Inside Chris Pratt's Physical Evolution

Many of us first met Chris Pratt as the lovable Andy Dwyer in Parks and Recreation. He was known for being silly, slightly daft, and, well... fat. Then in 2014, Pratt shocked everyone when he starred in Guardians of the Galaxy as badass Peter Quill rocking a whole new 60-pound less body. How in the world did Pratt not only lose all that weight but also gain abs of steel? Read on to find out how Chris Pratt went from fat to hot. (Meanwhile, we'll be hitting the gym.)

It's likely that Pratt's weight was one of the reasons Pratt's character Andy Dwyer was so charming; his chubbiness added to his innocence and relatability. Knowing this, Pratt actually set out to gain weight while filming Parks and Recreation. "It became a bit of a game, how fat can I get and how fast," he told Men's Health. "I would eat four burgers at every read. I became really fat and got up to almost 300lb." As you can imagine, eating with little regard for your body's actual needs is disastrous for your health, a fact Pratt learned the hard way. "I had real health issues that were affecting me in a major way," he said in the interview with Men's Health. "It's bad for your heart, your skin, your system, your spirit."

Those biceps. Those washboard abs. That chiseled chin. None of it would be possible without a tough workout!

In order to lose the fat and build (lots and lots) of muscle, Pratt worked with celebrity personal trainer Duffy Gaver for five months, according to Men's Fitness. Gaver told Men's Fitness that the intense workout included a few months of bodybuilding and conditioning, followed by cardio circuits, swimming, mountain biking, and timed sessions. And while Gaver is pretty much a genius when it comes to working the body to become its best (seriously — he has Avengers stars Chris Hemsworth and Scarlett Johansson on his training roster), he gives a lot of credit to Pratt. "Chris' athleticism is amazing," Gaver told Men's Fitness. "He is incredibly disciplined and his work ethic is phenomenal," a huge leap from Pratt's days of dying on the track as Andy Dwyer.

It's said that abs are made in the kitchen, not them gym. You can work out all you want, but if you're not nourishing your body with the right foods you won't have the right results. So to supplement his workouts, Pratt worked with celebrity nutritionist Phil Goglia, who's also worked with stars like the Kardashians and Cara Delevingne. According to Men's Fitness, Pratt ate 4,000 calories a day. "I actually lost weight by eating more food," Pratt told People. The difference, he said, is "eating the right food, eating healthy foods." He also drank tons of water. "I was peeing all day long, every day," Pratt told Men's Fitness. "That part was a nightmare."

There's an Instagram movement denouncing the number on the scale, as it doesn't have much to do with how healthy you actually are. Apparently, Pratt is a believer of this movement. At a press event for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Pratt revealed that he doesn't focus on a weight goal, but rather gives himself a timeline. "It's not to say my goal is 225 pounds. My goal is six months. It's six months of consistency," he explained. By going to the gym or being active and eating right for a certain period of time, he says, you're able to "make it more of a lifestyle, rather than seek out a weight goal."

Research shows that taking photos of your meals helps you lose weight, and Pratt is taking advantage of it! He started a mini Instagram series titled #WHATSMYSNACK in which he regularly shares hilarious videos of the snacks he eats. According to researchers, taking photos (or in Pratt's case, funny videos) of your food before eating it holds you more accountable for what you're eating by making you more aware of your serving sizes and level of healthiness. Whatever Pratt's reasons are for sharing his foodie adventures, we're here for it.

Sure, sometimes dieting is necessary (for example, if you're a kickass movie star). But anyone who's ever committed to a diet knows it can be a pretty miserable experience. Enter: cheat days. According to Pratt, cheat days such as this one are just as important to a diet as working out and eating healthy. At a press event for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, he revealed that he doesn't always have the killer body we see in magazine and on the big screen. "I keep close to what I need to be, but I have to live my life as well," he said. Basically, if he knows he has a magazine cover or "shirtless scene" coming up, he "dials it in" so it looks like his abs have always been there.