Behind-the-Scenes Secrets From Mama June: From Not to Hot

June Shannon worked hard to both obtain and conceal her slimmer figure before her big TV reveal, while her daughters initially did not support her weight loss efforts.

By Corinne Heller Mar 11, 2017 1:00 AMTags

June Shannon worked hard to both obtain and conceal her slimmer figure before her big TV reveal, while her daughters Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson and Lauryn "Pumpkin" Shannon initially did not support her weight loss efforts.

The 37-year-old mother of four's transformation and her family's reaction to it is chronicled on the new WE tv reality show Mama June: From Not to Hot. June got gastric sleeve surgery in 2016 and began a new diet plan. The reality star, who weighed 460 pounds at her heaviest, worked to fit into a 4 dress to show off her new body at her ex Mike "Sugar Bear" Thompson's wedding to his new girlfriend.

On the third episode, which airs Friday, June showcases her slimmer figure on camera for the first time.

Check out some behind-the-scenes secrets:

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Mama June Went into Hiding: Before the show premiered two weeks ago, the reality star kept away from the spotlight so photos of her transformation would not leak online.

"It's been really hard for her, because my mama is not just a person who can stay in the house," Alana told People. "My mama is very outgoing and stubborn. So when she's like, 'Let's go to the grocery store,' we're like, 'You can't, because you have to stay in hiding, you know.'"

"And then she's just like, 'No, I have to go out, I'll just put on big clothes and they will never see me,'" the child said. "The craziest disguise that she's done, she went out with this big jacket on, glasses, a hat, and a scarf. She went overboard."

Watch: Honey Boo Boo & Lauryn Shannon on Mama June's Weight Loss

Her Kids Made an Important Joint Decision About Their Mom: "At first, we didn't want to participate in the fact that she was eating healthy and things like that," Lauryn told E! News exclusively. "But as I went along, we could tell that she really needed the support so me and her both decided that it was just something that we needed to do what support her. So we did the meal plans with her."

Alana in particular did not appear impressed with her mother's weight loss journey on the show, saying she looked "fine" before.

"I'm not jumping on any bandwagon, unless it has like, cheeseburgers and stuff," the child said on the show.

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Celebrity Weight Loss
Watch: Mama June's Trainer Reveals Her Diet and Fitness Plan

Mama June's Personal Trainer Did a Complete Lifestyle Overhaul: Kenya Crooks has been helping the reality star with her diet and fitness regimen. He made his debut on the show on episode two.

"Her manager came to me, because she had hit a plateau," he told E! News exclusively. "I'm the closer."

"When we first started, yeah, it was rough. I mean extremely rough," he said. "But the more weight show lost, the more confidence she built up."

The Family Is in This Together: Crooks got June's kids eating healthy too.

"I always look at it from a team standpoint…we have to do it as a family," he told E! News. "We can't have two separate menus because something is going to fall apart eventually."

Watch: Honey Boo Boo & Lauryn Shannon Talk Mama June's Heathy Diet

Mama June's New Diet: "She can't eat like, chips or anything," Alana told E! News. "She has to eat like carrots or something."

"That or she has to eat in smaller portions now," Lauryn added. "She can't have like this big ol' buffet."

June is shown inside a buffet on the show, a while before her surgery trip.

Crooks made several recommendations to June about her diet and had her temporarily cut out not only junk food, but most carbs.

"She liked to do the pizza stuff, the spaghetti stuff," he told Rodney Ho's AJC Radio & TV Talk blog. "She was really really huge into bread. We had to cut that out and monitor how many calories she was taking in."

He also told her to eat lean meats, fruit and vegetables, including greens, such as kale.

"The only thing that was green was the mold in the house," he joked.

The sisters told E! News the family has been eating meals consisting of ingredients such as green beans, butter beans and salmon.

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Cheat Days? Alana and Lauryn told E! News junk food is allowed in their house but is eaten sparingly. It is unclear if June herself indulges.

"Once a week we'll get like something to like treat ourselves too...maybe twice a week," Alana said.

"There is junk food in the house but it's not like we eat it every single day," Lauryn added. "She just wants us to be healthy too, she just doesn't want us to be outrageous with it." 

Working Out? Alana and Lauryn said their mother worked out before her surgery but was told to avoid exercise for a while following the procedure.

"Working out does not have to be boring," Crooks told E! News. "It does not have to be a chore. It can be fun. We would do a bunch of different outdoorsy things that you wouldn't even think you can lose calories on and things of that nature."

He said they also did weight-lifting and abs training.

"She would like run the treadmill, she would like go to the park and do push-ups and all this other stuff," Alana said.

The girls occasionally tag along with their mom.

"We did once," Lauryn said.

"I do sometimes," Alana added.