Long before he was Star-Lord, Chris Pratt was the easy to love Andy Dwyer in Parks and Recreation. He was most well known for being silly, foolish, and, fat. Then in 2014, he shocked the world when he starred as the badass Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy rocking a hot toned body. How did Pratt lose all that weight and gain real abs of steel? Read on to find out how he went from chunky to hunky.
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#1 He gained weight on purpose for Parks and Recreation
Part of the reason that his character Andy was so charming was his innocence and relatability. His size played a part in that. With that in mind, Pratt purposely gained weight while filming the show. "It became a bit of a game, how fat can I get and how fast," he said. "I would eat four burgers at every read. I became really fat and got up to almost 300lb." He learned the hard way that an unhealthy diet can be disastrous for your health. "I had real health issues that were affecting me in a major way," he said. "It's bad for your heart, your skin, your system, your spirit."
#2 He set a strict workout regimen
In order to lose all of the fat and build tons of muscle, he worked with Duffy Gaver, a celebrity personal trainer for five months. Gaver said that he set up an intense workout that included several months conditioning and bodybuilding, followed by swimming, mountain biking, cardio circuits, and timed sessions. Gaver has worked with several Marvel stars like Chris Hemsworth and Scarlett Johansson to name a few so he knows what he's talking about. He had this to say about Pratt: "Chris' athleticism is amazing. He is incredibly disciplined and his work ethic is phenomenal."
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#3 And a really strict diet
In order to provide his body with the nutrients it needed for his workouts, Chris worked with noted nutritionist Phil Goglia. He ate around 4,000 calories a day. "I actually lost weight by eating more food," Pratt said in an interview. He said the difference is "eating the right food, eating healthy foods." He also drank a ton of water. "I was peeing all day long, every day. That part was a nightmare."
#4 He didn't set a weight goal.
Pratt believes that the number on a scale doesn't represent how healthy you are. During a presser for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, He revealed that he focuses on a timeline rather than setting a weight goal. "It's not to say my goal is 225 pounds. My goal is six months. It's six months of consistency," he said. He said that by being active and eating right you're able to "make it more of a lifestyle, rather than seek out a weight goal."
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#5 He shares his snacking habits on Instagram
It may sound weird but research shows that taking pictures of your feed helps you to lose weight. Pratt has embraced this thinking and is taking full advantage of it on his Instagram! He started his own little Instagram series called #WHATSMYSNACK where he shares hilarious videos of the food he eats. Researchers say that if you take pictures of your food before eating it, you are more accountable for the things you eat by making you visually aware of your healthiness and typical serving sizes.
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#6 He enjoys food whenever he can.
Yes, dieting is sometimes a necessity, but dieting can be a pretty terrible experience. That's why cheat days are important. Pratt says that cheat days are just as important when you are dieting as working out or eating healthy foods. Chris revealed that he doesn't always keep the hot, super toned body we see in the movies. "I keep close to what I need to be, but I have to live my life as well," he said. What he means is that if he knows he has a "shirtless scene" coming up, he "dials it in" so it looks like he never stopped working out.
