Jelly Roll opens up about the moment he realized he had to change his life and why his 200-pound weight loss journey became a fight for survival.
The 41-year-old singer shared the emotional turning point during his performance on The Joe Rogan Experienceand remembers how close he felt to losing everything.
“I could feel myself dying,” he admitted, describing the fear that gripped him as he approached his 39th birthday.
He said he took a hard look at his health and the number on the scale, adding, “I don’t think I’ve ever met a 40-year-old 500-pounder.”
That thought alone triggered a level of urgency that he could no longer ignore.
Jelly Roll explained that he felt he had “already cheated the game” after surviving “several heart problems” and knew he wouldn’t get many more chances.
“I was like, man, I should really start trying to figure this out,” he said.
What followed was a two-year transformation, fueled by determination, vulnerability and the desire to help others going through similar struggles.
He said he never expected to lose weight, but hoped that talking about his experience might encourage people who feel stuck in their own struggles with obesity.
He recalled the first day he committed to walking 10,000 steps, a moment he described as life-changing.
His wife Bunnie XO and daughter tried to talk him out of going because it was pouring rain, but he refused. “In my mind I was like, ‘No. I’m going outside. I’m done lying to you guys and I’m done lying to me’.”
When he got home, soaked from the weather, he broke down and saw his family cheering him on.
“They had every reason not to go out there and cheer me on,” he said, explaining how years of broken promises about his weight had worn them down.
But that moment made him realize how deeply his food addiction had affected not only his health, but his relationships.
Jelly Roll said the journey forced him to confront painful truths, including how being severely overweight had affected his marriage and intimacy.
Therapy helped him uncover the emotional roots of his eating habits, and over time he built a healthier relationship with food.
“Now I just feed myself for what I need,” he said.
Today, he feels “really, really good”, having dropped clothing sizes and even changed his Oura ring size five times.
Fans have noticed his slimmer face and energetic presence in recent months, visible signs of a transformation that started with fear but grew into hope.
And for Jelly Roll, the message is simple: If he could do it, anyone can.
