Joseph Gannascoli’s weight loss may have been a plotline on The Sopranos20 years ago, but he’s still a work in progress
Known to audiences as Vito Spatafore, the actor was a chef before becoming a TV star on The Sopranos. Gannascoli’s 150-pound weight loss — taking him from 400 pounds down to about 250 — was written into the hit HBO series. And while his weight has fluctuated in the nearly two decades that the show has been off the air, he’s buckling down once again
Gannascoli is combining his passions for the kitchen and the screen with a new TV project based on his 2006 book, A Meal to Die For.Before that kicks off, though, he’s looking to shed another 40 pounds
“That’s when I’m going to be at my goal, which is now four months away,” he told the New York Postof his timeline for achieving his ideal weight for the new TV project
To work toward that goal, Gannascoli has created a morning routine that involves the golf course, the pickleball court, and then the gym
His days often start on the green at 6 a.m., followed by a pickleball match at 8 a.m., and then a gym session
“I just started hitting every body part, and I’m doing that four times a week,” Gannascoli told the publication
“Now I’m doing heavier weights and less reps. … I like to get a good sweat going.”
Gannascoli initially began his health kick while filming The Sopranos,his weight loss ultimately included as a storyline. That led to a scene in the show’s final season in which Vito was chomping on baby carrots and posing for an ad for a weight-loss company. But Gannascoli revealed a little secret, telling the New York Post:“I don’t actually like baby carrots.”
He does, however, prefer intermittent fasting, and doesn’t eat after 2 p.m. most days
“I feel better and look better than I did back on the show,” Gannascoli told the New York Post
The Sopranos, which began in 1999, ended its run in 2007 after six seasons and 86 episodes, for which it won 21 Primetime Emmy Awards. Created by David Chase, the show starred James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli, Steve Schirripa, Tony Sirico, Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Robert Iler
Gannascoli is credited with having appeared in 39 episodes during the show’s run, per IMDB
