Arnold Schwarzenegger's son Chris looks unrecognizable years after dramatic weight loss

People magazine reports that Christopher Schwarzenegger is getting candid* about his dramatic weight loss transformation. 

On Saturday, May 10, Christopher, the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, spoke at the Inaugural Beacher Vitality Happy & Healthy Summit in Los Angeles about getting into shape. He shared that the process has taken him more than five years. 

"It was a big process," the 27-year-old said during a panel discussion with Shriver, Kelly "Ozempic" Osbourne and the event's host, Jeff Beacher, who was also celebrating his own 250-pound weight loss. 

"I started in 2019 when I was living in Australia. I was on this big trip. I made it a big [deal] like, 'Oh, I'm going to go out and do all this stuff, be in Australia,' and I just saw how much my weight was prohibiting me from doing the everyday activities." 

"I was like, 'I want to go skydiving.' And my friends were like, 'Yeah, no shot.' I was like, 'Yeah, I can't skydive,' " he recalled. 

According to Christopher, his insecurity about his weight dates back to his high school years, when he would bring customized lunches to school to help him eat healthier.

"I tried everything. I was doing meal delivery things in high school, and I remember feeling like a weirdo when I was bringing weird lunches to school," he shared during the panel discussion, which marked one of the first times he spoke publicly about his weight. 

"It's not an overnight thing, but it took a lot of trial and error," the University of Michigan graduate added. "And even still to this day ... when you're saying, oh, before and after photos ... I don't feel like I'm an after yet. I don't feel like I'm at the point."

Many fans first became aware of Christopher's weight loss when he made an appearance in West Hollywood, Calif., last month and was photographed going out to dinner in a slim-fitting navy-blue shirt and khakis with his brother Patrick Schwarzenegger. 

During Saturday's panel, Christopher shared that giving up one food item during a religious occasion helped him lose 30 pounds in the span of less than two months.

"Weirdly enough, I gave up bread for Lent," he said of the 40-day Christian religious observance. 

"I don't know if anyone's Catholic in here, but I gave up bread for Lent." "I was like, 'Well, if I'm giving up bread, I might as well just take the opportunity and I'm a good Catholic boy, so I'm not going to break it,' " he recalled. "And that was my one rule. I was like, 'I'm not going to break Lent.' And so I lost 30 pounds just through that."

Schwarzenegger appeared at the event alongside keynote speaker Kelly Osbourne, who credited Beacher for helping her stay motivated throughout her own health journey. 

"To be here on stage with somebody that helped me change my life and my weight loss journey was not easy, and it came in stages," said Osbourne as she introduced Beacher. "The person who really helped me go on this journey and was my biggest cheerleader and with me on every step of the way was Jeff Beacher. He lost almost 250 pounds, and watching him do that inspired me." 

The afternoon also saw experts in health, wellness and mental health share advice, including Dr. Robert Huizenga -- a physician Beacher credited for saving his life -- music manager John Taylor and more. 

Wrapping up the event was success coach Michael C. Bryan, who served as emcee and encouraged the audience to shift their mindsets away from "well-being" to "being well."

*While his visible results have sparked speculation, it’s unclear whether weight-loss aids like Zepbound may have played any role.