Eminem was so obsessive about exercise that he burned off 2000 cal per day

Eminem

Eminem and running are two of my favorite subjects, so I had to hit this new Shady interview in Men’s Health. Marshall Mathers gets real about fitness and his obsessive personality. It all started with his sleeping pill addiction, which led to an ulcer in his stomach. He ate to kill the pain, which eventually took him up to 230 pounds. I remember reading an Enquirer article that showed a rare paparazzi photo from around 2007. They called him “M&M,” which is just awful.

A few years ago, Eminem told Rolling Stone how he finally realized how heavy he was when he heard two teenagers talking about him. The boys were trying to figure out if he was really Eminem. In the end, one decided, “No it’s not, man – Eminem ain’t fat.” Shortly thereafter, Mathers overdosed on pills and went to rehab. Once he finished the program, he replaced one addiction with another. Eminem threw himself into exercise and ran over two hours every day. He became obsessed with burning 2000 calories by running 17 miles without fail. To no one’s surprise but his own, the heavy mileage tore down his body. Now he’s found a fitness solution:

How he started exercising: “When I got out of rehab, I needed to lose weight, but I also needed to figure out a way to function sober. Unless I was blitzed out of my mind, I had trouble sleeping. So I started running. It gave me a natural endorphin high, but it also helped me sleep, so it was perfect. It’s easy to understand how people replace addiction with exercise. One addiction for another but one that’s good for them.”

He totally overdid running: “I became a f***ing hamster. Seventeen miles a day on a treadmill,” admits the rapper, who says he ran to the point of injury. “I would get up in the morning, and before I went to the studio, I would run eight and a half miles in about an hour. Then I’d come home and run another eight and a half. I started getting OCD about the calories, making sure I burned 2,000 every day. In the end I got down to about 149 lbs. I ran to the point where I started to get injured. All the constant pounding from the running began to tear up my hip flexors.”

Now he loves fitness DVDS: “I know a lot of these DVD guys are wacky, but I’m alone in my gym; I need someone on the TV yelling to motivate me. Besides, some of this sh*t is entertaining. When I first started the Insanity workout, I alternated my routine, running one day and doing the Insanity the other. Then I stopped running altogether because it was too much to do them both. The Insanity won. After a while, I mixed it up. I did the P90X for a little while (and I still do that ab workout because it’s the most challenging). Now every morning before I go to the studio, I do the Body Beast workout with free weights, bench, and pullup bar at home. It’s just me, so it helps that the Body Beast dude is over-the-top.”

[From Men’s Journal]

The DVD thing is hilarious because it’s quite a mental image to think of Eminem at home, working up a sweat in front of the television. I used to do tv workouts during college, but those days are over. I spend so much time at home in front of the computer that getting out for a run is a necessity, but 17 miles per day is too much for even the pro athletes. No human body can sustain that kind of mileage. Eminem loves his DVDs and says sometimes he can’t “walk for two days” after starting a new one. It sounds like he’s still overdoing it, perhaps, but this habit is healthier than a pill addiction.

Eminem

Eminem

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet & WENN

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68 Responses to “Eminem was so obsessive about exercise that he burned off 2000 cal per day”

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  1. Aria says:

    People use exercise sometimes the way others use drugs…to cover and distract feelings they cant escape. The breakup diet, for example….I’ve never been in better shape than the few months following a breakup.

    I could never get into fitness DVDs though….i feel like an awkward duck and cant match the movements on the TV to what my arms are doing flailing about

    • Josephine says:

      Yup, replace one obsession with another. My parents were part of a running group in the 70’s, before running was so popular, and lots of the group were recovered alcoholics.

    • NUTBALLS says:

      I know a number of ultrarunners who kicked the smoking habit only to run 50-100 races. There’s definitely a common trait of addictive personalities among the set.

      • qwerty says:

        I don;t think it’s an addictive personality as much as someone who’s using different vices to escape their issues instead of getting to the root of the problem.

    • helen says:

      I definitely still see that a lot in the running community (and ultra sports in general). Going from heavy drinking to completing your first marathon is really special. It’s not everyone, but it is s a lot of people.

    • xpreson says:

      I did the Insanity program at home and at hotels when I had to travel… it was the most intense crazy thing i have ever done!!! I can’t believe i pulled it off though. Amazing results… but very very difficult workout. I can see Him doing this… def up his alley.

  2. Jem says:

    An Eminem Workout Video would be priceless…

  3. Cara says:

    He is my shame crush.

    I know, I know…I’ll see myself out…

    • Jess says:

      I’ll get the door for you and follow you out! I just adore him, I know it’s wrong but I don’t care!!

      • Cara says:

        Phew! It’s a relief to have a partner in crime! 😁

      • Sarah says:

        I love that he raised his daughter as well as raising his niece and his ex’s daughter by another guy. Not many guys will step up like that especially when the kids aren’t his.

    • Diana says:

      Mine as well!
      *wait for me*

    • Macey says:

      Count me in but I don’t see anything wrong with it..lol

    • Shambles says:

      Same, Cara. I feel so, so dirty about it.

    • LizLemonGotMarried says:

      Oh, I’m so glad that there are so many of us here!!! I saw him live last year, and it was like my heart stopped for the first few minutes. The man is a maniac on stage-at one point he literally ran up the wall. I’ve been obsessed since 99. It’s not even a shame f-ck, it’s a full daylight obsession. (Although I do NOT condone his recent remarks regarding a certain female rapper-so unnecessary. There’s plenty of material to tear her down without that mess.)

    • Amanda G says:

      I’m with you, I think he’s hot and sexy. Moreso now that he’s older for some reason.

    • smith says:

      Yes. I would like to have intense sex with him. End of story. No judgie please.

  4. NeNe'sWig says:

    Way to go Em! Cool to see him using Beachbody workouts to get healthy. Just reading about all that running is making me tired 🙂

  5. Bridget says:

    17 miles a day every day would put you at about 140 miles a week, which is what elite marathoners run – and you can bet they don’t just hop on to a treadmill and run at their top speed twice a day, while staring at how many calories they’re burning. The problem isn’t the type of exercise, it’s the fact that he’s treating it like another drug. I really feel for him. Today it’s Insanity/P90X, but on another day it’ll be hot yoga twice a day or Crossfit. It isn’t about being active because he loves his body, it’s about his inner self-loathing.

    • Korra says:

      Yup. What more can be said. It’s like that wellness wheel. You need to find a balance between all these things in your life. Overdoing any one of them will make you miserable.

  6. Shambles says:

    Love any story about someone finding that amazing feeling that comes from moving and being good to your body, because I just took that journey fairly recently myself (been practicing yoga for about 2 years now). 😀

    That said, I’m glad he brought attention to the fact that it got excessive. I don’t think replacing one addiction with another can ever be truly healthy, no matter what the physical benefits may be. I think no matter what you’re doing, you’ve got to find a healthy place within yourself before any true good can come about.

    • Esmom says:

      Yes, Shambles, very well said. My teenage son is obsessed with exercise and nutrition and it’s tricky because in athletics, obsessiveness tends to be rewarded. And he is rewarded in many ways — he’s a top athlete on two of his high school teams, he gets recognition for that and his self-esteem has improved because feeling fit and strong makes him feel more confident. But he’s not really in a healthy place, because he can’t or won’t get on board with rest days and/or moderation. He’s unable to ever really relax because his next workout and/or his next meal is always on his mind.

      • Shambles says:

        ESMOM, Thanks for sharing about your son. My brother was a baseball player from a very early age and ended up as a high school athlete as well. It really is a whole other world, and it’s so easy to get caught up in it all. Maybe, as he gains some life experience, your son will find a balance. I’ve always thought a healthy body doesn’t mean too much if you can’t use it to enjoy life, and to relax every once in a while. 😀 I hope the best for your son!

      • Kitten says:

        He’s still doing that huh, Esmom? Sigh.

      • Esmom says:

        Thank you, ladies, for your kind words. Yes, Kitten, he is still doing this and it’s complicated. He has Asperger’s Syndrome, and AS folks tend to be obsessive in the first place. It’s compounded by a tendency toward anxiety and depression. While his depression is under control, I think his anxiety isn’t as well controlled, which is why he clings to his fitness routine so rigidly.

        It (exercise) really does bring him relief and a sense of control in a world that often feels chaotic to him, so I am trying not to come down too hard on him. Plus the accolades he’s gotten for his athletic skills have been priceless — they have opened a crack in the door to more of a social life, which is also something Aspies tend to struggle with. His doctor seems to think he will eventually understand moderation. And I guess all in all, the good seems to outweigh the bad at this point.

  7. Macey says:

    This is actual an old story from 2009 just reworded a bit for a current issue. I don’t think he still runs like that much any more.

    Those insanity workouts are definitely not for anyone with any type of knee or back injury, some of the moves are insane. Same with PX 90. I know about 20 ppl who bought the set but only know 2 who completed it. It’s a tough workout that requires you to be in someone decent shape just to do it. I can’t say I’ve done either but they’re not for me just b/c I’d have to modify so much of it that it would be pointless and I get bored so fast.

    I’ll stick with my Denise Austin style workouts. they’ve worked for me for over 20 yrs now and I do bunch of other stuff in btwn.

  8. Jess says:

    I get that endorphin high from working out too, it’s such an intense feeling that’s hard to describe, the only other time I’ve felt it was on pain medication, not sure if it was from the actual medicine or a release of happiness because my intense pain was finally relieved, but I can see how people get addicted!

    Good for Eminem though, hopefully he’s found a nice balance and isn’t working out too hard now, there was a point where he looked scary thin. The thought of him jumping around to a workout DVD is definitely hilarious.

  9. NUTBALLS says:

    17 miles… on a TREADMILL???? Dude, if you’re going to run that far, take it on some pretty trails in the woods or going up and down a mountain. I can’t think of anything more boring than running for hours on a machine with the boob tube on. Sheesh.

    • Esmom says:

      I know, seriously. I can barely go 2-3 miles on a treadmill without wanting to scream and jump out the window. I can imagine the treadmill factor alone wasn’t good for his mental health.

    • GreenieWeenie says:

      well he says he did 8.5 at a time (once in morning, once at night). 8 miles on the treadmill=totally doable.

      • Kitten says:

        Yeah he’s doing splits. The most I’ve ever done on a treadmill was 15 and it was awful.

      • NUTBALLS says:

        Kitten, you must hate yourself to do 15 miles on the dreadmill.

        Now…Look in the mirror and do your best Stu Smalley: “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggonit, people like me!”.

        There. Don’t you feel better now? Off to the Fells for you…

    • Korra says:

      Or even in your neighborhood. I would only run on a treadmill if it were the weather from the day after tomorrow. Running outside I get to see baby raccoons with their mommies, this cute little gratitude notebook for everybody on the side walk one of my neighbors is keeping, a goal for 2015 at another house, and a ton of friendly neighborhood cats that will let me pet them.

      Someone did mention he lives in Detroit so I guess that has something to do with it.

      • NUTBALLS says:

        I’m sure his neighborhood is nice for running in. But if I had his kind of money, I’d move to Colorado and make this my neighborhood:

        https://instagram.com/p/5Xpn7GRZep/?taken-by=yitkawinn

      • Esmom says:

        I bought my treadmill during a deep freeze in Chicago, where it was impossible to run outside and even the gym was closed. But I absolutely use it only when the weather’s bad, I’d much prefer to be outside. On a trail. With lovely mountain, forest and/or ocean vistas. Sigh.

      • NUTBALLS says:

        Esmom, I have a YMCA membership for that very reason. When I’m stuck postholing in the snow or running on ice, I head inside.

        Chicago has a special place in my heart as home of my first marathon. I revisited it 15 years later and set a PR there. The support that we get from the race and the spectators is amazing.

      • Esmom says:

        NUTBALLS, the one marathon I’ve run, in 1991, was in Chi, too. The crowd really got me through the last four miles or so. Congrats on your PR! I still love running but keep my distance to a relative minimum, moderation is my mantra these days. 🙂

      • NUTBALLS says:

        Esmom, Thankfully, we don’t need to run long distances keep ourselves healthy.

        As an ultrarunner, I’ve found road marathons are good for working on speed since I usually lollygag around the trails and take pictures. It’s much easer to run a 50 miler in the mountains where I can trot, hike and walk my way to the finish than push myself hard for 4 hours on a flat 26-miler! As you know, the faster you go the harder it gets! 😉

    • Mixtape says:

      Eh… he lives in Detroit.

  10. amurph says:

    I fell into the same pattern. I have always been heavy (health problems at a young age led to a lot of weight gain plus my metabolism is shot) and when I had jaw surgery, I thought I’d be able to lose weight, get healthier, etc. I didn’t, but started exercising to the point I would walk for 3 hours a day and only eat 1200 calories with 75 g of carb. I felt anxious if I didn’t get to do it, even to the point of getting out of bed at 3am just to walk on the treadmill. I lost about 70 lbs in a year. I ultimately stopped when my cardiologist told me my blood work was at its worst. I got really angry that I was doing all of this, eating healthy and exercising, practically driving myself crazy, and I was at a higher risk despite being at a lower weight. It is hard though to get over that high of feeling in control, especially when you have health problems outside of your control. If I walk 10-15 miles a day and ate x calories, I will feel better, I will have x, y, and z. I am better now, but I still have to lose more weight and I am terrified every day of falling back into that warped mindset.

    • AcidRock says:

      What exactly was wrong with your blood work? Sorry if it’s a personal question, but just curious as to what damage was done and from what (was it the already-low caloric intake? Not enough carbs?)? I’ve been trying to do a 1,200-calorie/day regimen, even though I do nowhere near 3 hours of exercise a day, and I’m really hoping that it’s not going to be a huge detriment to my health in the long run.

      • amurph says:

        My cholesterol went from being normal-high to being super high, my blood pressure dropped, and my heart rate skyrocketed. My doctor told me I needed to eat healthier and exercise more, which made me cry as I was eating grilled protein, salads, veggies, and an occasional sweet potato plus all that exercise. Apparently my weight was keeping my system at an even keel and once I lost that weight, everything went to hell. For most people, 1200 calories is good, but on days you exercise, you should eat a little more to compensate for the burned calories. Good luck though! I know a lot of people who do well with a 1200 calorie regimen. I am just an outlier, hah.

      • AcidRock says:

        Ah, I see. Thx for the info!

      • Bridget says:

        1200 calories is NOT a sufficient amount to keep your body functioning unless you’re about 5 feet tall and barely more than 100 pounds. Consistently under feeding yourself like that can lead to a lot of issues, especially if you’re also pushing yourself with exercise. And if you’re under-feeding, it can actually impede weight loss because your body goes into starvation mode, leading to it hoarding fat.

    • amurph says:

      @Bridget – I’ve been to three nutritionists who all told me it was okay to keep my calories between 1200-1600 (I am 5’7″), which was why I followed that plan. Obviously, eating 1200 calories while burning 1000 calories in exercise isn’t healthy, which is why you have to add more when you exercise.

      • Bridget says:

        @amurph – 1200 is (generally) considered the bare minimum calories needed, though I’ve seen it suggested when individuals are trying to lose a lot of weight (though one could argue that keeping on a diet of 1200-1600 calories isn’t particularly sustainable). The issue is that when the body doesn’t get enough calories the metabolic rate will actually slow down, because the body thinks that food sources are scarce. It’s even one of the reasons why many women have such a hard time losing weight when nursing. Obviously it all comes down to the individual and their goals and their own health, of course, but I’m just pointing out that 1200 calories is really not a lot to function on.

        Also, if you’re regularly doing workouts that are burning 1000 calories or more, chances are you actually have a higher baseline caloric need. For perspective, at 5’5″ and a 40-50 mile a week runner, I personally need to eat a minimum of 2000 calories a day, and that’s not counting what I need to eat to account for what I’ve burned.

      • korra says:

        Nutritionist or dietician? Nutritionists are iffy. Quite a few yahoo’s can be certified as nutritionists. Dietician requires a much more rigorous set of credentials. And no at 5’7″ you should be eating more than 1200 calories, especially if you’re exercising that much on a regular basis. I’m 5’7″ and I’m eating 1600 calories to lose weight and that’s an extremely aggressive weight loss plan because it’s a 1000 calorie deficit. At one point it was 1400 and that was a ridiculous plan. I don’t think I’m exercising nearly as much as you either.

        What kind of exercise do you do? Is it just the walking/running? Have you considered weight training? I’m a new convert so forgive the evangelist vibe you might get, but for me personally and for quite a few women I know weight training has changed how they see their bodies, how important rest is, and how to fuel their bodies. I’d recommend The New Rules of Lifting for Women just as a healthy introduction to weight training and how one can change the mindset in regards to their body. It may help with your issues regarding how much/little/obsessiveness. It certainly cleared a lot of my misconceptions. But yeah talk to a professional, there are lots of therapists that can help you through these things.

        @Bridget I’m so confused by starvation mode. Some people say it’s a myth, others say some people don’t get it and are confused by what it really means. I just don’t get it.

  11. GreenieWeenie says:

    he does live in a bit of a fame prison–but he chooses to stay in Detroit (why–since it’s not like he can go out and enjoy it?). Why can’t he just get a trainer? Does he really trust no one to that extent–and he can’t go outside to workout? That sounds intense.

  12. Sea Dragon says:

    Anorexia athletica is a serious disorder. I’m glad he recognized he has a problem and sought help.

  13. My Two Cents says:

    I have this image of Eminem that he is like hyperactive and obsessive about whatever he is into at the moment. I could be wrong. I have a lot of respect for him. Not that I am into rapping, but I do like a lot of his recent music and I think the man is the most talented guy in the biz. I love his song about his Mom called Headlights. I don’t care what u think of him, u have to admit he has a gift. I also admire how he raised his daughter and brother and nieces. He didn’t let fame go to his head.

  14. jlee says:

    Eminem needs some yoga in his life. He’s a multi millionaire, hire a trainer to scream at you in person.

    • Esmom says:

      Yeah, it does seem funny to me that he relies on DVDs when he can certainly afford a trainer to keep him on track.

  15. khaveman says:

    Shi*, good for him. I’d rather see him running than doing drugs/alc. He’s hilarious, too. Love the description of him in his gym.

  16. MAC says:

    I think that his honesty is a good thing. I hope finds peace within himself.

  17. morc says:

    Melted candle boy can fuck off.
    He ridiculed and attacked every woman with any kind of issue (mental health, addiction), rapped about raping and killing/dismembering women, one of which gave birth to his daughter.

    Claimed to have a new respect and maturity for all people, then went on to code “faggots” as “fake-its” in reference to Adam Lambert and just 6 years ago rapped about smelling placenta in Central Park and raping a little girl, including doing it with an umbrella.

    (“Fe fi fo fum I think I smell the scent of a placenta
    I enter central park it’s dark it’s winter in December I see my target with my car and park it and approach a tender
    Young girl by the name of Brenda and I pretend to befriend her
    Sit down beside her like a spider hi there girl you mighta
    Heard of me before see whore your the kinda girl that I’d
    Assault and rape and figure why not try to make your pussy wida
    Fuck you with an umbrella then open it up while the shit’s inside ya
    I’m the kind of guy that’s mild but I mite flip and get a little bit wilder
    Impregnate a lesbian girl now lets see ya have triplets and I’ll
    Disintegrate them babies as soon as that out her with formalda-
    Hide and cyanide girl you can try and hide you can try to scream louder
    No need for no gun powder that only takes all the fun outta
    Murderin’ I’d rather go vrim! vrim! and now you see just how the
    Fuck I do just what I do when I cut right through your scalp, uh
    Shit wait a minute I mean skull my knife seems dull
    Pull another one out, Uh! “)

    This guy is the one guy who deserves all the bad things in life.
    And don’t give me any of this bullshit that it wasn’t Eminem but Slim Shady, if you do crime under an alias you’ll still be prosecuted.

    • AcidRock says:

      He deserves all bad things just because you don’t like his lyrical content… Ok.

      • morc says:

        He’s a misogynist and a homophobe and all around horrible…
        Don’t trust people who use accents as apostrophes.

    • jlee says:

      The song you’re refering to is off of his relapse album & he explored a bunch of horrific themes. Molestation, mental illness, drug abuse, serial killers, and rape. I’m not excusing his lyrics but he is not the 1st artist to get inspiration from the horror genre. That particular song is written from the perspective of a psycho serial rapist.

    • hunter says:

      mmm i dig it tho

  18. Jag says:

    It isn’t a “habit.” It’s exercise anorexia and it can kill him.

    I hope he gets the help he needs.

    I do find it humorous that I’m like him in that I have a ton of As Seen on TV workout equipment and dvds. The original Tae Bo and Total Gym – the $200 Sears model, not the $1k tv model – are still my favorite, along with my Barre workout and some various pilates dvds. I hated going to the gym because I don’t like people looking at me, so working out at home is perfect.

  19. Lemonpesto says:

    Bull and sh**t.

  20. Blackbetty says:

    I dont like him- he is always angry for some reason.

  21. NeoCleo says:

    He is really looking rough these days.