How Anthony Bourdain Stays Thin: "I’m Hyperactive, Neurotic, I Chain-Smoke, Drink Too Much And Don’t Snack" (2024)

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He has a coffee and cigarette for breakfast — plus two beers and two mixers daily. (This article first appeared in issue #811, May 4, 2006.)

How Anthony Bourdain Stays Thin: "I’m Hyperactive, Neurotic, I Chain-Smoke, Drink Too Much And Don’t Snack" (5)

The food and travel show host of No Reservations and A Cook’s Tour munches his way around the world, drinks like the proverbial fish, is allergic to the Stairmaster, and yet remains as thin as a breadstick. Over a gut-busting meal of pork terrine, foie gras, beef tenderloin, chocolate fondant, and beer when he visited Singapore last month, he tells us how he does it.

Height: 1.93m

Weight: 78kg

8 DAYS: How often do you go for food tastings?

ANTHONY BOURDAIN: When I’m travelling, it’s two large meals a day. When you’re the guest-of-honour in countries like China and Italy, the food just keeps on coming, sometimes as many as 13 dishes.

Do you always polish off what’s on your plate?

Most of the time I finish what’s on my plate and have seconds. Nice people are giving me their best and watching as I eat. It’s like being at granny’s house — she’d be insulted if you didn’t finish what she cooked.

So what do you eat when you’re not working?

I have a coffee and ciggie for breakfast. Two good meals are enough for me. A typical meal for me is one with lots of meat, cheese and alcohol. I was relieved [to find out about] the Atkins diet. I’m not particularly excited by vegetables unless they’re cooked in a duck fat.

We know this is a crazy question — but do you exercise at all?

Nope. But I don’t sit around watching TV, eating potato crisps. I’m reasonably vain, if I’m feeling fat, I don’t like it, so I eat less.

Do you know your cholesterol level and all those other indicators of health?

My blood pressure’s good, my cholesterol’s good. My lungs aren’t so good, but they’re still working. Keith Richards [the 62-year-old chain-smoking guitarist of The Rolling Stones] is still alive — he’s the benchmark I set myself against since he’s got the ultimate decadent lifestyle. Plus, my smoking and drinking [habit] is similar to his. I smoke two packs a day and I have about two beers and two mixers a day. But during [the filming of] a show, it’s erratic. In Korea, I had 16 shots of soju [distilled Korean liquor as potent as vodka] at one go — because everyone was toasting me. So every morning I go online and check if Keith’s still alive. Because if he is — then I’m in pretty good shape.

Cheers to Keith and you. But what we really wanna know is: how come you’re so damn skinny?

(Points at the cigarette he’s smoking) I’m losing weight sitting right here. I’ve got a high metabolism. I’m hyperactive, neurotic. I chain-smoke, drink too much and don’t snack. A lot of times I don’t have lunch, other times, I’m at a 22-course tasting meal. Life is different every day. I don’t have a compelling need to eat three full meals a day.

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How Anthony Bourdain Stays Thin: "I’m Hyperactive, Neurotic, I Chain-Smoke, Drink Too Much And Don’t Snack" (2024)

FAQs

How Anthony Bourdain Stays Thin: "I’m Hyperactive, Neurotic, I Chain-Smoke, Drink Too Much And Don’t Snack"? ›

I've got a high metabolism. I'm hyperactive, neurotic. I chain-smoke, drink too much and don't snack. A lot of times I don't have lunch, other times, I'm at a 22-course tasting meal.

What was Anthony Bourdain's most famous quote? ›

Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life — and travel — leaves marks on you.”

Was Anthony Bourdain a big drinker? ›

In an interview with The Guardian to promote the new work, Leerhsen told how Bourdain had managed to overcome drug addiction but drank heavily until his death. He said he had become someone he 'hated' and rather than correcting his behavior, chose a 'permanent solution to a temporary problem'.

How to live a life like Anthony Bourdain? ›

Two Dozen Rules, Per Bourdain
  1. Travel, anywhere and everywhere, across the globe – around the corner.
  2. Meet people, befriend them, learn from them, ask to share their food.
  3. Know how to cook basic good food, it is fundamental, a required skill set.
  4. The root cause of all life's problems is looking for a simple %!-
Jan 7, 2019

What martial art did Anthony Bourdain do? ›

Bourdain practiced the martial art Brazilian jiu-jitsu, earning a blue belt in August 2015.

What was Anthony Bourdain's least favorite food? ›

Every so often though, the "Parts Unknown" host met a dish that he didn't quite fancy. Fast food and airport meals were often where he drew the line, and believe it or not, pumpkin spice was among the many foods that Bourdain hated with a passion.

What is the most famous saying ever? ›

Best Quotes by Famous People
  • 1. “ Imagination is more important than knowledge.” – Albert Einstein.
  • 2. “ Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.
  • 3. “ ...
  • “I have a dream.” ...
  • 5. “ ...
  • 6. “ ...
  • “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” ...
  • 8. “

What was Anthony Bourdain's addiction? ›

Disdainful of convention, with a suburban teenager's appetite for cool, Bourdain was a rebel from the start, and by his mid-twenties, having made it to Manhattan via Vassar and the Culinary Institute of America, he was using heroin and crack cocaine.

Did Anthony Bourdain take medication? ›

The late culinary star only had a "trace of a nonnarcotic medicine in a therapeutic dose," according to the New York Times. A completed toxicology report for Anthony Bourdain revealed that he had no narcotics in his system at the time of his death, a French judicial official told the New York Times.

Who did Anthony Bourdain love? ›

Anthony Bourdain Told Girlfriend Asia Argento She Was 'Reckless' With His Heart in Final Text Before His Death.

How wealthy was Anthony Bourdain when he died? ›

At the time of Bourdain's death, he had a net worth of $1.2 million which was made up of bank accounts, personal property, brokerage accounts, and royalties in intangible property.

What did Anthony Bourdain say about tipping? ›

Be Polite To Your Waiter

Treating your server well and tipping 20% is common advice, but Bourdain explains how not only is it the right thing to do, but it can improve your experience. “Look at your waiter's face. He knows,” Bourdain writes in Kitchen Confidential.

What was Anthony Bourdain like as a chef? ›

By his own admission, he was not a great chef, even though he ran a few kitchens in his native New York. But by the time his seminal book Kitchen Confidential was published in 2000, he had already begun to influence the world in ways his food alone never could.

What belt was Anthony Bourdain in jiu-jitsu? ›

Anthony Bourdain – American celebrity chef, held a blue belt under Igor Gracie. Craig Pumphrey – martial arts expert.

What does Anthony Bourdain's daughter do? ›

What martial arts Jackie Chan knows? ›

As a martial artist, Chan is also skilled in multiple forms of Kung-Fu. He is also known to have trained in other martial art forms such as Karate, Judo, Taekwondo, and Jeet Kun Do.

What were Anthony Bourdain's words of wisdom? ›

Anthony Bourdain Quotes
  • Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it's a start. ...
  • The Italians and Spanish, the Chinese and Vietnamese see food as part of a larger, more essential and pleasurable part of daily life. ...
  • You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together.

What is Anthony Bourdain's favorite song? ›

"This was what Tony told me was his favorite song," said David Chang in "Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain." He then play "Anemone" by the Brian Jonestown Massacre, an edgy 1996 track. Tune in Sunday at 9 p.m. ET. to watch the premiere on CNN.

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