John Goodman Reveals the Secret Behind His 200-Pound Weight Loss Journey

At his heaviest, John Goodman weighed nearly 400 lbs. and wasn’t getting any healthier. Things took a turn for the best in 2007 when he stopped drinking alcohol, addressed his food addiction with a healthier diet, and incorporated exercise into his weekly routine with the help of health coach Mackie Shilstone

Now roughly 16 years later, the 71-year-old actor has lost around 200 pounds and continues to maintain a healthier lifestyle – though he admits he gets lazy at times. He opened up about some of the secrets to his incredible weight loss journey in a new interview with Rolling Stone, which was published on June 17. 

Not to say it was easy – because it wasn’t – but Goodman admitted there wasn’t much to his weight loss. In fact, he credits most of his weight loss to ‘just getting out and walking the dogs,’ but getting in the gym and boxing when possible has helped him stay in shape – though he hasn’t been exercising much lately.

RELATED: John Goodman Boasts His Impressive 200-Pound Weight Loss At ‘The Freak Brothers’ Premiere

“I haven’t been able to do that since Covid because I’m lazy. I haven’t been exercising, but I’m going to start a routine again this summer where I can get some stuff done. I’ve just let everything go just because I haven’t had the energy because of the jobs,” he said when asked about his weight loss routines. 

He went on to detail his love for boxing, saying he spent most of his time hitting the mitts and trying to learn the ropes – no pun intended. While he never really got into the sparring aspect of boxing, he does dream of a day when he’s advanced enough and trusts himself enough to get hit without losing his cool. 

“I never got good enough where I would trust myself to spar because once I get whacked in the face, I don’t know if I wouldn’t lose it,” he told Rolling Stone. “But someday I’d like to get that far advanced. But it’s usually just an hour, hour and a half of hitting the mitts, hitting the bags, learning footwork. It’s great.”

And while he didn’t provide an update on his eating habits and diet restrictions, Goodman has opened up in the past about how diet has helped him lose weight and maintain that weight loss – crediting portion control and avoiding sugar initially, but he eventually transitioned to a Mediterranean-style meal plan. 

John Goodman Staying Busy These Days

John Goodman has enjoyed a legendary acting career that spans five decades, starting in the late-1970s and early 1980s when he started receiving small, supporting roles in film, theatre, and television. Since then, he has appeared in dozens of films, TV shows, and other projects beloved by his loyal fanbase. 

The 71-year-old has been nominated for 11 Primetime Emmy Awards (winning one in 2007), five Golden Globe Awards (winning one in 1994), and four Screen Actors Guild Awards (winning one in 2013). Some of his best projects include Roseanne (1988-1997), The Big Lebowski (1998), and Evan Almighty (2007). 

Today, John Goodman is staying busy with his acting, most notably as Dan Conner in The Conners, a continuation of the popular Roseanne sitcom, and Eli Gemstone in The Righteous Gemstones – he has appeared on The Conners since 2018 and The Righteous Gemstones since 2019, but that’s not all. 

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Goodman also has voice roles in The Freak Brothers and Monsters At Work. Season 2 of The Freak Brothers premieres on June 25, while Season 2 of Monsters At Work is set to premiere sometime this year. Goodman has been going strong for nearly 50 years, but he doesn’t plan on stopping now.

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