How Chris Pratt Dropped 60 Pounds in Six Months

"Three or four hours a day of just consistent, ass-kicking hard work."

That's how Chris Pratt, the July/August cover guy of Men's Fitness and star of the upcoming film Guardians of the Galaxy, ditched 60 pounds in six months. Pratt, who is most known for playing Andy Dwyer in the sitcom Parks and Recreation, was in the neighborhood of 300 pounds when he auditioned for the Marvel movie scheduled to release Aug. 1.

Later, Pratt, 35, sent ripples through Hollywood when he posted a shirtless selfie on Instagram last year, showing off a chiseled frame and six-pack abs with a caption that read: "Six months no beer. #GOTG Kinda douchy to post this but my brother made me." Pratt's brother helped him land the lead role of Star-Lord with that photo.

Marvel would pair Pratt with personal trainer Duffy Gaver and nutritionist Phil Goglia, author of Turn Up the Heat: Unlock the Fat Burning Power of Your Metabolism. Goglia revamped Pratt's diet, hiking his caloric intake to 4,000 calories a day and adding lots and lots of water -- one once for every pound he weighed. "I was peeing all day long, every day. That part was a nightmare," Pratt says in our cover story.

Pratt's workouts included sessions of P90X , running, swimming, boxing, kickboxing, and he even a triathlon. The actor, who has starred in hits like Moneyball and Zero Dark Thirty, is keeping up with his newly chiseled frame, working with a trainer six days a week while preparing for another role in the revamped version of Jurassic Park.

Admittedly, Pratt had started gaining weight purposely for his Parks and Recreation character, but now he's committed to remaining ripped: "It gave me a sense of absolute control," he said.

GET PRATT'S WORKOUT! For the complete Guardians of the Galaxy exercise plan, click here.

DOWNLOAD THE DIGITAL EDITION of Men's Fitness featuring video of Chris Pratt by clicking here.