At the height of CC Sabathia's career, the star southpaw was partially known for being one of the biggest pitchers in the league.
Sabathia did attempt to lose weight during his career, dropping 25 pounds before the 2012 season, and continued to try and keep the weight off. That diet was headlined by him cutting out his favorite sugary cereal, Cap'n Crunch.
However, as he began to struggle more on the field, it became clear that his slimmer frame was negatively affecting his pitching.
"I felt good, but I just wasn't strong," Sabathia said. "I just had no velocity. I had no push. I couldn't feel my body in space."
Sabathia weighed as much as 342 pounds, and he now believes the weight was necessary for his success.
"I think it was 2013, I got down to like 265, I was feeling good. I came to spring training and I was throwing like 83 mph," he said. "I got back to 290 before spring training was over."
By 2017, Sabathia regained all his weight back and had a bounce-back season, as the Yankees relied on him all the way through the ALCS. Sabathia didn't substantially lose weight again until he retired.
In his first few years out of retirement, Sabathia dropped 40 pounds of fat and gained 20 pounds in muscle alone. At 6-7, he is still bigger than most people, but he is in much better shape than when he was 50 pounds overweight during his playing days.
Sabathia's weight loss is similar to an NFL lineman who sheds weight after retiring. Here's a look at how he did it.
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CC Sabathia weight loss
In 2018, Sabathia had to undergo an angioplasty procedure to repair a 90 percent blockage in an artery leading to his heart, a sign that he needed to get in better shape.
After he retired following the 2019 season, Sabathia adopted a rigid diet and exercise routine to lose weight. A 2021 story from Business Insider explains that Sabathia has primarily picked up more weightlifting and golfing while also adhering to a Mediterranean diet.
In 2021, Sabathia told Men's Health that he works out six days a week with a very detailed workout plan.
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CC Sabathia diet
Sabathia began using a Mediterranean diet after he retired, which Business Insider describes as "emphasizing plant-based food sources, and minimizing protein, carbs, and dairy without cutting them out completely." According to Sabathia, this diet was more effective than the no-carbs diet he attempted during his career.
"I feel better. I feel like this is sustainable," he said in 2021. "I feel like when I was doing no carbs it was a lot harder just to find food, but to be able to switch to this feels good."
As for activities, Sabathia began playing golf several times throughout the week in the pandemic, while also focusing on his weightlifting in his workouts.
However, Sabathia still focuses on ways to add protein. In 2021, Men's Health said that Sabathia eats grits, sausage, and six egg whites every day for breakfast before heading to the gym. After that day's workout, Sabathia then has a protein shake, apples, and Greek yogurt.
Once lunch comes around, Sabathia said he eats a T-bone steak, wild rice, and asparagus. Finally, for dinner, he eats a lot of chicken, fish, quinoa, and mustard greens.
"My view has definitely changed on food," Sabathia told Men's Health. "Now it's more fuel to get gains, to try to gain muscle. Less for comfort, less for how I'm feeling, or eating emotionally. Now it's for eating the right things and making sure I'm feeling great."
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CC Sabathia before-and-after photos
Sabathia's weight-loss transformation is pretty stark, as he turned most of his fat into muscle.
Happy Birthday CC aka Underrated Hall of Famer! #RE2PECT #RepBx @CC_Sabathia pic.twitter.com/kXpRUZeUg7
— RE2PECT2JETER (@RE2PECT2JETER) July 21, 2025
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How much does CC Sabathia weigh?
While Sabathia lost a lot of weight, he is still 6-7 with a ton of muscle. As of a few years ago he weighed 280 pounds, but it was a healthier 280 than when he got down to a similar weight in his playing career.