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Kendrick Perkins' Weight Loss Journey
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Weight loss
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Changes That Worked
When Perkins talks about what made the difference, he does not describe a dramatic weight loss plan. Instead, he lists swaps that anyone could make in their own lives.
Soda: cream soda was his drink in high school, and giving it up was the easiest change he made.
Cooking method: baked or grilled chicken and fish replaced fried food.
Restaurants: when teammates ordered dessert, he learned to pass.
"Once you see the results, it's no going back," he said. That feeling of momentum, where progress makes the next good choice easier, is something many people experience once the first weight loss changes start to appear.
Staying on Track Through Injuries
Over his career, Perkins had three shoulder surgeries and a torn ACL. During those long rehab stretches, team nutritionists gave him a plan, and he learned that the way he ate mattered even more when he could not move much.
He came back from those injuries lighter rather than heavier, because the structure around him made healthy choices the default. That structure, it turned out, was doing more of the work than he realized.
Life After Retirement
Perkins retired in 2019, and the transition hit hard. "I went through a depression where I didn't leave out the house," he said. "The only place I went was to the gym and back home."
Soon after, he made a decision many people would understand. After years of working out constantly just to keep his job, he gave himself permission to stop. For about a year and a half, he skipped workouts and ate whatever he wanted, and he has said that, like many athletes going through a hard stretch, he coped by eating.
Friends started texting him that he looked bigger on television. He blamed the camera, although he knew the truth.
His First Warning From a Doctor
At a checkup, his doctor ran blood work and told him his levels were high. "You're knocking at the door, being a diabetic," Perkins remembered him saying.
The doctor asked to see him again in 90 days. However, "[h]e don't see me for three years," Perkins said. He lost weight on his own at first, felt good, and decided he did not need the follow-up visit.
Then his media career took off. With early-morning television, cross-country flights, and days that ran 12 to 14 hours, the weight came back.
The Second Doctor's Visit
On a flight back from New York, Perkins kept getting up to use the bathroom. His wife looked up the symptoms, recognized possible signs of diabetes, and booked him an appointment that week.
This time, his doctor did not soften the diagnosis. He told Perkins that his health was on a path that could cost him years of his life. Perkins says he weighed about 432 pounds at that visit.
What finally reached him was not the number on the scale but the people at home. "If I'm not here on this earth to be there for them, not just financially, but period, it would crush them," he said. He describes it as the moment he had to stop being selfish about his health.
Starting Treatment Through the Mochi Platform
Perkins first tried a GLP-1 medication prescribed by his own doctor, but he felt nauseated and stopped once he started losing weight. He is now continuing his journey through the Mochi platform, working with affiliated Mochi Medical providers. He says he is down to around 380 pounds. Individual results are not guaranteed and may vary from person to person.
For him, the biggest change has been energy. "Every single day I'm waking up, I just got that drive, that energy," he said, which matters for someone balancing television, travel, a new general manager role at Jackson State, and four kids' sports schedules.
Nausea and constipation are common with GLP-1 medications, which is why the GLP-1 side effects guide is worth reading before you start.
Why He Talks Openly About GLP-1s
Perkins has been outspoken when other public figures mock athletes for using weight loss medication. He sees it as a matter of responsibility.
"GLP-1 was the best thing that happened for me," he said. "As former athletes in the media, we have a responsibility to make sure we deliver the right message, especially when we have millions of people watching us."
His Goals Now
Perkins thinks about his health the way he once thought about a season: as a series of goals. He has a doctor's visit scheduled for June 2027, and he wants every result to come back strong. He also wants to reach his 100-pound weight loss mark.
He has built his routine around those goals too. Perkins is in bed by about 11 and up by 6, and he still sets a big goal for himself every month. "If you're doing the right things and you're staying on track, you're going to reach smaller goals [while] trying to get to that bigger goal," he said.
The Bottom Line
Kendrick Perkins' weight loss journey runs from his grandmother's kitchen to a rookie deadline, a hard retirement, and a doctor's warning he could not ignore. He is still working toward his goal, and he is open about the help he is getting along the way. If you are thinking about starting your own journey, read about how GLP-1 medications work, then check your eligibility to speak with a provider.
Kendrick Perkins is a Mochi member compensated for his story. His experience is his own, and individual results are not guaranteed and may vary from person to person. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication or treatment plan. GLP-1 medications require a written prescription from a licensed provider. Speak with a provider to determine if GLP-1 medication is appropriate for you. All professional medical services are provided by licensed physicians and clinicians affiliated with independently owned and operated professional practices. Mochi Health Corp. provides administrative and technology services to affiliated medical practices it supports, and does not provide any professional medical services itself.
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