Courtney Love
Donato Sardella/WireImage
"I gained 40 to 50 pounds on macrobiotic food," Love, who turns 43 on Monday, told PEOPLE Tuesday at the Givenchy Haute Couture autumn/winter show in Paris.
Her epiphany came after she did a photo shoot for Italian Vogue at 182 lbs. "At the time I had Gwyneth's cook who does macro food," she said.
"I thought, it can't make me fat – he's Gwyneth's cook! [But] I saw those pictures and thought 'Oh my God!' 182 lbs. does not look good on me. Nothing fit."
Her solution? "I put the non-Photoshopped pictures on my fridge and had a lock fixed on it. My daughter Frances has her carbs in one drawer. I don't know where it is. I drink shakes and exercise my [butt] off. Isopure, no carbs – two shakes and one meal: fish. Fish and broccoli really does work!"
Now that she's lost the weight, her clothes don't fit. "All my [size] sixes and eights are on eBay. Most of the money is going to the Chrysalis Foundation for battered women in L.A. The other is Fair, which is fairness and accuracy in reporting which is a media watchdog group. They're both fabulous."
So it's time for a new wardrobe – there's just one problem: "I haven't had a stylist in nine years because my old stylist went to Madonna," Love said. "I've been looking and looking. I'd rather wear a tube top and have my stomach hang out than not have a good stylist."
• Reporting by MONIQUE JESSEN
