Vinny Guadagnino Is Unrecognizable In Throwback Photos

"It's T-shirt time!" Jersey Shore star Vinny Guadagnino has come a long way since 2009 when the popular MTV series launched. In an Instagram post from April 2020, the reality star shared two side-by-side photos showing his weight loss journey (via Page Six).

Vinny — who has embraced the keto diet (a high-fat, high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet) — explained on his other Instagram page, Keto Guido, that despite his fame, he's struggled with weight gain and body issues for most of his life. 

"I was the king of yo-yo dieting," the star wrote. "I was my biggest during the years I was off TV so a lot of people didn't realize. My genetics make me gain weight easily especially to high sugar/carb food. That being said I believe calories also matter. If you eat a surplus of calories a week you will gain weight and if you eat less calories than you burn you will usually lose weight (unless you're in too much of a deficit and your body goes into starvation)." 

Vinny explained that when he eats sugar, he feels bloated, lethargic, and groggy. He also said that since he loves hearty Italian foods (because of his Italian roots), it's been a bit of a struggle to find a balance between tasty and healthy, but he's managed to do so. Now that he's devoted to keto, he says he has more energy, mental clarity, and balance.

It's unclear when exactly Vinny Guadagnino's "before" photo in his before-and-after Instagram post was taken, but fans in the comments section were shocked to find out the Jersey Shore star wasn't always as slim and toned as he is today.

On his Instagram keto page, the celebrity constantly shows off his healthy meals choices and his body progress. In another November 2019 before-and-after post, he flaunted his new muscles and wrote: "Thankful for a way of life that I enjoy , doesn't feel like I'm on a diet , keeps me mentally/physically healthy, full of energy , and gives me a strong foundation for my fitness .....now go eat carbs today lol." He also participated in the 2019 #10YearChallenge trend, sharing yet another old photo of himself.

As fans may know, Vinny's love for the keto diet has gotten so serious over the last few years that he even published his own cookbook, The Keto Guido Cookbook. According to Men's Health, in the first five years that Vinny was on keto, he lost more than 50 pounds!

In a before-and-after Instagram post from September 2019, Vinny Guadagnino shared a photo of himself at age 25 and another at age 31. "#TheKetoGuidoCookBook is how I went from left to right," he wrote. "LEFT-around 25 years old . Sluggish and unhealthy ..Eats lots of bread, pasta , sugar , fried food, vegetable oil, alcohol,very little fat , works out once and a while but doesn't really have a healthy way of eating to give motivation and foundation for a healthy way of life."

He contrasted those details with what his life was like at 31. "RIGHT- 31 years old ... eats almost no sugar , pasta , or bread ... eats REAL FOOD like natural fat , steak, butter, eggs, bacon, fatty cheese , shellfish etc .. nothing breaded and fried ... and lots of veggies," he wrote. "has energy and motivation to workout everyday because the way of eating helps me always have a lean and solid foundation and motivates me to workout, intermittent fast, and build on that foundation." 

Vinny also shares his body progress and love for fitness and health on his regular Instagram account, where he frequently posts shirtless snaps and other selfies.