‘Resilience Of The Human Spirit’: Country Star Talks Reaching Milestone After Dropping Over 100 Pounds

Country star Jelly Roll talked about reaching a major milestone recently amid his weight loss journey after dropping more than 100 pounds.

Speaking to E! News at a pre-Super Bowl party, the 40-year-old country singer — born Jason Bradley DeFord — reflected on the progress he’s made after sharing in November that he lost 120 pounds after previously revealing he weighed 500 just a few years ago.

“I hiked a mountain the other day. Camelback,” DeFord said, referring to a mountain in Arizona “There is no way that would have been possible beforehand, so it’s great to see that progress, and we still are going.”

“It isn’t always the case where I feel focused or positive,” he added of his personal weight loss journey. “The things that motivate me and keep me going are the people I have met along the way. … The people that come up to me and bravely share their sobriety date, or a story of something that they’ve dealt with, or someone they’ve lost.”

“Seeing the resilience of the human spirit, there is no greater motivation than to keep going,” the singer continued.

In 2018, the country star said he weighed more than 500 pounds at his heaviest and was told by a doctor that he should “go to a meat processor or truck stop” to learn his actual weight. The singer called it “one of the most embarrassing days of my life.” He went on to describe a cycle of weight loss and gain over the following years.

Country music star Jelly Roll has lost over 100 pounds and says he recently climbed Camelback Mountain in Arizona. pic.twitter.com/syzhFlhTX4

— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 10, 2025

During his appearance in November on “The Pat McAfee Show,” the “Wild Ones” singer talked about his health journey and revealed that he was “down about 120” pounds while on tour, thanks to a great nutritionist and being active.

Months earlier, DeFord talked about getting ready to participate in his first ever 5k run and said that getting ready for it had helped him lose a significant amount of weight, as previously reported.

“I’m probably down 70-something pounds,” Jelly Roll told People. “I’ve been really kicking a**, man. I’m doing two to three miles a day, four to six days a week. I’m doing 20 to 30 minutes in the sauna, six minutes in a cold plunge every day. I’m eating healthy right now.”

“I feel really good,” he added. “I was thinking, I plan on losing another 100, 100-and-something [pounds]. If I feel this good down this weight, man, I can only imagine what I’m going to feel like by the time I go on tour.”

The “Son of a Sinner” hitmaker turned his life around after racking up some 40 stints behind bars for various drug-related charges, starting as young as 14, People noted.

Amanda Harding contributed to this piece.

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