Ricki Lake looks slimmer than ever in new filter-free swimsuit photo – I worked hard to get here'

Ricki Lake is making a splash for all the right reasons as she celebrates making her health her priority. 

The Hairspray actress has lost more than 30lbs after embarking on a fitness journey with her husband last year and she's parading the results in a new swimsuit photo. 

Taking to Instagram, Ricki delivered a sun-soaked image of herself sitting in the pool. She wore a dark swimsuit and had her head thrown back as she basked in the sunshine. 

She threw her legs out in front of her and looked toned and happy in the snapshot which sent fans into a frenzy. 

"I worked hard to get here. Plan to stay awhile," she wrote, before adding: "#feelinggoodinmyskin #happy #selflove #nofilter."

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Fans were quick to call her an "icon," and commend her for "empowering others," to get fit and healthy. 

Ricki has been transparent about her journey, sharing that both she and her husband, Ross Burningham, embarked on a health-focused path last October. At the time, she said they had "made a commitment to myself to get healthier."

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They have surpassed their initial weight loss goals and they did it "without relying on a pharmaceutical."

When a fan asked her if she had used Ozempic - the medication, known for suppressing appetite which has been linked to many celebrities' transformations - Ricki clapped back with a simple: "NOPE." 

© Stefanie Keenan

She's had a complicated relationship with body image and diet culture and at her heaviest she was 260lbs. 

"I'm conflicted because I am proud of myself," she reflected on her podcast Raised By Ricki. "When I lose that weight, it is something I want the world to know, I did this. It's a lot of work and a lot of willpower, so I want to talk about it, but I know that it’s not the best thing to be celebrating."

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Recently, Ricki also confessed she's in "the best shape of my life at 55," and now weighs less than 135lbs.

She revealed that she is feeling so confident, she slipped into the very same swimsuit she posed on the cover of US Weekly for in 2007. 

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The photos were placed side by side and she wrote: "Then and now. 2007-2024. I held onto this #NormaKamali one- piece for all these years wondering if I would ever be able to wear it again. 

"@sashacharninmorrison remember that day? @usweekly #nofilter #nomakeup #hardwork #thisis55 #grateful #strong #happy #healthy #proud."