Why TLC's Whitney Way Thore Began Taking Weight Loss Medication

Nov 06, 2026 - 17:07
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Why TLC's Whitney Way Thore Began Taking Weight Loss Medication

My Big Fat Fabulous Life's Whitney Thore Engaged to Jake Beaudoin 3 Days After Confirming Romance

Years into her journey to welcome a baby, Whitney Way Thore is ready to give just about anything a shot. 

And so when her fertility doctor suggested the My Big Fat Fabulous Life star consider using a weight loss medication, which can have an impact on ovulation and reproductive hormones, she listened. 

"She said, 'Just take it, and then if you get pregnant, stop,'" Way Thore shared with E! News in an exclusive interview. "And so that's why I started it."

Ignoring any particularly loud outsider opinions, "I didn't really have any side effects or anything like that," detailed the 42-year-old, back with the 10th season of her TLC series (returning Nov. 10 at 10 p.m.). "I think physically it was easy."

But committing to a prescription was just a small piece of Way Thore's fertility journey. The bigger piece involved an admittedly terrifying conversation with now-fiancé Jake Beaudoin. 

Though the pair are engaged now, they were dating more casually when Way Thore told him about her dreams of getting pregnant. 

Or at least that's what she thought. 

"I was obviously very nervous to tell him that that was my plan," said Way Thore who had found a sperm donor in the hopes of getting pregnant through intrauterine insemination. Though, she added, "I hadn't really expected that it would matter to him because I didn't expect that we would be in a serious relationship."

And she assumed any hope of that would be dashed when she filled him in on the details.

"I thought, 'Well, I'm going to tell him this and obviously, and understandably, you're not going to stay with me through this,'" Way Thore shared of her line of thought. Instead, she marveled, "He was so supportive and so excited, and he never wavered on that once and still hasn't. So, that was really amazing."

Whitney Way Thore/Instagram

Which is an apt descriptor for their entire relationship. 

Having been through the romantic wringer—"Obviously if you're still single at this age, you've been through some s--t," Way Thore reasoned—she had her eye out for any red flags the DJ may be throwing in the air. 

"I've almost never dated a man that I leave the relationship having any shred of respect for," stressed Way Thore. "When you're this old and you've dated as much as I have, and been as disappointed in men as I have," she detailed, well, it can be hard to see the good in people. 

"You want to protect yourself and you want to not be as stupid as you might have been," she explained. "Or, you might want to approach things in a smart way."

However, she acknowledged, "I think there's a balance between doing that and being hyper vigilant because I think that kind of hyper vigilance can definitely stop a relationship before it has a chance to really get off the ground."

Instagram

Admittedly, the North Carolinian waved a scarlet-tinged banner when he ghosted Way Thore after they initially connected in 2018. 

"Basically we met, we only hung out a couple times," she explained. Still, "I bring it up constantly. He, for the longest time, would try to defend it, and then it became this thing, and I just got so annoyed."

But when it comes to Beaudoin that's certainly not her dominant emotion. 

"When you go from thinking you're just in a casual relationship to all of a sudden we're going to try to have a baby together, things move very quickly," Way Thore explained. "And that can expose a lot of weaknesses that you might feel. But I continue to be pleasantly surprised at every turn, even though I was really, really, really looking for reasons to believe that it wasn't right." 

Basically, acknowledged Thore, she's grateful "he proved me wrong." 

And, yes, she's pretty psyched to be rocking an aquamarine gemstone on her left hand. "I think when you're in love, you naturally want to share that," she explained of letting viewers into her engagement journey. She joins a long list of celebrities work their way down the aisle.  

Brandon Frazier/Instagram

Brandon Frazier & Mariah Bell

The Olympic gold medalist announced his engagement to his fellow figure skater on Nov. 4, sharing photos of his beachside proposal in the Bahamas with the caption: "New chapter in life unlocked."

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Andrew Shue & Marilee Fiebig

Amy Robach's ex-husband and T.J. Holmes' former wife got engaged four years after striking up a friendship amid media frenzy surrounding their then-spouses' behind-the-scenes romance. (Robach and Holmes maintain that they had already split with their respective partners before dating each other.)

"We’re very grateful and hopeful," Shue told People in October. "I don’t know how it happened, but there’s a happy ending.”

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Lauryn "Pumpkin" Efird & Darrin Kitchens

The Here Comes Honey Boo Boo alum was "over the moon" after her boyfriend popped the question Oct. 7, with her sister Alanna "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson there to witness.

“Last night Darrin proposed, with Lana right by my side, and I seriously couldn’t have asked for anything better,” Pumpkin wrote on TikTok. "I’m so excited for this next chapter, for our future, for our family, and for all the memories we still have ahead of us.”

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Post Malone & Christy Lee

The "Sunflower" singer got engaged to Lee over a year after they debuted their romance in March 2025. 

The engagement was confirmed by pal Marina Hollyer, who posted a photo of the two on her Instagram Story Aug. 19 along with the caption: "My best friend in the world just got engaged."

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Alessandra Ambrosio & Buck Palmer

The supermodel announced her engagement on Aug. 11 after the jewelry designer popped the question during a beach vacation. 

"I’d choose you in this life and every life," she captioned photos of the proposal on Instagram. Here’s to forever, my love."

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Michael Allio & Jadé Marie Chapman

Will you accept this ring? The Bachelor Nation star got engaged to the makeup artist after three years together, including spending one year in a long-distance romance.

"We crossed the country over and over just to find our way back to each other, never knowing that one day there wouldn’t be a return flight waiting," Michael wrote on Instagram Aug. 6. "And somewhere between all those miles, we built a life. We collected moments, crossed milestones, became a family, and watched two separate places on a map slowly become one home."

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Gus Kenworthy & Andrew Rigby

The Olympic skier proposed to the finance executive during a vacation off the coast of Mallorca, Spain, telling People in an Aug. 4 interview, "I told Andrew I was taking him on a little adventure."

“I organized for a picnic blanket to be waiting for us with a pitcher of margaritas—extra sweet because that’s how Andrew orders them,” he recalled. “After the proposal, we got back on the dinghy—but instead of going back to the mainland, it took us out to a chartered boat. Six of our friends were hiding on it, waiting to surprise Andrew and celebrate with us!"

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Karis Cameron & Ty Wood

The Off Campus actress found a cool actor man who contains multitudes, saying "yes" when the Haunting in Connecticut proposed after six years of dating.

As she quipped on Instagram Aug. 1, "Fian-say what???"

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Grace Kinstler & Joseph Wheatley

The American Idol alum was surprised with an engagement ring from her partner of nearly seven years on July 31 during a romantic proposal at Boston Public Garden.

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Madison Beer & Justin Herbert

On July 28, the “Make You Mine” singer and Los Angeles Chargers quarterback announced their engagement after nearly one year of dating.

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Sam Smith & Christian Cowan

After three years of dating, the "Unholy" singer confirmed their engagement to the fashion designer in a New York times interview published July 28.

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Jason Tartick & Kathryn Hurley

The Bachelor Nation alum and dog rescue founder announced their engagement seven months after going Instagram-official.

Alongside pictures of Tartick's European proposal, the pair wrote on Instagram July 13, “Right where we belong.”

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James Kennedy & Jordan Meyers

The Vanderpump Rules alum and pregnant girlfriend announced they were engaged three weeks after confirming they are expecting their first child together. 

“I love you, adventures with you forever and ever," Kennedy wrote on Instagram June 30. Thank you for making me the luckiest guy in the world.”

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Ryan Lochte & Molly Gillihan

The Olympic swimmer confirmed that he and Gillihan had gotten engaged after one year of dating. 

“I'm on cloud 9 she said yes,” Lochte told TMZ. “I’m happy this is my new beginning, and I couldn't do it without her."

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Joey Graziadei & Kelsey Anderson

More than two years after his televised engagement on the season 28 finale of The Bachelor, Joey once again popped the question to Kelsey—this time during a romantic trip in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

"SHE SAID YES (again)," he wrote on Instagram May 26. "Proposing again meant taking something that was already extraordinary and making it fully our own. It means the world to be able to reaffirm our promise and love to one another just the two of us."

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Natalie McQueen & Josh Groban 

The English actress and musician announced their engagement in April 2026, with a sweet glimpse at Josh's Disneyland proposal. 

"MY BEST FRIEND SAID YES!!!" Josh wrote in an Instagram post. "Sharing this life with you is my happiest place."

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Gracie Hunt & Derek Green

After one year of dating and nearly a decade of friendship, the daughter of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt shared she was engaged to the son of NFL legend Trent Green in an April 4 Instagram post, writing, "It was always you."

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Alana Paolucci & Sebastian Sartor

A fiancée has entered the villa. The Love Island USA alum got engaged to her longtime partner after he proposed in Paris, she announced on March 19. 

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Madison Myers & David Trimble 

Nearly two years after the Married at First Sight couple's cheating scandal air on the dating show, they got engaged in Chicago during St. Patrick's Day festivities.

Courtesy of Leonard Fournette

Jaime Jones & Leonard Fournette 

The NFL star of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers proposed to his longtime love Jaime Jones in a beautiful and intimate moment at Davis Islands Beach in Tampa, Florida. Surrounded by rose petals and large “MARRY ME” letters, the proposal was thoughtfully planned and an unforgettable moment. 

The custom designed Brilliant Earth engagement ring features a 4.04-carat radiant diamond set in platinum, with marquise diamonds that wrap elegantly above and beneath the center stone.

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Allison Holker & Adam Edmunds

The tech exec surprised the dancer at her 38th birthday party.

"It was the most romantic night of my life!" she wrote on Instagram. "I am so in love with you Adam. Baby, I am forever grateful for you and the impact you have had in my life and my kids lives. I am a better person because of you. You helped me find me again and showed me how to love. Every morning I wake up I feel safe knowing you are My person at my side. You and your kids coming into our lives has been the biggest blessing."

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Aryna Sabalenka & Georgios Frangulis

The entrepreneur proposed to the tennis star in romantic, rose-laden proposal in March.

Aryna captioned the joint announcement, “You & me, forever. 3.3.26.” 

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Jena Malone & Jack Buckley

The Hunger Games actress announced her engagement to the fellow actor, who she described as “a dream come true.”

“My soulmate asked me to marry him,” she wrote on Instagram Feb. 11. “With every lifetime, every moment I have in front of me I said yes.”

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Halle Berry & Van Hunt

The Oscar winner revealed she recently got engaged to her longtime boyfriend during a February appearance on The Tonight Show.

“There’s some confusion,” she said. “It's going around that I, that my guy Van Hunt—I've been dating him now for almost six years—well, there's some confusion that he asked to marry me and I said no.”

However, “I did not say no,” Halle affirmed. “We just don't have a date, but of course I said yes, I would marry him!”

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Dove Cameron & Damiano David

The Liv and Maddie alum revealed her ring on Jan. 3, captioning their news, "my favourite part of being alive [ring emoji] happy new year."

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Gina Kirschenheiter & Travis Mullen

The Real Housewives of Orange County star got engaged to her fiancé during a New Year's Eve trip to Big Bear, Calif.

"I was in complete shock!" she told People in a Jan. 7 interview. "My nervous system was trying to catch up to what just happened in this magical moment and I was also trying to process the iceberg that was being presented to me as well! I of course said 'yes,' and melted into what was the sweetest kiss I’ve ever felt!"

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