‘I’ve really had to control that side of me’

Jacob Batalon opened up about his incredible weight loss journey during the COVID-19 pandemic, after committing to a plant-based diet and grueling workouts. 

While looking back on shedding 100 pounds, the Spider-Man: No Way Home star, 27, revealed what initially stalled his physical transformation. 

‘I’ve learned that I’m definitely able to commit,’ he told E! News. ‘That was something that hindered me before with my weight and with work.’ 

The actor continued: ‘I feel like it’s easy to be on set all day, snack and just pass out in your trailer for a few hours. I’ve really had to control that side of me and be professional and on point with my health, because health is wealth.’

In December 2021, the Honolulu native, who rose to fame portraying Peter Parker’s best friend Ned Leeds in the Spider-Man franchise, revealed he lost a whopping 112 pounds.

The performer told Men’s Health that he adopted a new exercise regimen and stuck to plant-based foods to give him more energy. 

He told the truth publication that he had the desire to slim down after feeling ‘ridiculous’ when he caught a glance of himself without a shirt. 

Jacob shared that he was motivated to get into shape in 2019, around the time that the sequel Spider-Man: Far From Home was released. 

‘Even when I wasn’t doing anything physical, I found myself getting sleepy at work, and it was because of all the fat food I was eating,’ he explained. 

His fatigue made it difficult to walk up stairs ‘without being out of breath.’

But once he saw himself without a shirt, he decided it was time to take action.

‘It was just ridiculous,’ he said of his physique. ‘I could not believe that I let myself get this far.’

Jacob was hooked up with a trainer to help him safely and effectively shed the weight, and the new exercise regimen helped keep him busy in 2020 amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

‘I found a lot of light in the dark, in the sense that a lot of people were suffering and I was fortunate and lucky enough to have found my health,’ he said, adding that he was ‘very proud’ of his 112-lb weight loss.

His usual workout, which he does six days per week, involves an hour of weight lifting and strength training to start, followed by half an hour of cardio exercise.

The actor added that his girlfriend, Brooke Reyna, had introduced him to a plant-based diet, which had helped cement his health journey.

At the time, he told his Instagram followers that he was ‘tryna be mostly vegan, except when there’s no vegan options.’

In addition to his part in the Spider-Man franchise, Batalon is known or his leading role in Reginald the Vampire, which premiered on Syfy in 2022, based on the Fat Vampire book series.

He stars as the title character, an overweight treadmill salesman who is turned into a vampire in order to save his life.

However, he stands out from the rest of the blood suckers, most of whom are thin and fit, which makes him the target of vampire leaders who want to cleanse their species.

But Reginald discovers that he has rare powers that make him a more than even match for his enemies.

In order to effectively play the character, Jacob had to cut down on his workouts.

‘I’ve been kind of forcing myself not [to exercise], even though I feel it in my body that I want to.’