Eric André Counted Calories to Lose 40 Pounds

Eric André is no stranger to going to the physical extremes. From concussions to damaged knees, the pursuit of a laugh has caused his body to be pushed to levels that would make professional stuntmen think twice. But for Season 6 of The Eric André Show on Adult Swim, the comedian put himself through a different kind of wringer: After gaining 40 pounds, André decided to shed that weight and get ripped for the latest edition of his anti-late-night talk show. 

While the physical transformation made for great mirror viewing, ditching the fine cognac, hot Cheetos, and chocolate for bland pre-made meals was a different kind of physical torture. GQ caught up with André to discuss the grueling six-month process he underwent—and how he threw it away within a few weeks.

For Real-Life Diet, GQ talks to athletes, celebrities, and other high performers about their diet, exercise routines, and pursuit of wellness. Keep in mind that what works for them might not necessarily be healthy for you.

GQ: What led to getting ripped for this season?

Eric André: For the last season, I gained 40 pounds. This season, I got ripped and shredded up. Neither was fun. Getting fat, at first, is fun. I was eating pizza every night and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Piña coladas. But you start getting depressed. Getting ripped, you look good in the mirror and you’re happy with what you see but you’re hungry—and you can’t drink alcohol. You can’t really have fun. You have to eat in with every meal. You get these pre-made meals that become just boring and dreadful after a while. You can’t drink alcohol either. 

How long was the overall process?

Six months. The last big drinks I had were at the top of October and then we started shooting in March. I was about 213 and I got down to 173 pounds and under nine percent body fat. 

What did your food consumption look like?

It’s a lot of meat. For muscle, you need meat. I would have a ton of chicken, fish, turkey, no-sodium tuna, and steak. I wouldn’t have too much steak—but it’s really good and nutrient dense. And then tons of fruits and veggies. The only carbs I would do towards shooting were Japanese sweet potatoes and sourdough bread because they have the most nutrients. If I were dying, I would have some rice. It’s moderation, not deprivation. 

It sounds overwhelming and discouraging at first but if you were losing your mind and you need a bite of ice cream or chocolate, just have it. Satiate the craving and then go back to the healthy food. You don’t want to go fuck it, I can’t do it and then eat a bunch go crap. Admit that you’re human and have a little bit of ice cream. 

Were you counting calories?

I had the calorie-counting app Noom. I would type in the number of calories I burned for the day and the amount I took in. The apps really help—MyFitnessPal and all that shit. That’s actually the most crucial part of it — the calorie counting. If you’re only going to take away one thing from the bullshit that I’m saying, it’s calories in, calories out. If you put in your age, weight, and all of your stats into the app and you say how much weight you want to lose—there’s like a math to it and you just follow exactly what your calorie budget is for the day every day.