Jelly Roll’s 200-Pound Weight Loss Journey: Inside His Massive Health Transformation and 2025 Milestones

Mian Hamid November 20, 2025
Jelly Roll’s 200-Pound Weight Loss Journey: Inside His Massive Health Transformation and 2025 Milestones

Country star Jelly Roll has been reaching major health milestones in recent years, marking one of the most talked-about celebrity transformations. The singer has shed nearly 200 lbs. and remains deeply committed to his new healthy lifestyle.

Back in October 2024, the “Son of a Sinner” singer teased fans on Instagram, saying, “Next year when y’all see me, you won’t recognize me.” By October 2025, the difference was undeniable as he was photographed at Sydney Airport while arriving for his first-ever Australian headlining tour.

Jelly Roll — who once weighed 550 lbs. — has been open about the challenges behind his journey. Speaking to Music Mayhem, he revealed he began actively losing weight in 2022 and spent the next several years making long-term changes to improve his health.

He told his wife, Bunnie Xo, that he wanted to lose weight publicly, saying on the Dumb Blonde Podcast, “I didn’t become successful because of my weight. I became successful in spite of it. I managed to carry 550 pounds and still build this career — that’s insane.”

Below is everything Jelly Roll has shared about his powerful weight loss journey.

Born Jason DeFord, Jelly Roll started his transformation in 2022. That year, he told Music Mayhem that his 2023 goal was to focus on his health and “conquer the demon” — his lifelong struggle with weight.

He even revealed on The Bobby Bones Show that his mother gave him the nickname Jelly Roll because he was a “chubby kid.”

“I’ve been fat my whole life,” he said. “She started calling me Jelly Roll when I was young, and I spent the next 20 years trying to grow into the name.”

By 2024, Jelly Roll had dropped 110 lbs. after adopting a healthier diet and consistent exercise routine. He estimated that 60–70 lbs. of that came during his Beautifully Broken tour.

The Grammy nominee shared that touring used to revolve around alcohol and drugs — but now it revolves around fitness, healthy eating, and emotional check-ins.

Walking and running became central to his lifestyle shift. In April 2024, Jelly Roll had lost “70-something pounds” while training for the 2 Bears 5K with Bert Kreischer and Tom Segura.

He trained by walking or running two to three miles a day, four to six days a week. By the May 2024 race at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., he was feeling better than ever — and even aimed to lose an additional 100 lbs.

Bunnie joined him for the race, and the couple crossed the finish line together. Jelly Roll later shared with ET that when he started training in January, he “couldn’t walk a mile.”

To boost his endurance during training, Jelly Roll added daily sauna sessions to his routine — 20–30 minutes in the sauna plus six minutes in a cold plunge every day.

After completing the 5K, he even shared a celebratory cold plunge kiss with Bunnie.

Diet changes became essential. During a November 2024 appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Jelly Roll revealed that he brought along nutritionist Chef Ian Larios during the Beautifully Broken tour to prepare high-protein meals.

Larios shared videos on Instagram showing meals like:

  • healthier Nashville-style hot chicken

  • French fries boiled in bone broth

  • dairy-free, high-protein poutine

  • Waffle House–style hashbrowns

  • peanut butter cookie dough bites

By March 2025, Jelly Roll showcased more of his on-the-road meals, all tailored to support his weight loss goals.

On the Dumb Blonde Podcast, Jelly Roll explained why he chose not to use weight loss injectables like Ozempic. While he isn’t against them, he feared the side effect of acid reflux, which can damage a singer’s vocal cords.

“As a singer, nothing scares me more,” he said. He stressed that his “natural” weight loss wasn’t about proving a point — he was simply worried about side effects.

In November 2024, Jelly Roll shared that food addiction was one of his biggest battles. Growing up in Antioch, Tenn., he said no one in his home had a healthy relationship with food.

He emphasized that establishing discipline was the hardest part — but once he committed, the results snowballed.

Back in 2018, Jelly Roll opened up on Instagram about weighing over 500 lbs. three years earlier and losing “roughly 200 lbs.” He shared that all he ever wanted was to live a normal life and enjoy experiences like skydiving, riding roller coasters, and bungee jumping.

Even on the road, Jelly Roll stayed dedicated. He frequently played basketball with his crew — and sometimes with his fans.

He posted videos visiting the University of Kentucky Basketball Team and even playing a game at a juvenile detention center in Houston, where he joked the kids “put a whoopin on us.”

In December 2024, Jelly Roll revealed to Bunnie on the Dumb Blonde Podcast that he wants to appear on the cover of Men’s Health by March 2026.

“That’s my new goal,” he said. “I want to have one of the biggest transformations.”

Bunnie fully supported him, saying the idea made her “giddy.”

On Nov. 13, 2025, Bunnie shared an Instagram post showing Jelly Roll shaving his beard for the first time in 10 years — saying he wanted to show off his new jawline thanks to his dramatic weight loss.

“My husband… is going to shave off his beard completely because now that he’s so skinny — look at that jawline!” she said.

Jelly Roll joked, “We’re trying to see if a facelift might be in order.”

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