Jelly Roll has been steadily shedding weight since 2022 — and he’s not slowing down his progress anytime quickly.
The nation star (actual identify is Jason DeFord) has candidly mentioned his weight for almost a decade. In 2015, he weighed greater than 500 kilos, revealing in a 2018 Instagram put up that he was as soon as suggested by a health care provider to go to a “meat processor or truck cease” to search out out his precise weight as a result of typical scales solely reached 500 lbs.
“It was probably the most embarrassing days of my life,” Jelly Roll recalled on the time.
Although Jelly shed kilos on and off within the years that adopted, it wasn’t till 2022 that he started taking his weight reduction journey critically.
“I’m going to spend the primary couple months of the 12 months simply specializing in household and well being,” he informed Music Mayhem in December 2022. “I misplaced some weight this 12 months in 2022, however in 2023 I wanna lastly conquer the demon. I don’t go away for an enormous tour till in regards to the center of the 12 months. So I plan on taking the primary half of the 12 months to tighten the album up and get some work in.”
Three years later, Jelly Roll has misplaced 275 lbs. and counting.
Maintain scrolling to see what the musician has stated about his weight reduction journey:
How Jelly Roll’s Weight Loss Journey Started
“I’ve been fats my entire life,” Jelly Roll stated on “The Bobby Bones Present” in 2022, revealing that his mother nicknamed him Jelly Roll as a result of he was a “chubby” child.
“She began calling me Jelly Roll after I was younger, and I spent the following 20 years attempting to develop into the identify,” he added.
Jelly Roll revealed on “The Joe Rogan Expertise” podcast in December 2025 that he informed his household — which incorporates spouse Bunnie XO, daughter Bailee and son Noah — that he would begin engaged on shedding weight for years earlier than really following by means of. He recalled the day that he lastly took step one within the course of. Although it was raining laborious outdoors, Jelly Roll remained decided to go for a stroll.
“In my thoughts, I used to be like ‘I’m going outdoors,’ ya know? I used to be like, ‘I’m achieved mendacity to y’all and I’m achieved mendacity to me. I informed y’all I used to be gonna go do that stroll and I’m gonna do that stroll,’” he defined. “I’m getting back from that stroll and I’m arising my driveway, its up an enormous hill. I’m arising that driveway hill, and my household’s all there. Cheering me on, clapping, palms up.”
He continued, “I’d achieved nothing by mislead them for years about this weight. I by no means proved to them that I used to be gonna change or be a person of my phrase in any regard. That they had each purpose to not go on the market and cheer me on.”
Why Jelly Roll Averted Utilizing GLP-1 Drugs for Weight Loss
In his January 2026 cowl story for Males’s Well being, Jelly Roll revealed why he selected to not use GLP-1 drugs, together with Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy, to assist obtain his weight reduction targets.
“I simply keep in mind everybody telling me GLP-1s, or taking the Ozempic or the Mounjaro, ‘Pay attention, it’s gonna damage your abdomen a little bit bit,’” he stated. “I’ve handled my physique so dangerous, I can’t imagine God’s gave me this voice for this lengthy. I didn’t deserve it. I actually didn’t do it out of worry.”
Jelly Roll Handled His ‘Dependancy’ to Meals
Along with exercising and making way of life adjustments, Jelly Roll used remedy to deal with his meals habit.
“Even earlier than I acquired into getting my blood work achieved, I went and acquired psychological well being remedy about my overeating. I began treating my meals habit like what it was: an habit. Why did I deal with cocaine a sure manner? I went to conferences for cocaine and located a sponsor and detoxed off of it and s*** myself and went by means of actual laborious life-changing emotional selections to get off cocaine and codeine,” he defined to Males’s Well being. “I didn’t have a look at the meals habit completely different. As soon as I began treating meals like an habit, it began altering all the pieces for me.”
How Jelly Roll’s Weight Loss Improved His Intercourse Life
Jelly Roll opened up about his intimacy struggles along with his spouse earlier than he misplaced weight.
Jelly Roll is cruising alongside on his weight reduction journey, revealing he’s misplaced almost 200 kilos. “I began at 540 kilos and I used to be 357 kilos this morning,” the nation singer, 40, stated to host Pat McAfee in the course of the Large Evening AHT stay present on Wednesday April 9, per a clip shared on X. “I’m […]
“My intercourse life with my spouse was horrible,” he stated throughout “The Joe Rogan Expertise.” “Dude, I married a f***ing big-tittied, blond, lovely girl, you already know what I imply? I married the type of girl that makes you smile while you cry. I couldn’t even get aroused, I used to be so massive.”
Nevertheless, now that he’s misplaced a major quantity of weight, Jelly Roll stated his intercourse life has improved.
“I really feel like I’m a teen, canine,” he joked to Males’s Well being. “I’ve the intercourse drive of a 17-year-old once more. I’m f***ing pouncing on my spouse. We’re having daytime intercourse once more. It’s f***ing superior.”
Jelly Roll Isn’t Achieved With His Weight Loss Journey
Jelly Roll informed Males’s Well being that he doesn’t really feel like he reached his objective weight but.
“I don’t have a objective weight, I’ve a sense weight, and I don’t really feel it but. I’ll know after I really feel it, as a result of I’ll lastly be there. However, man, I’ve labored actually laborious and misplaced the burden the proper manner,” he stated. “I really feel the burden loss in each aspect. Whether or not it’s basketball and the way I dribble or transfer, or how I can breathe working up and down a court docket. I really feel it after I sleep and my hip hurts much less and I can roll over simpler with out making an enormous of a rumble. Or the truth that me and my spouse can match on the identical mattress once more.”
Jelly Roll has additionally explored the thought of surgical procedure to take away the surplus pores and skin he’s been left with after his weight reduction.
“There’s a lot pores and skin below right here. I’m beginning to meet with pores and skin surgeons to speak about presumably chopping pores and skin within the subsequent 12 months. That’s in all probability what I’ve the weirdest relationship with. It’s like, I’m happy with it as a result of I earned it,” he stated. “It’s a logo of a conflict that I fought with myself. However equally, it’s within the f****ing manner. So it’s simply, you retain trying within the mirror, like, If that wasn’t there, dude, I’d be fireplace. So, [I’ll] in all probability must clip these titties off ultimately.”
Jelly Roll Says His Weight Loss Made Him a ‘Higher Father’
In January 2026, Jelly Roll opened up about how his weight reduction improved his relationship along with his youngsters.
“[It’s changed me in] each manner,” he informed Further at Netflix’s Star Search premiere. “I’ve gotten nearer to God, I’ve gotten nearer to myself, I’m a greater father. I’m extra current with my kids.”
Jelly Roll revealed that he began teaching sonNoah’s basketball workforce, which he by no means thought he would be capable of do.
“I simply really feel bodily higher, and I really feel like I can bodily do it,” he stated. “Whenever you’re 550 kilos, you surprise if there’s even a seat sufficiently big for you someplace, you already know what I imply? You positively don’t take into consideration attempting to educate a workforce.”
Jelly Roll Shares Replace on His Health Journey
Elsewhere on the Star Search premiere, Jelly Roll stated the “largest change” he made to drop extra pounds was “meals.”
“Man, I used to be on the point of demise. I’m not attempting to face on a soapbox, I’m simply captivated with it, realizing how the other way up our system is with meals. And as an addict, it was laborious for me to get away from it, so I did a whole lot of work with meals,” he defined to E! Information. “Working’s been my actual healer. [I] get up and run day-after-day — I imply day-after-day, seven days every week — even when it’s a restoration run, it’s one mile and it’s a 15 minute jog, actually gradual. I run day-after-day.”
