal with her weight problems.
Meanwhile, the singer continues with her commitments on "The Voice of Bulgaria", where she is among the coaches. She said that despite the competition in the show, the relationship between them is extremely friendly.
"We are very close with the other coaches. We really have fun, we fight, we argue, we joke with each other," she said.
After 25 years on the music scene, Maria Ilieva admits that the greatest happiness for her is no longer related to professional success, but to her family – her beloved Alec and their two children Sofia and Alexander.
"When you turn around at the end of the day, take off your makeup, your eyelashes, your heels, your hair and see those smiles, that love, you realize that nothing else really matters", the singer concluded.