Jelly Roll Says He Was a '550-Lb. Zombie' Before Dramatic Weight Loss: 'Got Honest About My Food Addiction'

• Jelly Roll appeared on his wife Bunnie Xo’s podcast, stupid blonde, where he shared updates on his fitness journey
• The singer says he’s lost about 140 pounds. and plans to continue
• He said he was too afraid of acid reflux, a common side effect of GLP-1 drugs, to try Ozempic or other injections

Jelly Roll shared more details about his recent dramatic weight loss, saying he used to weigh 550 pounds. zombie.

The singer, 40, appeared on the Dec. 16 episode of wife Bunnie Xo’s podcastStupid blondewhere Bunnie told that her husband lost weight “naturally”.

“He puts himself into the business,” she said. “I don’t want anyone to ever take that from you.” However, Jelly was quick to point out, “We’re not against Ozempic or anything like that. Every doctor I’ve talked to is in favor of it. They said it helps. I was just afraid of it.”

Stock image of Ozempica.

Mario Tama/Getty

Specifically, the “Winning Streak” singer feared acid reflux, a well-documented side effect of weight-loss injections, saying, “As a singer, few things scare me more than acid reflux. Like, you’re going to watch me get out of bed and I’m going to burp and wake up in a panic and go get something for it, you know, because that thing will just tear the vocal cords.”

As the Cleveland Clinic explains, acid reflux—when stomach acid backs up into the throat—can irritate the voice.

“I just couldn’t afford acid reflux. So I want to be very clear that I did it naturally, but it wasn’t out of stubbornness or trying to prove myself. If it helps, go get it. But as for me, I was just petrified by its side effects,” he says.

The singer (real name: Jason Bradley DeFord) shared that he’s been working out casually since returning home from his Beautifully Broken tour. But he has a goal in front of him: “I want to be on the cover Men’s health until March 2026.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Jelly Roll with wife Bunnie Xo in May 2024.

Christopher Polk/Getty

Jelly Roll Says Some People Are ‘Mad’ About His Success Because Of His ‘Crazy, Narcissistic, Selfish’ Behavior In The Past (Exclusive)

“I want to have one of the biggest transformations,” he said. “I did this publicly for a reason. I want to be honest about my struggles with it with people. I’ve carried it for so long. I think people who get as big as I got, when they lose weight, they’re kind. They’re so ashamed to hide and they lose weight and then they come back and they don’t really know how to interact with the world looking different or feeling different.”

“I wanted to lose it in front of everyone,” he said. “I want to take people with me.”

Now he says: “I’m sorry it took so long. I can’t believe I was walking around as a 550-lb. zombie for years. I even looked at the pictures and I was hollow.”

“I’m going to keep losing weight like I have,” he said, estimating his total weight loss to be “literally around 140 or so.”

“It’s a man,” he said. “I lost my whole man.”

The PEOPLE Puzzler has arrived! How fast can you solve it? Play now!

Jelly Roll performs in Arlington, Texas in November 2024.

Sam Hodde/Getty

Jelly Roll urges Congress to ‘be proactive’ against fentanyl epidemic in powerful speech

Jelly said he had to take a hard look at his relationship with food, saying: “I also became honest about seeing my addiction to food as an addiction. I used to feel like it was unfair to real addicts to call food something you could be addicted to, because I’ve seen people struggle for a living on heroin. But I saw people fighting to live in their own bodies.”

“I began to realize that the same patterns I had with drugs or alcohol at different times in my life were small compared to the consistent bad pattern I had with food,” he said. “It’s like a complete release from that addiction.”

“I still feel lethargic and I still struggle to walk and I’m still 390 pounds,” he said, saying he plans to lose another 100 pounds. in 2025

“I’m still morbidly obese. But I will lose weight.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education