US vice president loses 13.5 kilograms, crediting a diet built around a winter favorite in Croatia

US Vice President JD Vance has drawn public attention with a major physical change, losing about 13.5 kilograms after overhauling his diet.

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If you want to lose weight, call Bobby Kennedy. And if you want to enjoy what you eat, don't call Bobby Kennedy.

Vance said at a White House press conference that the change began during Lent, when he considered giving up sugar. He sought advice from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who suggested “something much better and more intense.” Vance rejected speculation that he had used weight-loss medication.

He joked that anyone wanting to lose weight should call Kennedy, while anyone who wanted to enjoy their food should avoid doing so. His current diet, which physician Sean O’Mara calls a “living diet,” excludes ultraprocessed foods and carbohydrates. It relies on meat from pasture-raised animals, seafood and fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi.

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A lot of protein and a lot of sauerkraut.

Vance described his eating plan as “a lot of protein and a lot of sauerkraut.” O’Mara said the approach could benefit the gut microbiome and help reduce dangerous visceral fat around internal organs. The article said the shift is not limited to Vance. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have also adopted similar routines.

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Become a little thinner.

The diet has become a topic of conversation within the administration, and President Donald Trump noticed Vance’s transformation. At an Easter lunch, Trump remarked that his vice president had “become a little thinner,” then joked: “I asked for a bigger gentleman, and now I see a perfect specimen.”

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I asked for a bigger gentleman, and now I see a perfect specimen.