Silence of the Lamb Chops – Anthony Hopkins Loses 80 Pounds

Sir Anthony Hopkins, most famous for his role as Hannibal “the Cannibal” Lecter, has lost 80 pounds. He looks slim and healthy, and much younger. His wife Stella Arroyave has lost weight too and played a crucial role in helping him to achieve his weight loss success.

Sir Anthony is the first Knighted Gentleman to be featured here on MotleyHealth, so this is an exciting piece of weight loss news. He is also the oldest man (73 years young) to be featured and is proof that it is never too late to start losing weight and getting fit. Recent studies have shown that exercise alone makes you more alert, more intelligent and more physically active as you enter old age.

How Did Anthony Hopkins Lose Weight?

His weight loss method was surprising simple, and one that always produces great results. He reduced is daily calorific intake to around 1800 kcal and started exercising 6 days per week. He has described his fitness regime as “strict” and admits that he has turned into a health nut, always watching what he eats.

How Long Did It Take Him To Lose 80 Pounds?

This is an important question to ask. It took Sir Anthony 2 years to lose weight. Many of you will be shocked to hear this, but to lose weight safely and to keep it off, you need to lose weight at a steady pace. Fast weight loss is rarely healthy or sustainable. Over the 2 year period Sir Anthony averaged just 2/3 of a pound per week. or about 1 1/3 pounds over fortnight.

This level of weight loss means that now he has reached his ideal weight he does not need to change his lifestyle for a second time. The diet and exercise regime that he has been doing for the last 2 years is one that he can now continue for many more years to come.

He is a healthier and more mentally alert gentleman as a result of his weight loss and more active lifestyle, and no doubt he is feeling much better for it and does not want to change the way he lives now.

Sir Anthony’s Workout

Sir Anthony goes to the gym 6 days a week, although having your own home gym does make this commitment much easier to follow.

His routine involves:

• Power walking

That is just about it. Simple but very effective. After so many years or relative inactivity he does not have the strength or flexibility to perform a wide range of exercise, but power walking is something that is very natural to perform. If you have access to a treadmill just put in on the maximum incline and start walking.

Sir Anthony’s Diet

His diet was a classic low sugar / low GI diet.

• No bread
• No biscuits (cookies)
• No cakes

He admits that he loves bread, like so many others, and can eat it all day. This bread is the main reason why so many people put on weight, and why so many diets fail. If you have tried following a weight loss diet but still allowed yourself to eat a few slices of bread everyday, then the likelihood is that you have failed to lose weight. Bread is very energy dense and to lose weight you have to create an energy deficit.

Supportive Partner

Sir Anthony says that the support his wife gave him was the greatest motivational factor that helped him lose weight. We have highlighted this before. The Preparation Stage for weight loss requires you to build a network of support before you start your weight loss journey. Also studies have shown that when people workout together they are more successful at losing weight.

You Can Follow This Weight Loss Plan Too

There are many similar weight loss plans that you can follow that will produce similar results to this. The most similar is the 31 Day Fat Loss Cure (31 days is just the length of each cycle) which provides a diet plan that is based on the Caveman Diet and an exercise regime based on military fitness and strength training. Following a diet plan such as this will help to speed up weight loss. See our article on fitness for senior citizens for some more ideas on getting in shape.

Photo by Elena Torre