Margot Robbie’s Weight Loss Secrets: Inside the “Barbie” Star’s Diet And Fitness Routine

Margot Robbie’s weight loss for movies like I, Tonya, Suicide Squad, and Barbie required a strict fitness regime — skating, boxing, high-protein foods, and more.

Sanchari Bhattacharya
Written by Sanchari Bhattacharya , Health & Fitness Expert
Updated on Mar 13, 2025 | 05:44 PM IST | 476.4K
Margot Robbie’s Weight Loss Diet And Exercise
Margot Robbie’s Weight Loss Diet And Exercise (Image Source: Getty Images)

Margot Robbie never fails to turn heads with her charming appearance. The Barbie actress’ stunning transformation over the years has sparked curiosity about her secrets to maintaining such a toned physique. For many women, Barbie’s body has long been considered a symbol of perfection, but Margot, the real-life embodiment of this iconic figure, understands the immense dedication and effort required to achieve it. 

Margot Robbie’s weight loss and fitness routine have been hot topics, not just for her stunning looks but also her exceptional acting prowess in recent films. Yet, her journey isn’t solely about meeting beauty standards—it reflects a deeper commitment to health, strength, and balance, making it all the more inspiring.

Margot owes her fitness to a nutrient-dense diet plan and a high-powered workout regime, both of which reflect her passion and unwavering commitment to every role she takes on. A true perfectionist, Robbie consistently goes above and beyond to do justice to her characters, often embracing physical transformations as a crucial part of the process. She firmly believes in enjoying the journey—indulging in her favorite foods and steering clear of extreme diets. However, when a role demands it, she willingly sets aside indulgences and adheres to a strict regimen with unmatched dedication.

Without further ado, let’s dive into Margot Robbie’s weight loss journey, uncover her health and fitness secrets, and explore how her disciplined routine has played a vital role in shaping her incredible career.

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Who Is Margot Robbie?


Born in 1990 in Queensland, Australia, Margot Robbie started her acting journey with a few humble commercials and independent thriller films before moving to Melbourne to pursue acting full-time. She started her career with the 2008 Australian TV series Neighbours, on which she became a regular character. 

When she moved to the United States, she became the lead in the TV series Pan Am and then got her big break with the role of Naomi Lapaglia in the blockbuster dark comedy The Wolf of the Wall Street. Further, she played the role of Jane Porter in The Legend of Tarzan in 2016, and then as Harley Quinn in DC’s Suicide Squad in the same year.

In 2017, in the film I, Tonya, she played the lead role and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She continued her journey of taking up unique and challenging roles in films like Mary Queen of Scots, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Bombshell, and Babylon

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Her recent massive hit was with the 2023 film Barbie, which became a rage among fans globally. In 2014, she co-founded LuckyChap Entertainment with her husband and filmmaker Tom Ackerley. Robbie’s massive success and unmatchable talent won her several accolades and a huge fan base throughout her career.

Why Did Margot Robbie Lose Weight?

Margot Robbie has never really been overweight and has always been looked upon by fans for her healthy and beautiful physique, other than her powerful acting performances.

However, for some path-breaking films that she took up in her career, such as I, Tonya, Barbie, Suicide Squad, Tarzan, Birds Of Prey, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, etc., she had to go through strict fitness regimes to meet the physical demands of the characters she is playing. The following are some detailed insights about her diet and exercise routine. 

Margot Robbie’s Diet

 

Shooting for perfection comes with its downsides, and Margot Robbie’s diet kind of illustrates that. The actress has admitted that her meals can be quite extreme — junk food or rabbit food. She likes indulging in fried foods and sweets a lot, but when it comes to preparing her body for a role, she would eat only carrot sticks. 

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The Suicide Squad actress has admitted that she isn’t the best when it comes to moderation, and can’t go on for too long without eating. She hates getting into phases when she’s only eating salads every day and half a glass of wine every second day. 

That being said, Robbie did follow a considerably balanced diet plan when getting in shape for films like I, Tonya, and Barbie, and there are some healthy insights we can all gain from it. The following are the typical meals she consumes on a healthy day —

Breakfast:

Margot Robbie’s Weight Loss

Unlike the breakfast she poured from empty cereal boxes in Barbie, Robbie’s breakfast in real life is a lot more filling and hearty. The actress usually kickstarts her day with a rejuvenating bowl of porridge topped with a generous amount of blueberries. 

Porridge is known to be a hearty breakfast item rich in complex carbohydrates and fiber, depending on the type of grain used in it (oat, barley, millet, etc.). On the other hand, blueberries are vitality-boosting superfoods rich in antioxidants and polyphenols and help in weight management among other health benefits (1).

Robbie likes pairing her porridge with a nourishing green smoothie, typically made with apples and kale blended together. While apples are excellent sources of vitamins C, and E, potassium, calcium, and fiber, kale is rich in folic acid, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds. Both are antioxidant superfoods and have plenty of health benefits (2), (3).

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On days when she wishes to go a little high on calories and fats, she indulges in an avocado toast with some bacon, which also happens to be her favorite breakfast dish.

Lunch:

Margot Robbie’s Weight Loss

For lunch, Robbie likes having a wholesome meal of lemon chicken with brown rice or a filling salad made with goodies like tomatoes, cucumbers, and mackerel. Chicken and mackerel are both sources of high-quality proteins with nine essential amino acids, which makes them healthy choices for a high-protein diet (4), (5). 

On days when Robbie consumes grains in her meals, she makes sure those are whole grains, rich in fiber and nutrients while steering clear of refined carbohydrates. 

Dinner:

For dinner, the Wolf of the Wall Street actress likes to chomp on baked vegetables and fish, which are sweet potatoes and tuna steaks on a typical day. And on days she likes going a little easy on the meats, she enjoys a vegetable hot pot with rice noodles for a wholesome dinner. 

In-between Meals:

Unlike some celebrities who strictly avoid caffeine or consuming anything in between meals, Robbie really likes having her tea and does not restrict herself much there. In fact, on some days she even consumes up to 10 cups.

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Margot Robbie’s Weight Loss

Drinking tea has several health benefits as it is rich in polyphenols and contains a smaller amount of caffeine compared to coffee. It is excellent for heart health, and metabolism, and helps prevent chronic diseases like diabetes or even cancer in some cases — thanks to its rich antioxidant contents (6). 

However, health experts recommend against overconsumption of tea on a daily basis and recommend keeping the consumption less than 4 cups a day. 

Margot Robbie’s Cheat Day Meal Preferences

When she’s not working on any film project at hand, Robbie likes to take a backseat to her diet and indulge in her favorite foods. She’ll maintain a very strict diet if she has to get in a bikini, but otherwise, loves her beers, fries, burgers, chocolate, and waffles. 

Now that we’ve overviewed Margot Robbie’s meal plan that helps her stay in shape, let’s scroll away to get insights about her exercise routine. 

Margot Robbie’s Workout Plan

Robbie’s intense training regimen — like most versatile actors — has kept changing and adapting based on the films she is working on. And, while fitness is key for featuring in any movie, the body goals she aims for change significantly based on the demand of the role. 

For example, she had to toughen up and practice a lot of boxing to play Harley Quinn for Suicide Squad. And, for the role of a competitive ice skater in I, Tonya, Robbie had to become deft at ice skating while also looking like a lithe Olympic athlete.

However, for Greta Gerwig’s titular role of Barbie, Robbie had to prioritize fitness from an aesthetic point of view and become skilled at, well, skating — as Barbie was always seen skating in the film. She had to work hard on getting perfect curves and body proportions, such as a very slim waist, voluptuous hips, etc.

Margot Robbie’s Weight Loss

(Image Source: Getty Images)

For most of her movies, Robbie managed to get in perfect shape for the role in a short period of time, which required her to adopt a rigorous and intensive workout regime. The following are some physical activities that she engaged in. 

Ice Skating: Before shooting for I, Tonya, Robbie had to practice figure skating for several hours a day, five days a week. When training, the actor pushed her limits and even kept her ice skates as a souvenir after she was done shooting for the film. 

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Outer Thigh And Outer Glute Exercises: When shooting for Barbie, Robbie had to focus immensely on outer thigh and outer glute exercises at the gym to get a beautiful curve from her waist, down to her hips and thighs. This involved doing a lot of sit-ups, glute side backs, leg circles, toe taps, curtsy lunges, plank-to-pikes, and other toning exercises. There was a great emphasis on repetitions with these exercises.

Muscle-building Exercises: To get a strong and lithe physique, Margot had to incorporate several muscle-building exercises into her routine. These comprised rows, bicep curls, shoulder presses, supine skull crushers, and chest presses for her upper body, using light and medium weights. 

Leg And Core Training: Much of her leg exercises comprised squats, toe taps, and lunges alongside dancing and skating. When it came to core workouts, Robbie’s popular four-minute plank stole the show, which really helped tone her ab muscles. 

Arabesque Pulls And Lifts (Resistance Pulleys): Margot’s exercise routine also required her to practice some challenging ballet moves to lengthen and strengthen her limbs. These included arabesque pulls using resistance pulleys as well as arabesque lifts using heavy ankle weights. 

Dance Training: According to Margot’s trainer, PT David Higgins, her workout routine didn’t require a lot of cardio workouts as the cast of Barbie would spend about 2-4 hours per day in dance training. 

In essence, Robbie’s exercise routine touched all kinds of physical exercises — resistance and weight training, functional training and repetition, strengthening and lengthening, sports, dance, and some Pilates-inspired exercises too, on occasion. No wonder our Barbie girl has a perfect physique and is a huge fitness inspiration for her fans. Let’s take a look at how her diet and exercise routine transformed her physique. 

Major Weight Loss Secret Revealed by Margot Robbie’s Nutritionist

Dana James, Margot Robbie’s nutritionist, highlights that losing weight involves much more than simply cutting calories. She has simplified the “complex” weight loss process for those ready to start their journey. According to Dana, weak metabolism or resistance from the body isn’t always the main culprit behind slow progress.

The Columbia-educated nutritionist stresses the importance of addressing often-overlooked factors like hormones, sleep deprivation, inflammation, genetic predispositions, and even bottled-up emotions. These elements significantly influence the weight loss journey and should not be underestimated.

Margot Robbie’s Before And After Weight Loss Photos

Before:

Margot Robbie’s Weight Loss

(Image Source: Getty Images)

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Margot Robbie’s Weight Loss

(Image Source: Getty Images)

After: 


Margot Robbie’s Weight Loss

(Image Source: Getty Images)

According to David Higgins, Margot Robbie’s trainer, her stunning physique is the result of a “healthy approach to fitness.” Margot Robbie’s weight loss wasn’t solely about shedding pounds—it was about building strength, toning muscles, and elevating her overall fitness levels. Her journey exemplifies how fitness goals can transcend aesthetics, focusing on balance, consistency, and intentional lifestyle choices that bring lasting results.

Margot embraced a variety of exercises, targeting different parts of her body. Her preparation for films helped her acquire impressive skills like figure skating, boxing, ballet, and dancing, which significantly boosted her overall health and well-being. Her lifestyle serves as a reminder that fitness is not just about physical appearance but about enhancing vitality and living a healthier, more fulfilling life.

Sources:

1. Recent Research on the Health Benefits of Blueberries and Their Anthocyanins

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7442370/

2. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”: The potentials of apple bioactive constituents for chronic disease prevention

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9321083/

3. Improving the Health-Benefits of Kales (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala DC) through the Application of Controlled Abiotic Stresses: A Review

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8706317/

4. Poultry Consumption and Human Cardiometabolic Health-Related Outcomes: A Narrative Review 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10459134/

5. Fish Consumption: A Review of Its Effects on Metabolic and Hormonal Health

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8182174/

6. Tea and Health: Studies in Humans

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4055352/

FAQ's

Has Margot Robbie publicly opened up about her weight loss journey?
Yes, Margot Robbie has opened up publicly, not just to talk about her “weight loss” but her overall fitness journey.

What specific dietary restrictions does Margot Robbie follow?
She strictly avoids saturated fats, fast foods, chocolate, and sugary drinks when preparing for a role.

How many days a week does Margot Robbie exercise?
Typically, Margot Robbie works out five days a week.

About The Author
Sanchari Bhattacharya
Sanchari Bhattacharya
Health & Fitness Expert

Sanchari, a certified Health & Nutrition Life Coach and Naturopath, has 10+ years of experi...

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