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Ever since his new movie Guardians of the Galaxy became a surprise mega-hit at the box office this summer, Chris Pratt has seemingly been everywhere. In order to play Star Lord in Guardians, the actor had exchange 65 pounds of flab for solid muscle—and let’s just say people have noticed, including a fan who asked Chris for weight-loss advice during a recent panel discussion for his new movie.

The questioner said he’d struggled with weight his entire life, and called Chris’ transformation “nothing short of inspiring.” Chris said he knew exactly where he was coming from, and his answer was nothing short of heartfelt, practical and true:

“Six months seems like a long time unless you’re looking backwards... all you have to do is just a few things everyday and remain consistent, and time will fly just as fast as it flies if you’re working hard or not. If you just cut the crap out of your diet, and if you spend an hour a day doing something physical that will make you sweat, six months will pass by, you will feel better mentally, physically, spiritually -- it all is tied together.” Chris also recommends getting a personal trainer or nutritionist. “It might cost you a little bit of money, but it won’t cost as much as the crap that you won’t be eating over the next six months,” he says. Smart, man.

I could not agree more. When you’re not feeling comfortable at your current weight, your energy basically gets sucked dry dwelling on negatives, so why not channel that energy into improving your body instead? Chris seems to totally get this. Although losing weight is hard work, in the whole scheme of things, it’s always worth it. You feel better. You think better. Daily exercise and solid nutritional habits just do that for you. And the long-term benefits are so much greater than the short-term commitment to get hyper-focused on your health.

“Dude, if you get after it, I swear to God you can do it. And by January 1, 2015—which I promise you is right around the corner—you can have made substantial gains that will truly change your life. So, I think you should do it,” Chris says. (I do, too!)

You can watch his full answer here:

[Following the Nerd]

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Image Credit: Yahoo! Live