Country singer Jelly Roll is getting candid about his recent struggles with eating amid his massive 275-pound weight-loss journey. During a vulnerable conversation with influencer Salvatore Reedus, Jelly Roll, born Jason DeFord, admitted he could go on a five-day food bender if he had even a single cheat meal.
Jelly Roll laid it all out there during his conversation with Reedus on his YouTube page, admitting he’d been “overeating” for the last several days. The country singer called it “stress-eating” before saying that his actions caused him to revert to old habits.
According to the 41-year-old, his recent bender followed his consumption of a dairy-free skillet cookie at a concert. He noted that he usually avoids unhealthy foods at this point in his journey because he’s unable to control himself afterward.
“I don’t eat nothing like that. I’m like a drug addict. You can’t eat that ‘cause if I ate one, I’ll eat two. I’ll eat four. So later that night, I’m at the taco truck getting a peanut butter fluff. Next thing I know, we’re at the rest stop, I’m looking for a chocolate bar,” he said.
Why Jelly Roll Said He Can’t Have Even A Single Cheat Meal
Jelly Roll said that when he does find himself eating unhealthy foods, he can’t stop himself, likening it to “the taste of blood.” He added, “Now it’s going to take me a whole another week to get that [taste] completely out of my mouth.”
Later, Jelly Roll told Reedus that he’s unable to have a single cheat meal like some other people he knows. “I can’t have anything,” he said, adding that he’s the same with alcohol and hard drugs.
“I’ve never had a shot. I’ve never done a line of cocaine. I’ve never smoked a joint. You know what I mean? Either we’re smoking all day, we’re drinking all night, we’re doing coke. That’s how it’s working for me,” he admitted.
Jelly Roll Is Learning To Give Himself Grace During The Challenging Moments
Despite his recent challenges, Jelly Roll said he’s learning to give himself grace on days he falls off the wagon, noting that he’ll likely still eat sweets or other unhealthy foods at some point in the future.
“… those are the days you got to give yourself grace. The problem is it starts compounding in the days,” he said. “It’s okay to have a bad meal. It’s okay to have a bad day. Don’t beat yourself up about it … don’t punish yourself for it.”
The ‘Liar’ Singer Opened Up About Losing His Way Earlier This Year
Jelly Roll has been open about his struggles with consistency in the past. In a previous YouTube video, the “Save Me” singer said he “lost his way” after indulging in “big” holiday meals in 2025.
To make matters worse, Jelly Roll broke his collarbone just before Christmas, forcing him to put exercise on the back burner while he recovered.
“I said all that to say that I have to some degree lost my way,” he confessed before revealing he still had more weight he hoped to lose in the future.
“I want to get these last 40 or 50 pounds off, and then I eventually want to cut my skin and I eventually want to be on the cover of something crazy like GQ or Rolling Stone or Vanity Fair or Forbes or Time with my shirt off. I know this is getting real silly now, but I don’t know. I just believe there’s this story that a guy can go from 560 pounds to a shirt off picture. It’s absurd,” he shared.
Jelly Roll Said He Battled With ‘Food Addiction’ For Years Before Finally Changing His Ways
During a previous interview with PEOPLE, Jelly Roll, who recently filed for divorce from his wife Bunnie Xo, said working to overcome his battle with “food addiction” was the driving force behind his new look.
“I’ve never had a healthy relationship with food, so that was the hard part. But once you get into that discipline and commitment, it’s like an avalanche. Once that little snowball started rolling, it was on its way,” he said.
