Jelly Roll has been on a fitness journey over the last several months – and his hard work is paying off.
The 39-year-old, born Jason Bradley DeFord, once tipped the scales at over 500lbs, but in recent years he shed nearly 200lbs, and since January he has managed to lose another 70lbs.
His weight loss transformation was evident at the 2024 ACM Awards in Frisco, Texas, on Thursday and he looked confident as he posed for photos on the red carpet alongside his wife, Bunnie Xo.
Jelly Roll – who is performing a new song at the ceremony and is nominated for four awards – rocked up in black pants with a matching knee-length T-shirt and a buttery brown leather jacket.
He couldn’t hide the smile from his face as he enjoyed a kiss with his wife – who looked gorgeous in a royal blue strapless dress adorned with gold embellishments – in front of photographers.
The country star recently admitted that he is feeling “really good” after upping his fitness regime in preparation for the 2 Bears 5K race he ran in Los Angeles on May 7.
Explaining his healthier lifestyle, he said: “I’m probably down 70-something pounds. I’ve been really kicking ass, 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,” he added.
Just because he completed the race, doesn’t mean he is giving up his new fitness approach and admitted he hopes to lose another 100lbs.
“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,” he told People.
Jelly Roll shared his delight over finishing the 3.1-mile and took particular joy in inspiring other “big guys” to get motivated.
“I couldn’t walk a mile when I started trying to do this back in January,” the singer told Entertainment Tonight. “So the fact that we got three-point-whatever it was done today, I feel really, really good about it. I left here feeling really motivated.”
He continued: “I think the coolest thing is how many people stopped to tell us that they were motivated by us, other big guys. It was just really cool to see – what an eclectic group of people. There was a man running in a bear suit.”
While the race was a “little bit harder” than he thought it would be, he has set his sights higher for next year after catching the racing bug.
“Next year, half marathon. We’re saying it right now,” he said on the Today Show. “I’m going to speak for them – we’re gonna do the 2 Bears 5K again, but we’re going to do a half marathon before.”