Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

Jelly Roll’s Latest Weight Reveal Proves He’s Unstoppable

Jelly Roll celebrates 140-pound weight loss at the top of Camelback Mountain, proving his powerful transformation through grit and determination.
by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

Not long ago, Jelly Roll couldn’t climb a flight of stairs without getting winded. In February 2025, he stood at the summit of Camelback Mountain, sweaty, smiling, and 140 pounds lighter. The chart-topping country star—known for his soul-baring lyrics and gritty backstory—has quietly pulled off one of the most impressive physical transformations in country music today.

Jelly Roll, born Jason DeFord, has always worn his heart on his sleeve. But these days, he’s also wearing smaller shirts. The man who once tipped the scales at 550 pounds is down to a leaner, more mobile version of himself. And his journey didn’t involve crash diets, surgery, or flashy endorsements. Just the hard stuff: daily commitment, mental resilience, and deep motivation.

From 550 Pounds to a Mountain Summit

For years, food was Jelly Roll’s comfort and crutch. In podcast interviews and documentaries, he’s admitted that emotional eating was tied directly to trauma and addiction. “I was eating because I was sad or stressed,” he shared. “Food became my escape.” That escape landed him at 550 pounds, with serious health risks and a growing sense that time was running out.

By 2022, something shifted. He decided to get serious—not for the spotlight, but for his family and his future. He started walking. He hired a nutrition coach, Ian Larios. He cut out processed foods and built meals around lean proteins and whole ingredients. “It wasn’t some Hollywood cleanse,” he told fans. “Just smarter choices and moving more.”

By late 2024, he’d lost 100 pounds. But he didn’t stop there. He kept walking, started strength training, and set bigger goals. In February 2025, he hit a milestone that would’ve sounded like fiction two years earlier: he hiked Camelback Mountain in Arizona. “That hike was for me,” he said in an emotional video at the peak. “To prove I could do hard things again.”

What Made the Difference

Jelly Roll’s success didn’t come from some secret formula. It came from confronting the hard stuff, starting with his mindset. He openly worked through his food addiction, sometimes talking about it onstage, sometimes with his wife, Bunnie XO, who’s been by his side through it all.

“She’s been my rock,” he said. “When I wanted to quit, she kept me moving.” The couple’s dynamic has become a fan-favorite storyline, especially since Bunnie’s social media updates have given fans a behind-the-scenes look at his journey.

His coach, Larios, designed a plan that focused on sustainable eating, not extreme restriction. Jelly Roll ditched fast food for meal prep, chose water over soda, and leaned into simple routines that made it easier to stay consistent on tour.

Exercise wasn’t glamorous either. It started with short walks around his neighborhood and hotel gyms on the road. Slowly, those walks turned into jogs, hikes, and resistance training. The more he moved, the better he felt. “It was about momentum,” he said. “Once I started seeing change, I didn’t want to stop.”

Now, with 140 pounds gone and a completely different lifestyle, Jelly Roll says he’s far from finished. “I want to be on the cover of Men’s Health by next year,” he told fans at a recent show. “That’s not a joke—I’m going for it.”

He’s also looking into fitness challenges and 5K races. Not for clout—but to remind himself that he’s still growing. “This is the best I’ve felt in my adult life,” he said. “And I want more of it.”

Jelly Roll’s weight loss isn’t about fitting a mold—it’s about reclaiming a life he once thought was slipping away. And if his mountain-top moment is any sign, he’s just getting started.

Latest Stories

Dolly Parton looks down emotionally while speaking into a rhinestone-covered microphone during a candid moment on stage.

Dolly Parton Was So Broke When She First Moved to Nashville She Ate Leftover Room Service to Survive

Some people chase dreams. Dolly Parton chased survival. Long before the wigs, the theme park, and the billion-dollar legacy, Dolly was just a teenage girl in cheap shoes with a ...

Kelly Clarkson closes her eyes while singing into a microphone during her raw performance of Cody Johnson’s “When It Comes To You.”

Kelly Clarkson’s Cody Johnson Cover Reminded Folks What Country’s Supposed to Feel Like

Kelly Clarkson’s voice could melt asphalt in the middle of a Texas summer, and when she turned her sights on Cody Johnson‘s “When It Comes To You,” it wasn’t just ...

Connie Francis smiles with hands clasped in front of a pink backdrop and orchids, remembered for her timeless hit “Pretty Little Baby.”

Connie Francis, the Original Pop Icon Behind “Pretty Little Baby,” Dies at 87

She ruled the airwaves before most of us were born, and somehow, against all odds, Connie Francis was going viral on TikTok at 87. The pop powerhouse behind hits like ...

Luke Bryan performs with high energy on stage in a plaid shirt and cap, dividing fans over whether he's saving or ruining country music.

Why Some Country Fans Can’t Stand Luke Bryan and Others Say He Saved the Genre

Country fans don’t just listen, they debate. And if there’s one name that’s kept the whiskey flowing and keyboards clacking over the last decade, it’s Luke Bryan. Depending on who ...

Luke Bryan looks emotional during a heartfelt interview as he reflects on the personal tragedies of losing his brother and sister years apart.

Luke Bryan’s Brother and Sister Died Years Apart and He’s Still Carrying That Pain Today

Country music’s known for telling stories, but Luke Bryan’s life reads more like a ballad you never want to live through. Before the chart-toppers, before the sold-out stadium tours, before ...

Chris Stapleton and Miranda Lambert perform together in cowboy hats as their new duet “A Song to Sing” sparks mixed reactions from critics and fans.

Chris Stapleton and Miranda Lambert’s New Duet Slammed by Critics but Loved by Listeners

You’d think pairing two of the biggest voices in country music would set the world on fire. Instead, some critics are out here pouring cold water on what was supposed ...

More than 50 country legends and stars join together onstage at the Grand Ole Opry’s 100th celebration for a surprise performance of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.”

Opry 100 Crowd Thought It Was Over Then 50 Country Legends Sang “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”

Thought the show was over? Not even close. The Grand Ole Opry’s 100th anniversary celebration already had fans floating on a high of nostalgia, surprise collaborations, and once-in-a-lifetime performances. But ...

Chris Stapleton performing onstage in a cowboy hat and black suit while playing guitar, tied to his big $1 million donation to help Texas families after devastating floods.

Chris Stapleton Steps Up to Help Texas Families After Devastating Floods With Big Donation

When the waters rise, real country shows up. Texas got hit with a storm over Fourth of July weekend that nobody saw coming, a wall of rain that turned the ...

Beyoncé performing in a white rhinestone outfit and cowboy hat during her Cowboy Carter Tour, amid news her unreleased music and setlists were stolen from a car in Atlanta.

Beyoncé’s Unreleased Music Stolen From Car in Atlanta Along With Cowboy Carter Tour Plans and Setlists

Well, here we go. Beyoncé might want to saddle up that golden horse of hers because this Cowboy Carter circus just keeps getting wilder, and not in a way that’ll ...

Darius Rucker passionately singing on stage before walking off after four songs and refunding fans when he lost his voice in Atlantic City.

Darius Rucker Walks Off Stage After 4 Songs Says “I Can’t Sing Anymore” and Refunds Fans

Sometimes the road just knocks the wind right out of you, or in Darius Rucker‘s case, it takes your voice and leaves you standing there, hat in hand, with nothing ...