Jelly Roll gets real about his earlier thoughts about weight loss

Jelly Roll says his weight-loss journey began when he genuinely believed his body was shutting down. 

The 41-year-old country star made the admission on Wednesday as he spoke on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. 

He recalled that the turning point came around his 39th birthday in 2023, when he weighed between 480 and 560 lbs throughout the year.

“I could feel myself dying,” he told Rogan. “I’d already had multiple heart issues. I didn’t think I’d ever met a 500-pound 40-year-old. I felt like I’d cheated the game already.”

Realising he might not reach 40, he decided to change up his lifestyle. 

The singer also approached it strategically, as instead of making sudden, emotional attempts to exercise, Jelly slowed down, planned carefully, and focused on intention. 

The shift helped him stay consistent and eventually led to nearly 200 lbs of weight loss.

He said his habits came from a deeper pattern. After struggling with drug addiction in the past, overeating felt similar to him. He found it not a willpower issue but “a biological loop I didn’t know how to interrupt.”

Unlike other addictions, he added, food was unavoidable. “There’s a cookie on this table somewhere.”

Jelly Roll admitted he's now come a long way from thinking, “My heart could quit any day.” 

“I’m going to be a 70-year-old man,” he said. “I never thought I could have this kind of life.”