This post has been updated since its original publication date to include new info
Jelly Roll is committed to enhancing his health and wellness and is now enjoying the benefits of his hard work from the past few months. The “Need a Favor” hitmaker, 40, who previously tipped the scales at over 500 pounds, has been sharing his journey toward a healthier lifestyle on social media.
Back in May 2024, the “Son of a Sinner” artist (whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord), finished his inaugural 5K run. He took part in the 2 Bears 5K event during the Netflix Is a Joke comedy festival. And just a few days ago, he surprised fans by telling them that he’s doing it all over again!
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Jelly Roll Tells Fans He’s Running Another 5K
On February 2nd, the “Wild Ones” musician revealed that he would be doing another 5K in a video he shared with his 3.8M Instagram followers. He captioned the post: “WE’RE DOING IT AGAIN Y’ALL! May 4th in Tampa – More info coming soon.”
The “All My Life” musician reflected on how far he has come on his weight loss and fitness journey in the video, and confessed: “Right around a year ago, around this time, I went on the Nelk podcast. I was tired of being overweight, I was tired of hurting, and I made an announcement that I was gonna try to walk my first 5K with one of my best friends, Bert Kreischer and Tom Segura, at the 2 Bears 5K.”
He went on to say: “I couldn’t walk at the time, y’all. I could not walk at the time at all hardly. I was over 500 pounds. I did it, y’all, and it was one of the most gratifying experiences. The man you see a year later is 120-something, 130-something pounds lower.”
He added: “Guess what I’m doing right now? I’m training for the next 5K, baby! I want y’all to do it with me. We’re gonna walk it together, it don’t matter how long it takes, we’re gonna do this together. I’m back training for it today. ” As expected, his fans flooded the comment section with love and support.
“I know you can do it Jelly Roll so proud of you,” gushed one fan. “Hell yeah congratulations dude! Let’s go,” raved a second, as a third said: “You are such an amazing inspiration… love ya Jelly! Keep up the awesome work!”
Jelly Roll Reflects On His Epic Weight Loss Journey
Jelly Roll discussed his 5K, as well as his overall health and weight loss journey, with Entertainment Tonight at the end of last year. "I couldn't walk a mile when I started trying to do this back in January. So the fact that we got 3-point-whatever it was, got it down, I felt really, really good about it," he told the outlet.
The genre-bending musician shared that participating in the 5K inspired him greatly regarding his personal health journey and admitted that he became quite emotional upon crossing the finish line.
"I feel great, I'm a little tired," he confessed. "It was a little bit harder than I thought it was [going to be], but it's awesome, man." The "Almost Home" singer said: "I think the coolest thing is how many people stopped to tell us that they were motivated by us, other big guys. It was just really cool to see that."
Jelly Roll Talks About Conquering Food Addiction
In November 2024, the country music star sat down for a fresh cover photoshoot and gave an exclusive interview with People magazine. In the interview, he shared his journey of conquering food addiction and transforming his perspective on food, a struggle that has lasted nearly four decades. "The battle was with the food addiction, changing the way I've looked at food for the last 39 years," the Grammy nominee shared.
The "Winning Streak" artist continued: "I've never had a healthy relationship with food, so that was the hard part. But once you get into that discipline and commitment, it's like an avalanche. Once that little snowball started rolling, it was on its way."
Jelly Roll also shared with the publication that he believes he's shed between 60 and 70 pounds during his current tour, which started in August. He also mentioned that he and his team engage in daily basketball games while on tour to stay in shape. Additionally, the "Save Me" hitmaker has entirely revamped his habits during travel, focusing on exercise and healthy eating.
"It's cool because there was once a time in life that the culture I built on tour was the opposite. It revolved around alcohol and drugs," he explained. "And now our tour culture is around good eating and around exercising and doing emotional check-ins with our crew every day."
Jelly Roll also noted that his battle with food addiction started during his childhood in Antioch, Tennessee. He told the publication: "Nobody in my house ever had [a healthy relationship with food], so that was the hard part, really fighting that demon at first and getting into that discipline and that commitment."
Jelly Roll's Chef Shares Some Of His Favorite Pre-Show Snacks
Jelly Roll's chef and nutrition coach Ian Larios mentioned that his crooner client has been paying close attention to his diet while on his weight loss journey.
"One of his favorite pre-show snacks is bananas. We're making this one a little bit fancier today [with] manuka honey [and some] dark chocolate that we grate over the top," Larios said in an Instagram video, while showing viewers how he prepares the snack for Jelly Roll. The chef then showcased his method for crafting a high-protein take on Nashville-style hot chicken and fries, specially prepared for Jelly Roll before a concert.
"We air fry it. It tricks your brain into thinking this is like that nice, greasy Nashville deep-fried, hot chicken. He's gonna feel like he's eating at home," Larios revealed. "It's healthy. It's air-fried, full of protein that helps him stay on track."
