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Jennifer Lawrence’s Weight Loss: Here’s Why She Swore Off Diets
Of all celebrities, Jennifer Lawrence’s weight loss journey is indeed unique because the Hunger Games’ star doesn’t keep herself hungry. Read to learn more.
We often come across people in our lives who say that they ‘don’t believe in diets’ and simply ‘exercise’ to stay fit, but in the case of celebrities, we never expect that to be true. However, Jennifer Lawrence’s weight loss and fitness journey has been different, as she swore off crash diets and the idea of starving oneself to lose weight even before she made it big through films like The Hunger Games and X-Men: First Class. So how did she manage to stay so fit and perfectly toned? Let’s scroll away to learn more about her health and fitness journey.
Who Is Jennifer Lawrence?
Jennifer Lawrence is regarded as one of the most beautiful and highest-paid actresses in the world. Before starring in blockbusters such as The Hunger Games series and Mother!, she started her career by playing guest roles on TV when she was a teenager.
Her first major role was in the American sitcom The Big Engvall Show (2007-2009) in which she played Lauren Pearson. Following that, Lawrence played a supporting role in the drama Garden Party and then a main role in Winter’s Bone, which were two independent films.
However, she rose to stardom and captivated audiences around the globe by playing the role of Mystique in the X-Men film series (2011-2019). As the main character, Katniss Everdeen, in the action movie series: The Hunger Games (2012-2015), Lawrence broke stereotypes and became the highest-grossing action heroine of the time.
She won several accolades in her career, including the Academy Awards for Best Actress in the romance Silver Linings Playbook (2012) and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for American Hustle (2013). She also founded her own film and television production company, Excellent Cadaver in 2018.
Lawrence never limited herself to playing “eye-candy” roles in films and became an influential feminist figure by playing the roles of unique, powerful, and layered female protagonists in films like Joy (2015), Mother! (2017), Don't Look Up (2021), Causeway (2022), and No Hard Feelings (2023).
Furthermore, Lawrence has been an advocate for women’s reproductive rights. Her philanthropic works also include founding the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation that advocates for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Special Olympics.
Jennifer Lawrence’s Weight Loss for Red Sparrow
To play the role of an ex-professional ballerina for the movie Red Sparrow (2018), J-Law adopted a rigorous workout regimen. She worked hard on her dance skills and trained with her dance coach Kurt Froman to look believably skillful in ballet for the role.
Froman worked with the actress for three hours per day, six days a week, for three months. In addition to dance, he also trained Lawrence for other exercises such as Pilates, cross-training, weight training, and gyrotonics, to help improve her form and get in shape.
Through gyrotonics, Lawrence managed to sculpt and strengthen her upper body, whereas she improved her functional strength, breath work, and rhythmic movements through Pilates. While Lawrence did not diet for this movie, her exercise regimen was quite extreme as per the role’s demands, which made her drop a few pounds.
Read More: Anne Hathaway Weight Loss Story: How She Lost 25 Pounds for Les Misérables
Jennifer Lawrence’s Weight Loss for X-Men: First Class
(Image Source: Getty Images)
J-Law recruited PT Dalton Wong as her fitness trainer who got her in shape for the role of Mystique — a stealth and sinewy mutant in the film X-Men: First Class.
Her exercise regimen at the time included training for 10-12 hours a day, comprising posture exercises, full-body circuit training, push-ups, pull-ups, press-ups, and splits. This left little room for J-Law to incorporate cardio into her routine too.
Her hard work toned her body significantly, which toned her body immensely and supported the film’s action scenes. According to the actress, Wong changed her life by training her.
Jennifer Lawrence’s Weight Loss for Hunger Games
(Image Source: Getty Images)
Shooting for Hunger Games joins the list of one of Lawrence's worst experiences with body image in her film career. While she had an optimal body weight and good health at the time, she was still pressured to shed 10 pounds for the role of Katniss Everdeen.
To this, she outrightly refused and has never gone on a diet for any role ever since. And thank God for that, because Lawrence looked absolutely stunning in the film series with her perfectly healthy physique, and we wouldn’t want to see any pounds off.
Even before this movie, one producer had asked her to lose 15 pounds in two weeks, when she was trying to land roles. He had also told her that she could star in porn films with her appearance, in addition to many other inappropriate remarks.
Jennifer Lawrence’s Diet
While being among the fittest actresses we know of, what makes Jennifer Lawrence stand out is that she completely swore off diets. She is absolutely against the idea of starving herself, which is why she won’t even go on a diet for a film. In many interviews, Lawrence has opened up by saying that diets make her very hungry, and she cannot afford that while working.
Besides, she is not one for being very strict about what she eats. If she craves a pizza, she doesn’t deprive herself and has a slice, then later makes up for it in the gym. She jokingly mentioned that when the makers asked Lawrence to reduce an unrealistic amount of weight in a short period for Hunger Games, she discovered Jack in the Box (an American fast food chain, metaphorical for junk food).
However, in reference to working for Red Sparrow, she did mention that it was the first time she felt “really hungry and disciplined,” hinting at the fact that she may have made some alterations in her diet for the film. Lawrence also hinted at having a ‘meltdown’ over her meal plan for the role. As a part of her diet for this film, she consumed lean meats like chicken breast and speculatively low-carb meals that probably left her feeling unsatiated.
Read More: Mariah Carey Weight Loss: How the “Shake It Off” Singer Lost 70 Pounds
According to her trainer Wong, the following are some healthy foods that Jennifer would consume more often than others.
Full-fat Greek Yogurt: Greek-style yogurt is thicker and creamier than regular yogurt and has a higher protein content (1).
Dark Chocolate: Compared to other varieties like milk chocolate, which is often higher in sugar and unhealthy calories, dark chocolate has impressive health benefits.
It has remarkable anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-microbial properties, boosts heart health, improves brain function, and helps maintain a healthy lipid profile (2). Also, it is an excellent mood enhancer as it interacts with happy hormones such as dopamine and serotonin (3).
Almond Milk: It is an excellent source of healthy fats, antioxidants, and micro-nutrients and is a great low-calorie, plant-based alternative to dairy milk.
Peanut Butter-filled Celery: Peanut butter — which is free of additives — is a rich source of unsaturated fats, protein, vitamin E, iron, and fiber (4). Celery, on the other hand, is high in water content and health-boosting antioxidants (5). The combination of the two makes a highly nutritious and delicious snack that keeps one satiated for hours.
Hummus with Vegetables: While hummus is a powerhouse of plant-based proteins, dietary fiber, and healthy fats, vegetables paired with it such as carrots, cucumbers, and celery are rich in essential micronutrients (6). This is an extremely nutritious, fiber-packed, and delicious snack, which is also vegan.
Hard-boiled Eggs: There’s no denying the superiority of eggs as a protein source (7). And, Lawrence prefers her eggs to be hard-boiled, which is among the healthiest ways of consuming them.
Other healthy foods that Lawrence often consumes include air-popped popcorn, cashews, blueberries, apple slices with walnut butter, coconut milk yogurt, etc. amongst others. She likes healthy snacking from time to time to prevent junk food cravings while also feeling satiated.
Jennifer Lawrence’s Workout Plan
(Image Source: Getty Images)
As Lawrence doesn’t like to diet, she prefers going into her beast mode during workouts and usually exercises a lot more than an average person.
It was her preparation for the role of Mystique for X-Men: First Class that primed her exercise routine for the following years as well, under Wong’s training. While we have discussed much of her workout habits above, the following is an overview of exercises that she typically engages in:
Short HIIT Circuits: During the time she worked on the film, she would often incorporate regular bursts of HIIT circuits (15-minute-long) on the film’s set. Lawrence doesn’t feel the need to practice cardiovascular exercise separately as her HIIT workouts incorporate many sprints and aerobic exercises to help increase her heart rate.
Weight Training: Joining the club of the best action actresses in Hollywood wouldn’t have been possible without practicing a great deal of weight training exercises. Besides, Lawrence is big on muscle strength and overall fitness.
Posture Exercises: Wong’s training laid the most emphasis on posture exercises, especially when J-Law was shooting for Red Sparrow.
Yoga: Lawrence's exercises also incorporate a lot of yoga stretches and breathwork to boost flexibility and enhance mind and body connection. She also practices diaphragmatic ujjayi breathing before bedtime — something Wong refers to as ‘beditat-ing’ — to improve her lung health and sleep quality.
Pilates: To tone her body and improve coordination and core strength, Lawrence engaged in cross-training in the form of Pilates.
Jennifer Lawrence’s weight loss journey is nothing short of inspiring because she is among the rare celebrities for whom “going on a diet” is never an option. As someone who doesn’t like exercising much, Lawrence still prefers going the extra mile in the gym than creating an unhealthy relationship with food and restricting herself too much.
She also understands that one cannot work well on an empty stomach, and takes care of her health so that it doesn’t come in the way of her acting. As a feminist, philanthropist, and influential figure, she takes it upon herself to instill body positivity and a healthy attitude toward health among young girls.
Sources:
1. Processing of high-protein yoghurt - A review
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327268317_Processing_of_high-protein_yoghurt_-_A_review
2. Dark chocolate: An overview of its biological activity, processing, and fortification approaches
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9589144/
3. Dark chocolate: An overview of its biological activity, processing, and fortification approaches
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9589144/
4. Peanuts as functional food: a review
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4711439/
5. A Review of the Antioxidant Activity of Celery (Apium graveolens L)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5871295/
6. The Benefits of Including Hummus and Hummus Ingredients into the American Diet to Promote Diet Quality and Health: A Comprehensive Review
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7760696/
7. The Health Benefits of Egg Protein
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