Matt Damon Lost 13 kg for New Movie and Reveals What He Cut from His Diet

Matt Damon says a major diet change helped him reach one of his lowest weights in decades.

The 55-year-old actor recently spoke about how he prepared for his upcoming movie The Odyssey. While promoting the film, Damon revealed that he lost a significant amount of weight to meet the director’s vision for the role.

According to Damon, the goal was to look lean while staying strong. To do that, he made one clear adjustment to his eating habits.

“I literally… stopped eating gluten,” Damon said during an appearance on the New Heights podcast.

The actor explained that his weight usually stays much higher, but during filming he dropped down to 167 pounds. He said he had not weighed that little since his teenage years. Damon added that the transformation required intense training and strict discipline around food.

He also shared that fitness becomes part of his daily routine when preparing for a role. Workouts, meals, and rest are planned around filming, much like an athlete preparing for a season.

Damon said the change stuck. “I’m done. I’m gluten-free everything,” he said, adding that he has continued avoiding gluten since finishing the movie.

Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, rye, and barley. Some people avoid it due to medical conditions such as celiac disease or digestive issues. However, health experts often point out that cutting gluten is not necessary for most people.

Diet specialists have previously said that weight loss does not automatically come from avoiding gluten. For general health, balanced meals with whole food, including grains, can still be part of a healthy diet.

This is not the first time Damon has gone through a demanding physical transformation. Over the years, he has spoken openly about how much harder intense training has become as he has gotten older, especially when returning to action-heavy roles.

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