The Machinist is a psychological thriller about Trevor Reznik, the titular machinist suffering from chronic insomnia and losing a distrurbing amount of weight as a result. In preparation for his role as Reznik, Bale embarked on a starvation diet to achieve the desired look of being severely thin.

Bale’s diet had him eating only an apple and a cup of coffee everyday. He lost over 60 pounds and reduced his weight to 120 pounds. He had plans to lose weight even further, but he was stopped by the film makers because of fears over the health risks involved.

After The Machinist, Bale snagged the role of billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, more specifically, the comic book superhero Batman. The demands of the role had him bulking up in order to gain the neccessary physique to portray the crime-fighting vigilante. He gained oer 100 pounds in six months with the help of his personal trainer.

Bale’s extreme weight fluctuations is not the best way to approach dieting and weight loss. However, these drastic weight loss and weight gains show that it is indeed possible to mold our bodies as long as there is the desire to do so. What we can take from this story is the power of the human spirit, and the seemingly impossible things we can do with the right mindset.

So the next time you start that diet (certainly more than an apple and coffee!), remember that maintaining and adhering to your regimen is the key to your success. Many others, Christian Bale included, have done it. You have that power and ability, too!