Hoda Kotb Admits An Old Boss Encouraged Her To 'Get On The Treadmill' To Lose Weight
Hoda Kotb recently admitted that an old boss encouraged her to shed some extra pounds.
The beloved TV show host explained the situation on Monday, December 2 during an episode of 'Today with Hoda and Jenna,' detailing exactly how she made her way to the treadmill with advice from an unexpected source.
Kotb and co-host Jenna Bush Hager were on the topic of actor Timothée Chalamet, who reportedly lost some roles in the past due to his body type when she revealed she could relate to the daunting experience.
The host detailed that there were in fact "things [I'm] not right for."
"I still remember I had just started working at a small market, and I played basketball in high school, so I always assumed I was in shape even though literally after college and stuff, I wasn't," Kotb, 60, began.
"I still remember my boss going to me, 'Hey, Hoda,' and I was like, 'Yeah?' He goes, 'Hey, I got an idea –– maybe you might wanna try to get on the treadmill,' " she explained, prompting her co-host's audible shock.
"No!" Hager, 43, simply responded, causing Kotb to double-down on the jaw-dropping experience. "Yeah," Kotb replied. "He said it like that," she reiterated.
Kotb continued: "And I go, 'What?' Like, you know when you have a perception of yourself that is not the perception in the real world? So I was like, 'What are you talking about?' But, if you don't fit, they want you to wear something a certain way, cut your hair a certain way, speak a certain way."
Hager also resonated with Kotb, going on to call the behavior "reverse body dysmorphia," referring to the opposite of a person who is fixated on a distorted physical appearance.
"I think you know when you're pretending deep down and no matter what it is, you start losing who you are," Kotb expressed, adding that "sometimes" people have to do particular things to "fit into a work environment."
In February 2023, Kotb temporarily parted ways with the 'Today' series due to her now 4-year-old daughter, Hope, falling ill with a medical crisis which reportedly landed her in the intensive care unit for several days.
The mother of two shared an update in October, revealing to 'PEOPLE' that her daughter is now "thriving."