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Jelly Roll Is Focusing on Health in 2023: Inside His Weight Loss Transformation Through the Years

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Updated on: Nov 29, 2023 4:14 pm·

By Elise Nelson and Alyssa Norwin

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Those who have followed Jelly Roll since his hip hop days know that the country singer has long struggled with his weight. In a 2018 Instagram post, Jelly — whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord — revealed that in 2015, he weighed more than 500 pounds. The doctor’s scale only reached 500, so he was advised to visit a “meat processor or truck stop” to find out his actual weight.

“It was the one of the most embarrassing days of my life,” Jelly wrote. He started his weight loss journey in 2016 and lost 200 pounds. And though he gained weight back over the years, the “Need a Favor” singer said 2023 would be the year he focused on his health.

Keep scrolling to see Jelly Roll’s weight loss transformation through the years.

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2015

Jelly Roll said he weighed more than 500 pounds in 2015. After his visit with his doctor, the country singer “continued to spiral out of control and dealt with the news by more food, more drugs and more liquor.”

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2016

“In late 2016 I started fighting to save my own life. I lost roughly 200 lbs,” Jelly wrote in his Instagram post. “It wasn’t a fast journey, it was actually quite slow.”

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2018

Jelly admitted that he started to “overeat and overdrink” again in 2018, causing him to gain back 60 pounds. However, he decided to “start over and fight my lifelong demon again.” He hired a health mentor and began posting weekly weight loss results on YouTube.

“I’ve been obese since I was a small child. All I’ve ever known was being fat, and I’m f–king miserable,” he wrote on Instagram. “I wanna sky dive, bungee jump, ride a bull, parasail, ride roller coasters, I want to LIVE a normal life and have a normal relationship with food. I fight addictions and alcoholism everyday.”

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2021

Despite his weight loss struggles, Jelly Roll has been able to find humor in his situation. In 2021, he posted a TikTok calling himself “not your average fat person.”

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2022

Jelly Roll opened up about his plans for health in the new year in a December 2022 interview.

“I’m going to spend the first couple months of the year just focusing on family and health,” he told Music Mayhem. “I lost some weight this year in 2022, but in 2023 I wanna finally conquer the demon. I don’t leave for a big tour until about the middle of the year. So I plan on taking the first half of the year to tighten the album up and get some work in.”

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2023

In February 2023, Jelly told fans he was keeping his promise. “Just know that I’m doing my part — I’m working out daily… praying and meditating …. Eating better – losing weight,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Making sure I bring the best version of me on my new album and this tour… this is what growth and gratitude look like in real time.”

Sure enough, Jelly put in the work and the results showed. While on the road for his Backroad Baptism tour, he posted an update video in August 2023. His nutritionist, Ian Larios, revealed that Jelly lost 23 pounds in two weeks.

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October 2023

The country singer showed off his weight loss after his nationwide tour during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live in October 2023.

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November 2023

Jelly dressed to impress at the CMA Awards 2023! He sported a slimming black paisley-patterned suit.

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November 2023

Jelly Roll walked the red carpet at Jingle Ball 2023, in Fort Worth, Texas on November 28, 2023. The appearance came before he took the stage to perform at the show. He rocked khaki pants with a black shirt and denim vest for the holiday concert.