Jason Kelce says he’s focusing on losing weight for the sake of his children.
In an interview with GQ published last Wednesday, the former Philadelphia Eagles center spoke about how he’s staying healthy in retirement.
Kelce said he’s “almost 20 pounds down right now” since retiring from the NFL in March and aims to lose another 20.
“It’s hard to imagine another nearly 20 pounds coming off, being honest with you. But my back already feels better. My knees already feel better,” Kelce told GQ. “So another 20 pounds hopefully will make that much more adept at playing with my children.”
Kelce has three daughters with his wife, Kylie Kelce.
He shared that he weighed 295 pounds for most of his NFL career, and now weighs 277 pounds.
“I don’t want to get too small. I think a lot of guys, especially offensive linemen, they lose too much weight, and then they look like bobbleheads because their neck gets so small, but their head stays the same size,” Kelce said.
He added that a weight range between 250 and 260 pounds felt the most suitable for him because it would help him retain his stature.
“So for me, I feel like for some reason, 250 to 260 feels like I’ll be still big and be happy with the way I look without having a six-pack,” he said.
Even though he’s sustained numerous injuries throughout his 13-year football career, Kelce said he won’t let them stop him from enjoying life.
“I’ve had a twice-reconstructed right knee, a surgery on my hand, my groin. I’ve broken toes. I’ve had my share of things that have gone wrong, not to mention just the wear and tear of playing 13 years in the NFL,” Kelce said. “So I’m leaving the game with those scars, but for all intents and purposes, I can play with my kids. I am still able to fully enjoy life, which I consider a blessing whether you played in the NFL or not.”
This isn’t the first time that he’s spoken about his desire to shed some pounds during retirement.
During an April episode of his “New Heights” podcast featuring guest Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kelce shared some details about his fitness goals.
“My goal is two pounds every week, lose it. I want to lose it, but maintain my muscle mass,” Kelce said. “I’m trying to monitor my protein, my carbs, my fats and make sure that I’m hitting at least one pound per body weight.”
Schwarzenegger then gave Kelce a tip: “The most important thing is that you slowly decrease the body fat and increase the body muscles. You just switch. It doesn’t just have to do with the weight,” he said.
In a June 2023 interview with Sports Illustrated’s Eagles Today, Kelce shared that his NFL diet wasn’t as strict as one might expect.
“I think that you just gotta be smart and do it in a way you’re getting the right amount of protein,” Kelce said. “Once you kind of figure that out, you don’t really have to stay on top of it much.”
He added that he eats whatever he wants to.
“I can go to McDonald’s and eat food that I can figure out. I can go to Wawa, look at the menu, and figure out what to have. I don’t need to have brown rice with chicken breast with no flavor. If that’s what’s required of me to play in the NFL, I probably wouldn’t do it,” he said.
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