Dave Bautista has shed the beast inside him.

WWE superstar turned Hollywood actor Dave Bautista is opening up about his drastic weight transformation. At 57, Bautista underwent a dramatic weight loss journey that he says was never about chasing aesthetics; his priority was health, comfort, and evolving as an actor.

The Guardians of the Galaxy star revealed that he lost around 75 pounds after gaining weight for the movie Knock at the Cabin. Bautista admitted to bulking up to an 'uncomfortably big' size, reaching roughly 315 lbs for the film. He ate everything from pancakes to French fries, and went into an extreme bulking mode.

 “At the time, I was just thinking, ‘I gotta get big, I gotta get big,’” he said. “Now looking back at it, I probably overdid it.”

What followed was doing a complete U-turn of everything he had built his career on. During the filming of Dune, Bautista started working with fitness trainer Jason Manly, and martial arts became his way to do it, especially Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

“I started shedding the weight off, and I figured I’ll just stick with it so I’ll get my brown belt.”

He added HIIT workouts, cycling, and yoga to his regimen, and altered his nutrition plan as well. He consumed nearly 2,500 calories a day with intermittent fasting, eating only within a short daily window. And soon, the result was visible. Bautista's weight dropped from 300 lbs to around 240 lbs (137 kg to 109 kg)..

Talking to Men’s Fitness, Bautista talked about his diet, saying,

 “I usually have a couple fish meals, and I typically eat eggs every morning … everything else is kind of typical healthy foods, plant-based, rice and beans.” He also had some healthy snacks like almond butter with a banana ready for him during shoots.

At 57, Dave Bautista is no longer trying to look 30. Rather than look like the beast he once was, his aim is longevity; he just wants to stay functional, healthy, and in for the long haul. Losing weight has allowed him to fit into film roles more naturally and improved his mobility on screen.

But even the fittest of them all have cravings sometimes, and Dave Bautista is no exception.

Dave Bautista’s Favorite Cheat Meal

While promoting their movie, The Wrecking Crew, Dave Bautista got candid with co-star Jason Momoa about his favorite cheat meal, and it is something you won't expect from an athlete of his stature.

“New York-style pizza, with that super doughy, gluten-filled crust baked just right with extra, extra sauce and extra, just like a sausage,” said Bautista during his interview with GOAT Talk.

The surprising part was that Drax the Destroyer has been allergic to dairy since 2005. So, basically, he hasn't had his cheat meal in over 20 years. He also stopped eating red meat and pork.

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Written by

Ruwa Javed

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi