While some actors eschew any role that involves a demanding physical transformation, others lean into the challenge. For Mark Wahlberg, he fits into the latter category. Typically, the actor serves as something of a poster-boy for anyone looking to get in shape, as he regularly shares gruelling workouts from the gym, proving his isn’t the kind of physique you get overnight, but one that requires consistent action and unwavering dedication to clean eating and hours in the gym. Anyone would think such a thing is unsustainable, but somehow Wahlberg defies the odds and seems to be eternally sporting an impressive rig.
It makes Wahlberg’s latest physical transformation all the more incredible. For his latest role in the upcoming film, Father Stu, Wahlberg is looking to gain a staggering 14 kilograms in just six weeks. Well, it seems Wahlberg is one to hit his goals early as in just three weeks he’s already gained a significant 9 kilograms – and he’s not stopping here.
“From this, three weeks ago, to this, now,” Wahlberg captioned his Instagram post which debuted the new physique. He’s now looking to gain a further 9 kilograms, taking his weight gain for the role to an impressive 18 kilograms.
It’s a remarkable feat, particularly given the fact Wahlberg is known for his intense daily routine that involves an insane workout schedule and the kind of strict diet that would see you go crazy. You have to wonder just how the star is coping with the transformation and the new lifestyle it presents to him, but as he explained to Jimmy Kimmel in a recent interview, the weight gain has been quite liberating as it’s allowed him to divert from his typically strict diet. “They want me to do it as healthy as possible and I’m like, ‘Dude, I’ve been on such a regimen for so long, I just want to eat everything in sight. I want to go to bakeries. I want to go to Denny’s. I want to get pancakes. I want to get everything I can possibly get my hands on.”
To help pack on the pounds, Wahlberg enlisted the services of his personal chef and the diet is one that sees the actor consume a rather impressive 7000 calories a day. Chef Lawrence Duran has worked with the actor for a number of years, and the latest meal plan sees Wahlberg consume eight meals a day. But though it already seems to be doing the trick, Duran insists that he is “definitely not loading him [Wahlberg] up on junk,” as he expressed in an interview with E! News.
Duran explained that Wahlberg and his team are taking a cautious approach and ensuring his health is a priority. “We meet with a team of doctors who do his bloodwork and a nutritionist who gives us a full breakdown of what his body needs, what his body’s lacking and basically come up with a meal plan accordingly. We go to a specialist every two weeks to see where we’re at and adjust things,” he told E! News. “It’s not easy for anyone to take in that much food even though we’re breaking it up into smaller meals. He’s eating about every three hours. We do good carbohydrates, dark green vegetables, and then, just switch up the protein throughout the day and, at least, a dozen eggs a day.”
Incredibly, the meal plan starts at 3am where the actor consumes his first breakfast, “four eggs – that’s the pre-breakfast,” says Duran. “Then, he does his workout and then after the workout, which is usually around 5 to 6 o’clock in the morning, we do eight eggs, six strips of bacon, a cup of rice, two tablespoons of olive oil and a protein shake. It’s his protein-inspired mass weight-gainer to help build on a little more muscle as well.”
Duran then went on to add: “Three hours later, we do some kind of ground beef or ground turkey, whether it’s been made into a hamburger patty or a meatloaf, with another cup of rice. And then, three hours later, I usually do half of a roasted chicken, another cup of rice, I’ll do about a cup of cooked spinach and a cup of cooked beets as well.”
Following this, Wahlberg consumes another meal which typically contains eight ounces of some type of steak, or white fish like sea bass or halibut, as well as a heaping of vegetables. “Right before he goes to bed, we’ll do what we call a mash that consists of one cup of cooked steel-cut oatmeal, two tablespoons of applesauce, two tablespoons of jelly or jam, two tablespoons of almond butter and a tablespoon of molasses,” says Duran. “He has to take that down right before he goes to bed. It’s just another mass gainer to put on weight during his sleep.”
