Jet Li’s crash diet left him ‘very weak physically’ – he even fainted: how restricted eating, exercise left martial arts actor with ‘serious health problems’

Jet Li Lianjie, renowned for his martial arts skills, appeared physically robust in his films Dragon Fight and The Master, both filmed in the United States in the late 1980s. However, in his autobiography, he reveals that his health was at its lowest point during this period.

In his book, Li reflects on the pressure to maintain a muscular physique for his roles, which led him to adopt a rigorous diet aimed at rapid fat loss. For six weeks, his diet consisted of unseasoned cereal for breakfast, six ounces of unseasoned boiled chicken breast for lunch, and four ounces of unseasoned steamed fish with green onions for dinner. Additionally, he ran five kilometers daily, engaged in four hours of weight training, and learned specific breathing techniques. After four weeks, he had lost all his subcutaneous fat. Despite appearing muscular, he was physically weak.

During a promotional event for his book on a Taiwanese television show, Li shared more about his grueling training regimen. He recounted an incident where he fainted on set due to breathlessness. He later consulted a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, who informed him that Eastern and Western dieting methods differ significantly. The diet he had been following had disrupted his body's internal balance. Li admitted that despite his strong exterior, he was battling serious health issues. He cautioned against rapid dieting, stating that it contradicted the principles of physical and mental health. Now, at the age of 60, he no longer maintains a muscular physique, instead sporting a belly.