Katy O’Brian is showing off her guns for GQ. In a new photoshoot the Love Lies Bleeding star flexes for the cameras, flaunting her incredibly strong body. “You look amazing and most of us probably envy your shape,” commented one of her followers. Another added “good lawd 🔥.” How does the 35-year-old approach diet and fitness? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.
1. Battling Crohn’s Disease
Shutterstock
Katy battles Crohn’s disease, an autoimmune condition with symptoms including diarrhea, abdominal pain, and intense fatigue. “My symptoms started at least a year before my diagnosis when I suddenly lost 15 pounds. Then I was just so tired, to the point of feeling like I could barely function, especially after a bigger meal. Meanwhile, it wasn’t unusual for me to have diarrhea four times over the course of a 12-hour day of filming. I had no idea what was going on, so I chalked my GI issues and fatigue up to nerves,” she told Self. “Then there were some weird symptoms that you don’t typically think of as being part of Crohn’s: I developed open sores on the corner of my mouth; I started having night sweats; and when I experienced even the slightest surprise, it felt like a bolt of electricity was shooting through my body.”
2. Martial Arts
Aside from being an actress and writer, “martial arts instructor” is also on Katy’s resume. Studies confirm that the practice helps with balance, cognitive function and psychological health in addition to weight loss and physical fitness.
3. Strength Training
While filming Love Lies Bleeding, Katy spent two to three hours every day at the gym doing cardio and lifting. “My character, Jackie, is training for a bodybuilding competition, so in addition to filming gym scenes and some pretty intense action scenes, I had to work out for multiple hours every night once I got home,” she told the publication.
4. Watching Her Diet
Shutterstock
“Paying attention to how my body reacts to different things has been a game changer for me. I’ve had to just try different things and see how they affect me. For instance, I have issues with high-fat foods and spicy foods. (Although I have to admit, while I moderate how much spicy food I eat, I’m not ready to give it up completely.) I’ve also found that taking a multivitamin that includes a digestive enzyme before I eat a questionable meal tends to work really well,” Katy said about her diet. “The filmmakers did an amazing job of making sure I was taken care of on set. I had a nutritionist who was responsible for all my meals, which made it easy to eat really healthy and to avoid my trigger foods,” said Katy.
5. Lower-Intensity Cardio and Rest
“I also had a trainer who designed a program that prioritized sustainability; whereas I’d usually do martial arts as my cardio, in addition to lifting, he had me doing lower-intensity cardio and taking one day fully off per week,” Katy added.