Home Improvement’s Richard Karn revealed that he lost 30 pounds by sticking to a strict diet that helped him “re-align” his body.
Although maintaining his weight loss journey has been a challenge, the actor, 68, was motivated by his longtime wife Tudi Roche, 69, who joined him in his quest to prioritize their health.
“We did this weight loss thing where we [ate] four ounces of meat, four ounces of vegetables. . . no carbs or not that many carbs. . . we did that for six weeks. . . it really helped,” Karn told Fox News Digital.
He continued, “It’s kind of recalibrated what you need. . . you don’t pile your plate so high anymore because you don’t need it. . . after six weeks I think your body and your mind . . . realizes that that helped.’
The father of one noted that the key to getting in shape is practicing “moderation” and not snacking too much.
Home Improvement’s Richard Karn revealed he lost 30 pounds by sticking to a strict diet that helped him ‘re-align’ his body (seen in 2024)
“If you can…don’t eat five desserts, take one bite,” he advised.
Karn explained that he was previously tempted by various foods available at “craft services” during his time on his hit ’90s sitcom, Home Improvement, alongside co-star Tim Allen.
‘Suddenly you had food on set. . . . You could just eat whatever you wanted. You went to events where they gave you food,” he recalled. “At some point you have to stop and say, ‘You know, I could really eat all of this, but I shouldn’t.’ I can’t do it… and look at me, I weigh 10 pounds more than I do. I want to be.”
Since making his lifestyle changes, Karn has lost 30 pounds and says his weight has “balanced out” to where he wants to be.
“I went where my doctor was very, very happy. . . I almost felt like I looked too skinny,” he said as he reflected on his weight loss journey.
He and his wife, who share a 32-year-old son named Cooper, celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary in October.
Karn is best known for his role as ‘Al’ Borland on ABC’s Home Improvement, which aired from 1991 to 1999.
Although maintaining his weight loss journey has been a challenge, the actor, 68, was motivated by his longtime wife Tudi Roche, 69, who joined him in his quest to prioritize their health (pictured in 2013).
“We did this weight loss thing where we [ate] four ounces of meat, four ounces of vegetables. . . no carbs or not that many carbs. . . we did that for six weeks. . . it really helped,” Karn told Fox News Digital; seen in 1993
His character was the co-host of the show-within-a-show, Tool Time, a fictional home improvement series hosted by Allen’s character, Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor.
Al was the less telegenic of the duo, but he was also the real expert on tools and construction, rather than Tim.
Karn had an instantly recognizable uniform for the series: a sort of plaid flannel shirt and a thick beard that was sometimes the butt of Allen’s jokes.
The actor began as a recurring character on the series after taking the place of Groundhog Day actor Stephen Tobolowsky, who was forced to drop out after the pilot episode conflicted with a film project he was working on.
Although Karn was a replacement, he proved to be a hit with viewers, and in the second season of Home Improvement he was moved up to the main cast.
Following Home Improvement’s conclusion after eight seasons in 1999, Karn took over as the fourth solo host of Family Feud in 2002.
Karn is best known for his role as ‘Al’ Borland on ABC’s Home Improvement, which aired from 1991 to 1999.
His character was the co-host of the show-within-a-show, Tool Time, a fictional home improvement series hosted by Allen’s character, Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor.
He left the series in 2006, when Seinfeld actor John O’Hurley replaced him.
He later hosted another game show, Bingo America from 2008 to 2009, and remained an in-demand guest star on television.
Karn had one of his most high-profile roles since 2019, when he began appearing on the critically acclaimed Hulu comedy series PEN15.
The series was created by writers and stars Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle, who played fictional versions of themselves from the age of thirteen.
The women were both in their early thirties, creating a surreally hilarious contrast to the rest of the age-appropriate child actors who populated their high school.
Karn appeared in several episodes as Maya’s father, a drummer for struggling cover bands who was often on the road and away from home. (In reality, Erskine’s father is respected jazz drummer and former Weather Report member Peter Erskine.)
In 2021, the creators and stars announced that the show’s second season would be its last.
Karn and Allen have remained friends for the past thirty years after the end of their hit series (seen in 2022)
That year, Karn reunited with Allen for the pandemic-based Home Improvement-inspired series Assembly Required, a home repair competition.
The two were guests of April Wilkerson, and she rejoined them in 2022 for the series More Power, which followed the three’s evolution from classic tools to some of the latest tech-inspired gadgets around.
Although Karn has appeared in supporting roles in several films, he did not appear in his first film until Legend Of The Mummy in 1998, although he has worked steadily in film since then.
Last year, Karn appeared in two episodes of the revived Jonathan Frakes-hosted series Beyond Belief, and he has several low-budget films and shows on the horizon.