Tameka Foster Is Doing Weight Loss ‘The Natural Way’ After Almost Dying During 2009 Liposuction

Tameka Foster, fashion stylist, TV personality and Usher Raymond’s ex-wife, recently had a candid conversation with PEOPLE about her weight-loss journey. During the conversation, the 53-year-old recounted the time she attempted to get liposuction and it turned into a life-threatening situation.

“I never had it,” she said about the liposuction procedure she sought in 2009. “I went in an attempt to have liposuction and I went into a cardiac arrest with the anesthesiologist. The doctor never even entered the room.”

Foster traveled to Brazil to have liposuction surgery performed on her stomach. During her recent interview, she admitted that the negative comments about her looks during her marriage to Usher got to her at that time. However, after the health scare, the fashion stylist has shifted her values around beauty. 

“I still care about looks and vanity, but I plan to do it the natural way. That’s all. Totally,” she said. “It made me be a little less lazy about getting to my goals, and I just changed my diet and now I do intermittent fasting and things like that.” 

She continued, “So I lost probably 20 lbs. before we started filming the show [Bold & Bougie]. In the past year, I’ve been really diligent about keeping my weight to a certain number,” she added. “I mean, I go up and down, but yeah, I do care less about it. I’m not as anal about it.”

Some risks associated with liposuction include internal punctures, fat embolisms, kidney and heart problems, in addition to negative reactions to anesthesia.

In 2022, 325,669 liposuction procedures took place in the United States according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. That same year, liposuction was also the top surgical procedure in the United States followed by breast augmentations and tummy tucks.

Going about things the natural way has paid off greatly for Foster, who looks amazing!