Roseanne star John Goodman reveals surprising health complications following 200-lb weight loss

Roseanne actor John Goodman got candid about the downsides of his weight loss transformation, which has seen him shed an incredible 200 lbs in recent years.

The 74-year-old opened up about his health journey and shared that he peaked at 400 lbs in 2011 before deciding to make a permanent change.

The downside of John Goodman's weight loss transformation

"I'd lose 60 pounds in a summer, gain it all back. 70 pounds, 80 pounds. And that got tiring," he told The New Yorker. "I took steps so I wouldn't have to do that anymore. I was almost 400 pounds." He added that he was "eating alcoholically" after getting sober, which led to a weight increase.

John's body began to transform when he started dieting and had an operation on his stomach, but losing weight had significant downsides as well as health benefits.  

"I also turned anemic and lost a layer of fat under my skin, and I'm cold all the time," he explained. The star added that he now struggled to relax, which bled into his work onscreen. "There's been a lot of therapy. I'm happy now. I just wish I was better spoken and I could relax more," he said of his transformation.

"Acting has always been very good to me. I do work too hard at it. I like to do my research, but I keep pushing myself. I'm going to try to shove back whatever that need is, so I can relax more when I'm on camera, or I'm onstage."

John shared that his inability to relax while acting led to forgetting lines and making mistakes. "Whatever I'm doing is unnecessarily hard work, to the point where I get too hung up on lines, because I overwork them, and I naturally forget them because I'm working at it too hard. I'd like to dial back. The best stuff happens when I'm relaxed."

Meanwhile, The Flintstones actor continues to work on his health by "building up the core, balance, strength training, stuff like that, so I don't fall down," after he fractured his hip on the set of Digger.

John Goodman's sobriety journey

John also opened up about his struggle with sobriety, and shared that he had grown tired of the constant hangovers and shakes that came with drinking.

"The thing about instant gratification is you don't really care what's going to happen right after it – which always led to bigger hangovers or me getting the shakes, and having to drink to get rid of the shakes, and that vicious cycle," he explained.

"I was in a position, when I quit, where I had to be hospitalized one way or the other. I just was tired of it, and I wanted to stop…I was overlooking real life. And it was great to see there was a life where I didn't have to use anything to enjoy it."

John has been a Hollywood mainstay for decades, having starred in The Big Lebowski, Monsters, Inc., Roseanne, The Righteous Gemstones and Barton Fink.