Rosie O’Donnell Debuts Dramatic 53-Pound Weight Loss on ‘The View’

When Rosie O'Donnell began her new gig as co-host of The View on Sept. 15, she happily debuted a much slimmer figure, which was a year in the making!

The 52-year-old estimates she's lost 53 pounds since undergoing vertical gastric sleeve surgery in July 2013. But Rosie shared on the talk show that she's still not used to her slender physique.

"I still buy the wrong-sized clothes," the mom-of-five confessed, adding she recently enjoyed a night at the movies without being recognized. After conversing with several audience members, they told her: "I hope this doesn’t insult you, honey, but you look a little like that Rosie O'Donnell."

Her reply: "I am Rosie O'Donnell."

"A lot of people who have never had weight issues their whole life would assume that losing weight and going from morbidly obese to being able to buy clothes off the rack would be only full of happiness and positivity, but that's not true," the host revealed.

"It's also full of anxiety and vulnerability. I'm glad it's going at the rate it is because any faster than this would throw me into a panic."

Rosie candidly shared, "There are many issues for why people gain weight. Some gain weight as a layer of protection. To keep people away from them. I never wanted someone to want to approach me in a sexual manner because of my physical body because of child abuse issues."

Returning 'View' moderator Whoopi Goldberg also revealed she's been eating healthier and has lost about 35 pounds. "I'm using Rocco DiSpirito's diet book The Pound A Day Diet. And I feel good," she said.

But like her colleague, the Oscar winner is not stressing about losing more weight. "If I think about it, I would start freaking out," the 58-year-old admitted. "I'm just doing it."

Though all the co-hosts, including newbies Rosie Perez and Nicolle Wallace, appeared calm and excited during their first show, Rosie O. confessed she was a bundle of nerves. "We only had one day to rehearse, which was Thursday. And that was tremendously anxiety-producing," she said afterwards.

"I haven't done it in a while, and there are new people and it's a new show. And that really kind of threw me. But I think I know, after I got through today, it would be okay, and that's what happened."