CNN Anchor Jake Tapper Lost His Campaign Weight with Some Help from Paul Rudd

The anchor says Rudd showed him "what a 47-year-old, Jewish, middle-aged guy can look like."

Photo: Nicholas Hunt/Getty

When it came time for CNN anchor Jake Tapper to get in shape, he turned to his friend, actor Paul Rudd, for inspiration.

The network's Chief Washington Correspondent says life on the campaign trail is what first developed his poor eating habits. Tapper started reporting during '99/2000 race and says there was nothing but junk food on the road.

"I was about 30-years-old, so I was still relatively unconcerned about my diet," Tapper told Bon Appetit. "And I would drink a lot—you know at night with campaign sources and stuff."

Now as the host of two CNN programs — The Lead with Jake Tapper and State of the Union — Tapper says he has a healthy diet and exercise routine set in place, which was inspired by Rudd's "shredded" body for his role in Ant Man.

"It showed me what a 47-year-old, Jewish, middle-aged guy can look like," he said. "So he told me his diet and exercise routine and I started doing it. I am now devoted. I've lost 12 pounds."

Tapper says he eats a bowl of oatmeal and a protein like hard-boiled eggs for breakfast, then works out for 40 minutes doing cardio and strength training. He then has a protein shake with banana, almond butter, almond milk, and ice.

For lunch, he keeps things simple: "I have salad. That's something where people lie to themselves. They get a salad and they pile cheese on top of it and croutons and say, 'I had a salad.' And it's like, no, you had a 1,000 to 1,500 calorie pile of cheese with some lettuce in there. Not the same thing. So I eat a boring salad with some cranberries and chicken—not fried—and then oil and vinegar dressing."

Before dinner, Tapper has another protein shake and has another salad or something similar for dinner.

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And the disciplined diet has been paying off — Tapper admits to having a two-pack. "The whole thing has become an addiction," he said. "I'm not a particularly vain person despite what people might think about those who are on TV, but I am getting obsessed with my pants feeling loose on me. I'll admit to that."