“I was like, ‘Oh, is this what hot people go through all the time?’ Their lives must be very lucky,” the 44-year-old actress and comedian told PEOPLE with a smile.

Rebel Wilson is sharing more details about how people began treating her differently following her weight loss.

The Pitch Perfect actress, 44, spoke to PEOPLE about beginning her “year of health” during the pandemic in 2020. She shared how she slowly lost weight over the course of a year to “drastically change” for the better and help her harvest healthy eggs so she could become a mom.

The change in her appearance brought a significant shift in the kind of attention she received.

“I get a lot of attention for losing weight. I thought, ‘Oh my God, people are so excited about this movie.’ I actually got more attention for my weight loss than any movie I’ve ever done.”

“I know it’s superficial, but it’s great. And I said, ‘Oh, is this what hot people go through all the time?’ Their lives must be very lucky,” she added with a laugh, noting that people would hold the door for her or pay extra attention, even when shopping.

At the same time, Wilson said it’s “so positive reinforcement” that it motivates her to maintain her healthy diet.

“It was interesting to know exactly what it was like to be 𝓈ℯ𝓍ually invisible and then become visible,” she continued. “I have experienced both sides of the coin.”

The Senior Year star admitted that the emotional journey that came with her weight loss was partly what inspired her to write Rebel Rising.

“People often think there’s some magic pill, or some sick special diet, or exercise regimen or whatever,” the comedian explains.

Wilson says she wants her book “to send people a message that if they’re like me and an emotional eater, it’s not about those things. It’s really about working in a healthier way to deal with your emotions and there’s no magic solution.”

“And maybe me telling my story can encourage them to do the same and make healthy changes in their lives,” she added.