Alex Rodriguez went on an extreme water-only diet so he wouldn’t 'look fat' at the Met Gala

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez at the Met Gala (Photo: Getty Images)
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez at the Met Gala (Photo: Getty Images)

Former New York Yankee and future Mr. Jennifer Lopez Alex Rodriguez shared on his YouTube channel that he went on a major diet to fit into a size 44 Versace tux — he usually wears a 48 — so he “wouldn’t look fat” at the 2019 Met Gala.

The video opens with Rodriquez three days before the gala, sharing an image of fianceé Jennifer Lopez‘s gown and noting that it has pink in it and he will be choosing between a pink or black tux by designer Versace. He says he’s learned “it’s all about the fit.”

While trying on a few options and working his lats with hand weights, the slugger says, “I used to exercise for big games against the Red Sox, now I exercise not to look fat at the Met Ball.”

Rodriguez shared his intense pre-party routine from the day of the gala, which involved yoga classes and stair-running in a sweat suit, all while only consuming water. He says he needs to lose exactly 6.5 pounds by the end of the day.

The pressure to look a certain way on the red carpet has been intense for women for decades – Kim Kardashian’s whittled waist look this year is a prime example – and now it seems those unhealthy standards are being applied to men. While an athlete of Rodriguez’s stature is used to using their body like a tool and cutting or adding weight as needed, it’s not the healthiest way to approach weight loss – for anyone.

According the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the ideal healthy weight-loss is one to two pounds a week. That’s a lot less than the six and a half pounds Rodriguez lost in a day in his quest to fit in his pink Versace tux. The CDC notes that “making sudden, radical changes to eating habits such as eating nothing but cabbage soup, can lead to short term weight loss. However, such radical changes are neither healthy nor a good idea, and won’t be successful in the long run.”

Watch the video below.

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