After embarking on a healthier lifestyle in the early 2000s, John Goodman is still maintaining his weight loss nearly two decades later.
Despite a recent hip injury the 73-year-old sustained in the U.K. earlier this year, the “Conners” star still looked sleek and slim while attending the Los Angeles premiere of the new “Smurfs” movie on July 13.
The actor has experienced many ups and downs in his weight-loss journey over the years, and once weighed close to 400 pounds.
As he’s progressed, Goodman has been quite open about the secrets to his success and the setbacks he’s encountered along the way. Below, we’re outlining some of the weight-loss and maintenance methods he’s followed.
Goodman Jumpstarted His Weight-Loss Journey When He Got Sober
Throughout his career, Goodman has been known for his comedic chops and his stature. In the early 2000s, however, the actor started to noticeably slim down.
During the early days of his health transformation, Goodman began speaking out about his decision to stop drinking. During a 2012 interview with The Guardian, the actor explained why he decided to stop drinking in 2007.
“It was getting to be too much,” he said. “It was 30 years of a disease that was taking its toll on everyone around me and it had got to the point where, every time I did it, it was becoming more and more debilitating. It was life or death. It was time to stop.”
The actor addressed his sobriety again in 2018 while speaking with TODAY’s Willie Geist, revealing that he used to drink on set and experience “slurred” speech.
After enlisting the help of a rehabilitation facility, Goodman began to work toward sobriety.
Goodman Went On To Lose 100 Pounds
While speaking with People in 2010, Goodman opened up about his recent 100-pound weight loss, explaining that his approach was quite simple.
“It takes a lot of creative energy to sit on your ass and figure out what you’re going to eat next … I wanted to live life better,” he said.
For Goodman, making an effort to get up and move around more made a world of difference as he embarked on his weight-loss journey.
At the time, the actor was working out six days a week with personal trainer Mackie Shilstone.
“I’m breaking a sweat but I’m not going nuts,” he said.
Meanwhile, Shilstone told the publication that his client was “very agile” and determined to reach his health goals.
“He remembers what it feels like to be extremely heavy and it’s something he doesn’t want again,” he said.
Goodman also told People he cut sugar from his diet in an effort to eat healthier.
Goodman Continued His Slow and Steady Approach to Weight Loss
For Goodman, living a healthy lifestyle is an ongoing journey, not a race.
In 2015, his personal trainer told the New York Post his client had been diligent about improving his health.
“This didn’t happen overnight — it’s been an ongoing process,” Shilstone said.
The personal trainer also noted that Goodman had found success following a “Mediterranean-style eating plan” that prioritized fish, fruit, vegetables, nuts and olive oil.
When it came to his ongoing fitness routine, Goodman aimed to take 10,000 to 12,000 steps a day and relied on the treadmill and elliptical bicycle, per Shilstone.
“There needs to be strategic planning,” he said. “This time, he really wanted to do it.”
As anyone who’s ever lost weight knows, it’s not a linear journey. Goodman understands that all too well, as he told AARP in 2018.
“I don’t want to be an example to anybody when the weight comes thundering back on — when I start eating Crisco out of the can with a spoon and a side of confectioner’s sugar,” he said.
During the interview, Goodman chalked his weight loss up to one simple thing: “It was basically just portion control, and ‘I don’t need it,’” he said.
Before then, the actor said he “was just shoving everything into my mouth.”
Goodman Announced That He’d Lost 200 Pounds in 2023
During an interview with Rolling Stone in 2023, Goodman revealed that he’d lost 200 pounds in recent years.
The star attributed simple activities, like walking his dogs, to helping him maintain his weight loss. He also said boxing was a go-to workout for quite some time, but admitted that he took a temporary break from the hardcore sport.
“I was boxing up until then and 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.
While describing his love for boxing, Goodman said he didn’t really get into sparring but mostly spent his time “hitting the mitts.”
“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 explained.
Looking ahead, however, the actor said he had a goal of advancing his skills.
“But it’s usually just an hour, hour and a half of hitting the mitts, hitting the bags, learning footwork. It’s great,” he said.
