Jason Kelce Wants To Lose 35 LBs In Retirement; OutKick Writers Give Their Thoughts On Weight Loss
One of Jason Kelce's top priorities after capping a 13-year career as an NFL offensive lineman is to lose serious weight.
Over and over again, we see retired NFL big boys drop weight once their daily maintenance of eating 6,000+ calories is no longer required.
Kelce wants to drop 35 pounds of weight, which sounds like a ton but is possible for any lifestyle. He shared his thoughts on pivoting to losing weight during Wednesday's "New Heights" podcast.
Additionally, Jason Kelce's new approach to fitness sparked several fitness tips from the writers' room at OutKick, sharing their best tips on approaching weight loss.
PHILADELPHIA - Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates on the field after defeating the New York Giants 38-7 in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 21, 2023. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
"I don't personally subscribe to doing extreme diets like going all the way vegan or all the way carnivore or keto," Jason Kelce shared.
"My man Joe Thomas lost a bunch of weight [and] he's all keto. And I'm like, 'Dude more power to you,' but f**k no, I'm not doing that. He looks fantastic, but it's not worth, to me, doing that. …
"I downloaded MyFitnessPal and just started tracking calories. I feel like as long as I maintain my protein intake, so I keep my muscle and just kind of limit the calories, you'll start to lose weight, that's the plan."
Losing weight is a lifelong challenge for some people. The balance of working out and dieting can seem overwhelming on a tight schedule or limited budget.
To simplify things, it all comes down to what you're feeding your body.
OutKick's Thoughts On Weight Loss / Fit Lifestyle
There's not a sole approach to fitness, but there's the courage demanded to jump into a plan and rely on persistence to do the rest.
The crux: find a physical hobby (not necessarily a workout) and figure out a diet.
READ: Why You Should Add Jiu-Jitsu To Your 2024 Bucket List
Personally, training Jiu-Jitsu four to five times a week and incorporating fasting on a weekly or monthly basis helped cut 50 lbs from my average frame.
Eating is too much of an activity for me, so rather than cutting back on the weekend, I'll fast once or twice during the weekdays (or 16:8 intermittent fast for four days), which puts me at a deficit to eat, eat, eat when it matters.
OutKick's Alejandro Avila (185 to 135)
(OutKick's Alejandro Avila)
I've lost more weight and gained more muscle from working out at home compared to all my seasons of owning a gym membership … don't deny the importance of pull-ups, bodyweight squats and push-ups, folks.
If incorporating intermittent fasting becomes too much of a hassle, setting a daily caloric limit between 1,500 to 2,000 for men helps shed unwanted weight. Keep in mind that doing this once or twice throughout the week will make a change.
Gaining an understanding of caloric value among different foods can change your understanding of finding the right diet. My approach completely changed after OutKick editor Matthew Wiley introduced me to a calorie-counting app, similar to Jason Kelce's MyFitnessPal app.
Don't look at it as eating less, rather limiting one's self for the sake of discipline and even gaining creativity with eating food.
OutKick's David Hookstead took a small but critical measure to lose 70 lbs: cutting out soda from his diet.
Casual boxer and OutKick writer Dan Zaksheske shared that limiting carbs and sugar remains a point of emphasis with trying to lose weight. He once lost 29 pounds (248 to 219) in roughly eight weeks.
Don't sweat the cardio but engage in a healthy, sustainable lifestyle with a deliberate focus on eating ‘cleanly.’
"How to lose weight: eat real food, move around," DZ said, adding, "Not all calories are created equal."
Zaksheske emphasized discipline in eating real food (i.e., meats and veggies), which may be a challenge for gourmands out there but a long-term model for keeping a healthy routine.
"One of the biggest factors in weight gain/loss is hormones and sugar especially triggers your brain to go into 'store' mode."
OutKick's weightlifting maverick and Womansplainer Amber Harding Snyder shared her thoughts on keeping a sharp fitness routine.
"Calories in, calories out. When I cut for [bodybuilding] shows, I have to choose between being in poverty macros, or simply doing hours of cardio to make up for it," Amber shared.
"Cardio does burn calories (as does any exercise) but don’t abandon strength training. Pumping iron goes a long way in burning fat and body recomposition. People who just do cardio get that ‘skinny-fat’ look."
With all that being said … it's lunchtime. (Send us your weight-loss story or best tips for a potential feature: alejandro.avila@outkick.com)
Follow along on X:@AlejandroAveela