Fresh from the success of "Jurassic World," Chris Pratt shared his secret in staying fit in a recent interview.
The former "Parks and Recreation" star surprised the world with his stunning transformation when he played cocky and audacious space adventurer Peter Quill in the "Guardians of the Galaxy." Speaking with the staff of Men's Health, where he graced the cover of the July issue, Pratt said that he had no idea keeping his body toned could help him on his projects.
"As an actor, I can't have proper mental prep without proper physical prep. Even though I knew it deep inside, it took me a long time to realize how getting physically sharp helps me get ready for other things in my life," he said.
He admitted that when he was at his heaviest, he was "impotent, fatigued and emotionally depressed."
According to the "Jurassic World" star, changing his diet was a big problem, stating that his wife, Anna Faris is a good cook. Pratt said Faris loves to cook him "big, fattening meals," which he enjoys a lot.
When asked how he transformed from being 290 pounds into the fit and dapper Owen Grady in his recent film, Pratt said he started avoiding junk food and his favorite beer and wine. More fruits and vegetables were added to his diet and he also ate only lean meats.
Pratt said having a workout buddy helped him with his daily exercise. In an interview with Extra, he expounded on the benefit of enlisting Jared, his Navy SEAL friend to assist him on his routine.
"There's this feeling of accountability — it might otherwise seem easy to bow out of all this work, but Jared is the kind of friend that when you say you're going to do something, you do it," he said.
The 36-year old star recently participated in a triathlon with Jared and another former Navy SEAL. He also does different strength training exercises and cardio workouts.
Pratt said working out keeps him sharp physically and mentally and if he was able to inspire others by his makeover, all the better.
"I can tell that people are motivated by my transformations, and that feels really good. I love the health benefits of exercising, and I have a kid now. By exercising, you really can add 20, 30 years to your life, but you gotta live too, so hopefully I'll find a nice balance," he said.
