We all have our own reasons for wanting to lose weight; looking better, feeling better or simply just being healthier. So when Hollywood funny man Jonah Hill shed an impressive 30 pounds for a new role, it proved that all those tabloid magazines were right; celebs really are just like us!

{Committing to weight loss can help you achieve these results too!}

It turns out that work is another good reason to get rid of excess fat. But I was curious, as I’m sure many of you were, how Hill was able to shed so much weight and keep it off. Keep reading to find out what I dug up in my quest for more weight loss info!

Weight Loss Goal

Shortly after being cast to star in an action packed film re-boot of the famed ’21 Jump Street’ television show, Jonah Hill began his weight loss plan by setting a weight loss goal. He reportedly set a weight loss goal of 30 pounds to get him in the shape needed to work alongside super fit co-star Channing Tatum.

Because the film role is so physically demanding, Hill set about getting to work on his weight loss goal…on his own.

This is perhaps what is most inspiring about Jonah Hill’s weight loss because we just take for granted that celebrity weight loss is easier than it is for us mere mortals. But setting your own weight loss goals rather than having a celebrity personal trainer do it for you puts you in charge of your own weight loss.

Setbacks

Another aspect of Jonah Hill’s weight loss that we can all take something positive from is getting back on track after weight loss setbacks. These setbacks are inevitable, not because we’re gluttonous beings who can’t exercise self control, but because changing eating habits and becoming more physically active after years (or decades in Hill’s case) of in activity is difficult.

After reportedly gaining weight during the early stages of his weight loss program, Hill asked for help from a nutritionist and a personal trainer. While these tools may be out of your price range, you should take this from the Jonah Hill weight loss story; if you can’t do it on your own as for help!

You may not have the money to have someone preparing meals for you and designing workout programs designed especially for you, but you can use sources like TFLA’s calorie page and healthy recipes to help you adopt a healthier diet.

Change Your Mindset

Personally my favorite part of the Jonah Hill weight loss story is his reaction to eating junk food after adopting a healthier diet. My friends constantly think I’m strange or full of it when I say that eating fast food, for example, is no longer something I enjoy. But Hill told the Los Angeles Times this;

“If I eat something unhealthy now, I kind of feel a little weird and my body hurts.”

This is an essential part of weight loss that can make all the difference in the world. When you adopt a healthy diet for weight loss, that means eating fruits, vegetables, lean proteins like fish, whole grains and low fat dairy products, your body gets used to nutrient-rich foods without a lot of fat, cholesterol and sodium.

Why is this good for weight loss? Well for starters if you take a significant amount of time away from overly processed fast foods, when you finally do go back to your beloved junk food, they won’t taste quite as good as you remember.

{Getting slim means adopting a proper diet.}

But like Hill on his weight loss quest, you can’t go back to deep fried mozzarella sticks during week 2 of your weight loss program. Jonah Hill has credited his weight loss to properly learning how to make healthier food choices before going back to his old high fat and sugary favorites.

Making the Choice

Although Jonah Hill’s weight loss was prompted by a million-dollar movie deal, he does concede that “being healthier” is something he’s always wanted to do and his role in ’21 Jump Street’ prompted him to finally do it.

You may not have a million dollar deal in the works to motivate you to lose weight, but according to a 2008 study losing weight can affect your salary as well as promotions at work. This study found that obese candidates were viewed as less qualified for leadership rolls and often received a lower starting salary than those within a healthy weight range.

Although you should lose weight for yourself and no one else, it is important to note that society’s view of overweight people can have an impact on you, just as it did on Jonah Hill. Since his weight loss, Jonah has signed on to do much more than play the chubby funny sidekick in films as evidenced in his new film, ‘Moneyball’ and has recently signed on to star in yet another action film, this time with Mark Wahlberg!

Weight Loss Lessons

If you take one thing away from Jonah Hill’s weight loss quest, take away the only tried and true method of weight loss: healthy diet & physical activity.

Just because he has a little bit of money doesn’t change that Hill had to eat healthier and exercise regularly in order to maintain his newly svelte physique. Forget the weight loss gimmicks out there because there are no short cuts to weight loss.

However because you are not pressed for time in your weight loss efforts you can take a slightly different approach to losing weight. Create your own fat loss goals and rather than trying to do a complete overhaul of your current lifestyle overnight, make small changes each week until you get more activity and eat healthier.

If traditional exercise is something you loathe, then start with something you do enjoy. Jonah Hill famously began his weight loss efforts with trips to Runyon Canyon in Hollywood, and you should choose something that isn’t beyond your capabilities. If you haven’t worked out in the past year, start with a low impact exercise like walking or bicycling.

Increase the difficulty of your activity when you feel ready for long term weight loss success. As Jonah Hill’s weight loss story shows, a little motivation and the right mindset do a lot for your weight loss success.

If cutting back on soda and sugar is something you continue to struggle with, read our Eat Stop Eat review to find out how intermittent fasting can help!