Jelly Roll Weight Loss : How He easily Drop almost 200 Ibs?
Jelly Roll Weight Loss’s journey started in 2022.
Hey, have you seen Jelly Roll lately? The country music star, whose actual name is Jason De Ford. Once, he mentioned that he started losing weight in 2022. He started at over 550 pounds with the following healthier eating and exercise plans for two years; he’s dropped nearly 110 pounds by 2024, and he’s not done yet! In December, Jelly told his wife Bunny Zoe that he wanted to drop weight in front of everyone”.
“I think those who become as heavy as I, when they lose their weight, they feel awkward,” he said. “They’re so awkward they hide to drop the weight, and when they come out, they’re unsure how to connect with the world.
The “Need a Favour” singer continued, “What I want the world to know, and I want people to see, that I’m not successful because of my weight. I’m successful despite it. I somehow managed to lift 550 pounds and be this successful, it’s crazy.”
We’ll explore his journey. How Jelly Roll lost weight up to 100 pounds and overhauled his lifestyle. Here is everything mentioned about his weight loss journey.
Who is Jelly Roll?
Jelly Roll, born Jason DeFord on December 4, 1984, is a country singer from a rough part of Nashville, Tennessee. His childhood was tough,his dad sold meat, and his mom had addiction problems. As a teen, Jelly got in trouble and went to jail at 14(He lived there roughly 10 Years) for stealing and drugs.
Music helped him escape. He started with rap songs, selling them from his car. In 2022, his country songs like “Son of a Sinner” made him a star, and he won a big award in 2023. Now 40, Jelly sings about hard times and hope. He started losing weight in 2022, when he was 550 pounds, and lost 100 pounds by October 2024, taking about two years with better food and exercise like walking.
He’s lost almost (110 lbs) pounds total and shares his story to help others. He’s married, has a daughter, and now works to stop his drug problems. Fans love his big heart.
He drop over 100 lbs
In 2024, Jelly said he lost 110 pounds by living a healthier lifestyle, focusing on exercise and eating better. He thinks that he dropped 60 to 70 pounds during his four-month tour of Beautifully Broken.
Its awesome because my tour life was once completely different, Grammy nominee said: It focused on alcohol and drugs. But now our tour is about eating healthy, working out, and talking about our emotions with the crew daily.
Initially he dropped 70 pounds while training for a 5K
A key part of Jelly’s health plan is walking and running. April 2024 he said about droped nearly 70 pounds getting ready fro 5K run. He was walking and runing two to three miles per day four to sixdays a week to get ready for race in may 2024 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
“I feel great,” he said. “I was thinking, I want to lose another 100 pounds. If I feel this good at this weight, I wonder how I’ll feel when I tour.
Jelly’s wife ran with him in his first 5K, and they finished the race together. After the race, Jelley said that he “couldn’t walk even a mile when he started training in January.”
jelly roll weight loss: eats a high-protein meal
Jelly Roll’s weight loss journey has been boosted by changing his eating habits. On The Pat McAfee Show in November 2024, he shared that he brought a nutritionist, chef Ian Larios, on his beautifully broken tour so that they could prepare high-protein foods.
In October 2024, Chef Ian Larios posted an Instagram video of the meals which he cooked for Jelly roll. Some of Jelly’s favorite tour foods were a healthier take on Nashville hot chicken and French fries cooked in bone broth.
In a March 2025 Instagram video, Jelly Roll gave another glimpse at his tour diet, with Chef Ian Larios showcasing a full day of meals prepared for the singer. This time, his meals included a healthier version of Southern cornbread, almond butter protein bites, and dairy-free high-protein chili.
During his 5K prep, Jelly used a sauna and took a cold plunge daily
Jelly Roll didn’t just run to prepare for the 2 Bears 5K in May 2024. He added some self-care habits to boost his health. Alongside running two to three miles most days and eating healthier, he made time for daily sauna sessions and cold plunges.
Every day, I spend 20 to 30 minutes in the sauna and six minutes in a cold plunge. Jelly said. After completing the 5K, they celebrated this achievement with a kiss while in a cold plunge together.
He avoid to use drugs like Ozempic because he was scared of getting acid reflux.
On the Dumb Blonde podcast, Jelly Roll discussed his choice to lose weight naturally. He mentioned that while he’s not opposed to using Ozempic (it is kind of Drug), he decided against it due to concerns about acid reflux, a possible side effect of the weight-loss medication.
The doctors I’ve consulted are pro-Ozempic, Jelly mentioned. “They say it’s effective. But some things irritate me more than acid reflux. You’ll see me wake up suddenly, get out of bed, I’ll wake up panicked and go take something for it.”You know? That stuff can really harm the vocal cords.” The Cleveland Clinic says acid reflux can irritate them.
Jelly said: I want to make it clear that I did it naturally, but not because I was stubborn or trying to prove anything. If it helps you, go for it. For me, I was just really scared of the side effects.
On tour, he played basketball with his crew
Jelly Roll has been honest about his fitness goals, even while on an international tour. He told followers that he plays basketball daily with his group, and occasionally with his fans
Jelly shared a video on his Instagram profile of his journey. He visited the University of Kentucky and played basketball with the university’s team against inmates at a Houston juvenile facility,
Jelly Roll wrote a caption in his shared instagram post : “We got to go hang out with the boys at Harris County Juvenile and played a little ball. Turns out we’ve got some practice to do because they put a whoopin on us.”
He’s struggle to beat his food addiction.
In November 2024, Jelly told to Peoples he had a food addiction and had to change how he thought about food to lose weight. He said it all started when he was a kid in Antioch, Tenn.
Jelly said, Nobody in my house had a healthy relationship with food, so the hardest part was fighting that habit and staying disciplined. But once you get into that routine, it’s like a ripple effect; once it starts, it keeps going.
In a 2018 Instagram post, Jelly Roll shared his struggle with food addiction: he said that he weighed more than 500 pounds in 2015. Jelly said that moment inspired him to lose “roughly 200 pounds” the following year.
I’ve been overweight my whole life, and I’m honestly miserable. He mentioned: I want to skydive, ride a bull, parasail, bungee jump, go on roller coasters, and other activities like these. I want to spend my life like a normal man.
Jelly announced his next fitness aim for 2026.
During December 2024 in the the Dumb Blonde podcast, Jelly Roll told his wife about his new fitness goal: getting on the cover of Men’s Health.
“I want to be on the cover of Men’s Health by March 2026,” he mentioned that he sharing that it was his first time announcing this dream publicly. “That’s my new target. I want to achieve one of the biggest transformations.”
Bunnie cheered on Jelly’s new ambition, saying that hearing it spoken aloud got her “so excited.”
