Jonah Hill is known for his yo-yo-ing weight to suit his movie roles. We have seen a chubby goofball, Jonah, in Superbad and then a slimmer and fitter version of himself in 21 Jump Street.
Since his movies were coming out in succession, we have lost track of what his ideal weight is. Until he debuted a slimmed-down physique in 2017.
Many have wondered how Jonah Hill did it. According to the actor, there’s no secret to his substantial weight loss. He simply did his best to eat healthily and stay active.
He further stressed that it is not due to a weight loss pill. He only went to see a nutritionist who advised him to change his eating habits and his lifestyle.
Jonah Hill cited experimenting with the keto diet, apple cider vinegar, and low-fat Japanese food as being instrumental in his significant weight loss. He also confesses that he is not a fan of exercising.
However, he finds running a great way to do cardio exercise. But his journey to a fit and healthy body was not done overnight.
Let us take a deep dive into his secret to shedding all those pounds in this article.
Who is Jonah Hill?
Jonah Hill began his acting career while in college. He started writing and acting in plays during his student days at the New School College in New York City.
It was his meeting with Dustin Hoffman that led him to his first audition for a movie role. The roles began to pour in since then. Today, Jonah Hill is ranked as one of the Highest-Paid Actors in Forbes magazine.
Even with a successful movie career, Jonah wants a career shift. Most of his roles demand him to be fat and heavy. He thought that if he lost some weight, he could take more serious, dramatic roles. But, he found that it is not easy, and like many dieters, he experienced weight fluctuations.
And the roles he played in movies had his weight fluctuating as well. He has to slim down for 21 Jump Street, while in War Dogs, he needs to be fatter. But that all changed in 2017. That was the start of Jonah’s quest for a healthy and fit new body.
What Made Jonah Decided to Lose Weight?
Jonah Hill has proven himself as a skilled comedic actor with a natural talent and impressive work ethic. Over the years, Jonah has opened up about being weight-shamed when he was younger, during high school, and even during his first years in Hollywood.
His weight has fluctuated since the beginning of his career. He would gain and lose weight for different acting projects.
As a young teenager, Jonah Hill was overweight. And no matter where he went, people called him fat and ugly. He tried hard to fit in by being with the jocks and the hip hop guys but still, they cannot see past his weight. It prevented him from mingling with regular kids.
As an outcast, he cannot wait to show the world the best version of himself. This pressure continued to hound him even when he started his acting career.
The press did not stop photographing him and the next day would come up with an article criticizing his weight. Such a situation took a toll on his mental health.
To stop them from criticizing his weight, Jonah Hill tried to lose weight several times. He was successful at first. But the weight keeps on coming back soon after. These several tries at losing weight and looking fit became too tiring for him and made him feel frustrated.
In the end, he decided to transform into a healthier version of himself. The first time he was seen thinner was when a photographer snapped a photo of him with a trainer. Exercise is one of the factors that led to his weight loss. However, other things contributed to his new and healthier figure.
Jonah Hill’s Weight-Loss Strategy
The first thing that Jonah did was visit a nutritionist. He changed his diet completely and became a responsible adult by quitting bad eating habits. Foods like cheesy and meaty pizza were replaced with healthier foods and grills.
But eating balanced and healthy food is not the only solution to the problem. He had to enhance the process of melting extra fat in the body, so exercising is also important.
Jonah joined a gym and hired a training instructor. He started working out with a combination of weightlifting, running, and boxing.
The actor admitted that it was difficult at first but he gathered enough courage and took up running. From there, he added more workout routines including pushups. That helped him lose weight faster.
How Did Jonah Hill Lose His Weight?
Jonah’s weight loss journey began in 2011. He changed his diet then and went to see a nutritionist who advised him to change not only his eating habits but his lifestyle too. One of the first things he did was to refrain from drinking beer. With this small change, he saw a significant decrease in his weight.
Other than removing a certain beverage from his diet, Jonah was also careful about what he eats. He created a food diary and sent this to his nutritionist to help him stay on track with his diet.
All in all, it was a combination of changing his eating habits, incorporating an exercise routine into his lifestyle, and educating himself about nutrition that helped Jonah transform his look and health.
Jonah Hill’s Diet Plan
When Jonah Hill sought advice from his friend and costar, Channing Tatum on how he could lose weight, in hindsight, he already knew that his eating habits contributed to his fluctuating weight.
His first step in cutting excess weight was avoiding unhealthy food options and changing his food habits. He also partnered with a nutritionist to help him keep track of what he is putting on his plate.
We can say that Jonah Hill’s diet routine is not something structured but a coordinated approach of taking foods with less cholesterol, low processed sugar, and fewer fats.
Let us look at the diet plan and overall approach to dieting that helped Jonah Hill lose weight:
Japanese Sushi
The moment that Jonah decided to take a path towards health and wellness, he readily removed beer and pizza from his food preferences. Instead, he started eating sushi. This Japanese dish is very delicious but low in calories.
How did it help him lose weight? A six-piece sushi roll with fish and vegetables has approximately 200 to 250 calories. It can be healthier depending on its accompanying order and main dish.
Jonah also learned to switch the mayo and tempura with better options like omega-3-rich fish like tuna and salmon and veggies. It ensures that he has enough proteins, nutrients, and vitamins from the vegetables.
Once he became accustomed to Japanese dishes, Jonah became a sushi aficionado, and you can often see him in his favorite sushi joints in New York City.
Food Diary
Another thing that Jonah recommends is to consult a nutritionist to keep you on the right track. His nutritionist asked him to write down everything that he eats.
Then he would share his food log with the nutritionist, and in return, he would get advice on what to drop and add to his diet.
Some of the food on the list that he can eat:
- Sushi
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Lean animal protein
- Low-fat dairy products
- Whole grains
Food that he should avoid:
- Processed food
- Refined food
- Junk food
- Pizza
- Beer
- Sugar
Although he was advised not to drink beer anymore, he said he still takes the beer. But he also said that there is an increase in his size every time he does that. And so far, he is still trying to do his best.
Supplements Jonah Takes
Jonah Hill does not recommend any supplements but he does take some to effectively fill in the nutritional gaps in his diet, especially when dieting aggressively.
- Multivitamin: Even if not dieting, you need multivitamins to keep you nourished. You may not always get the right vitamins from food when changing your diet, that is where multivitamin supplements help.
- Protein Supplement: You need protein supplementation when you are cutting down on calories and actively involved in muscle growth.
- Vitamin D: To avoid Vitamin D deficiency, you need to take supplements.
- Fish Oil: In case you don’t like to eat sushi, fish oil supplements are a great alternative because it has anti-inflammatory Omega-3s.
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Jonah’s Workout Routine
Like in his unorthodox approach to dieting, Jonah never really followed a structured workout plan. He slowly eased into exercising by running. When asked why he went into running, he said it was easy to tackle because it requires no equipment and he can do it anywhere.
With his friend’s recommendation, he started adding push-ups from ten a day to one hundred. Jonah also dabbled in Brazilian self-defense martial art jiu-jitsu, practicing them four to five times a week.
He is also into boxing. He was diligent and made it a point to spend not less than eight hours a week working out, even with his busy schedule.
Here is how Hill went from being chubby to having a lean and athletic body.
Running
Jonah never jogged in the past, let alone run. But he discovered that it is the easiest way to burn calories and ease into exercising. Running not only helps him burn calories while you are at it, but it also goes way beyond. Even while resting.
It can also suppress appetite and helps reduce food intake. When Jonah started running, he noticed a few changes in his well-being, and that motivated him to carry on.
Daily Pushups
The workout routine is something you have to build up gradually, and Jonah stuck to this principle even from the beginning. He started small and worked his way up.
In his case, he started with ten pushups and eventually moved to one hundred. Until today, he does one hundred pushups to maintain his toned and lean physique.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Another exercise routine instrumental in Jonah Hill’s weight loss is the Brazilian self-defense martial art Jiu-Jitsu. It helped him cut down his weight and get a toned body.
Like in push up, he did not force himself into an intense workout routine. He participated in training 4-5 times a week. Later, he eventually earned his first stripe.
Boxing
The actor also dabbled in boxing. He combined shadow boxing, jabbing, and combo moves with his trainer. This is an incredible routine to add to the workout when trying to lose weight. Its impact is felt by the whole body, not just the arms and legs.
All of Jonah’s workout routine requires commitment, determination, and passion. This is seen in his commitment to stick to his schedule.
According to him, he needs to spare more than eight hours a week for his workout routine, which is a combination of boxing, running, pushups, and Jiu-jitsu.
He also credits his friend, Channing Tatum for his weight loss. Tatum is the one who encouraged him to get a nutritionist and trainer before he embarked on a weight loss journey.
This is his sample weekly workout schedule:
- Monday: running, boxing, Jiu-jitsu
- Tuesday: resistance training, Jiu-jitsu
- Wednesday: boxing, pushups, running
- Thursday: Jiu-jitsu, resistance training
- Friday: Jiu-jitsu, pushups, boxing
- Saturday and Sunday: rest
Conclusion
Many believe Jonah Hill had lap-band surgery when he lost weight. But he did not. Gastric banding surgery or bariatric surgery is a known treatment for obesity. It constricts the stomach to make the stomach feel fuller after eating less food than they usually do.
Many people who want instant solutions to their overweight issues opt for this surgery as it is minimally invasive and reversible.
For Jonah Hill, it is his sheer determination that made him achieve his weight goal, and he put a lot of work into it. From being stereotyped to fat men roles, he decided to work on himself and become the man he wants to be.
He knew that it is not easy to exercise and diet to have a lean and athletic body. But he encourages everyone to get their inspiration from deep within, and they can do anything to achieve what will make them feel good.
