Professional wrestler and rockstar Chris Jericho has gone through drastic body transformations in recent years. In 2022, Jericho posted a photo showing off his lean physique on his 52nd birthday. After facing health issues in late 2021, the wrestler dropped over 30 lbs and is now in the cruiserweight range. Jericho spoke in detail about his health issues and how he overcame them on his Talk Is Jericho podcast episode titled, “How I Survived A Pulmonary Embolism.”
In December of 2021, Jericho faced difficulties walking and breathing during a UK tour with his heavy metal band Fozzy. After several medical tests, it came down to losing visceral fat and, subsequently, weight management. Jericho admitted to never losing weight as he was going through a “Bruiser Brody phase” and was never out of shape, cardio-wise. However, losing weight became a medical necessity to help combat his pulmonary embolism.
Medical Weight Loss
Chris Jericho spent a few years wrestling in a relatively bulkier frame until his most recent body transformation. Initially, Chris Jericho had to respond to claims he had gotten ab implants to get his newly shredded look. Fans speculated the professional wrestler had done a procedure to enhance the appearance of his abdomen area and create six-pack abs. In response, Jericho laughed off the allegations, claiming he could still “do more pushups, weighed squats, and incline sit-ups” than his haters.
Ab implants are a cosmetic procedure that creates the appearance of defined abdominal muscles. It’s also known as ab etching, pectoral implant, or tummy liposuction. It removes excess fat from the stomach area, creating a more robust muscle definition and the much sought-after six pack. Rather than abdominal etching, however, Jericho had gone to a medical weight loss clinic for health reasons.
Medical weight loss is the process of losing weight under the guidance of a healthcare professional. These doctors use medical experience and knowledge to support individuals with difficulty losing weight. Here, medical weight loss solutions are also included in treatment plans. While many celebrities and entertainers have turned to GLP-1 for weight loss — better known in their agonist form as products like Wegovy and Ozempic — these products are better suited to people who struggle with weight-related complications. Typically prescribed as part of a weight management program, GLP-1 medication for weight loss is designed for the chronic treatment of obesity. Chris Jericho’s case, however, is slightly different.
Pulmonary Embolism
A shared experience with most, Jericho admitted to getting out of shape during the lockdowns. Once Jericho started experiencing difficulties breathing, he went to a doctor and discovered he had a pulmonary embolism — blood clots in the lungs. After weighing his skeletal muscle mass, body fat mass, BMI percentage, and visceral fat (fat surrounding your organs), the verdict was clear: he had to lose weight.
Aside from a healthier diet regimen, weightlifting, and staying consistently hydrated (100 ounces of water a day), Jericho was given blood thinners in the form of shots to prevent blood clots from forming. He had initially been advised not to wrestle while on blood thinners as they pose several side effects, including bleeding, nausea, and low counts of blood cells. However, as his condition improved, Jericho could go back to work.
Today, researchers have developed new and safer blood thinners that decreases the risk of bleeding while effectively preventing blood clots. While essential in treating and preventing blood clots, most blood thinners carry a significant risk of bleeding and can cause complications in some patients, hence the careful dosing. As of 2022, Jericho is down to 2.5 milligrams of blood thinner to maintain his health. Hopefully, the wrestler won’t have to take them at all in the future.
