Dave Bautista’s Weight Loss: How He Shed 75 Lbs. After Becoming ‘Uncomfortably Big’
The actor and former WWE star said it was a slow process
Dave Bautista is known for his brawn, thanks to film roles like Marvel’s gentle giant Drax and his prolific WWE wrestling career. However, the actor revealed that he went a little too far in an attempt to buff up for a film—so much so that when he lost much of the weight he had put on for a role, fans expressed concern for his health. The good news? He said shedding those extra pounds was done in an intentional, safe way. Here’s everything we know about Dave Bautista’s weight loss in his own words.
Dave Bautista’s 75-pound weight loss
In a September 2024 interview with journalist Chris Van Vliet, Bautista revealed that he had recently lost 75 pounds over just a few months.
“I started trimming down because I just got fat,” he said bluntly. “I got really big for a role and it was uncomfortably big.”
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Bautista was referring to his role in the 2023 psychological thriller Knock at the Cabin, noting that he was closing in on 315 pounds at the time (and specifying that the weight wasn’t predominantly muscle mass).
“Now looking back at it, I probably overdid it,” the Guardians of the Galaxy alum reflected, adding that he’d packed on the weight in a hurry by eating heaps of french fries and pancakes. “But at the time, I was just thinking, ‘I gotta get big, I gotta get big,’ and I put on an uncomfortable amount of weight.”
His weight loss took time
Bautista also said it took him “forever” to lose the weight after he finished filming the movie. “And then I noticed, the more I trimmed down, the better I felt,” he explained. “I also noticed the more I trimmed down, the better I looked on camera, the better I looked next to other actors.”
He soon saw fans online worrying about his health, due to the drop in his weight, which he attributed to the fact that he’s normally seen in a bigger body.
“I’m just a large human being,” he explained. “So at 6’4″ and 240 pounds next to a much smaller actor, I look like a gorilla! And it’s distracting!”
Dave Bautista’s two big weight loss tips
Bautista’s weight loss didn’t come easily, and he noted multiple times that he struggled to achieve results for a while. Here’s what he did to adjust his physique.
He practices intermittent fasting
While he didn’t outline the foods he included in his diet, Bautista told Van Vliet he was keeping his calorie consumption capped at approximately 2,500 per day.
“For me, it’s like nothing,” he said of the deficit. “I’m just not eating much. And I’m not starving or anything.”
The My Spy star added that he had also been intermittent fasting. For example, at the time of the 1 p.m. interview with Van Vliet, he said he hadn’t eaten yet and refrains from eating three to four hours before going to bed.
That’s a helpful weight loss strategy since fasting for a short period can trigger what’s known as ketosis—a process in which the body breaks down stored fat instead of glucose for energy.
When paired with eating fewer calories overall, this can lead to weight loss. Fasting also decreases inflammation in the body, bolsters blood sugar regulation and improves your physical stress response. Just be sure to talk to your doctor before you consider intermittent fasting to see if it’s right for you.
He stays active with martial arts
During a July 2024 episode of LIVE with Kelly and Mark, Bautista told the hosts he was practicing jiu-jitsu to get back into shape, People reported.
“It’s the way I lose weight,” Bautista said, adding that he had his friend and trainer accompany him to Budapest while he was filming Dune.
Bautista added that the pair “did nothing but grapple, like for hours. And so I started shedding the weight off and I figured ‘I’ll just stick with it so I’ll get my brown belt.’”
He went on to explain that while he took some time off from jiu-jitsu, he had recently “got back into it,” and started bringing trainers with him when he films. “I just shed about 50 more pounds,” he revealed.
Jiu-jitsu combines strength training and cardio in one exercise, explains Josh York, CPT, founder and CEO of GYMGUYZ. The constant movement works almost every muscle in the body, helping to burn calories while also building muscle and improving flexibility, he adds.
“This intense and fun workout can keep your metabolism high, so you’re burning more calories even after you’re done training,” says York.
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