Category: Exercise

Singer/songwriter Jell Roll recently revealed a 100-pound weight loss.  In this blog post I will discuss why and how he lost this enormous amount of weight all while traveling around the country performing on tour.

In a series of posts to his social media accounts, Jelly Roll announced that he has already reached his “goal” weight, but that doesn’t seem to be stopping him.  He also posted, “Next year when y’all see me, you won’t recognize me” and “When I see y’all in March for Canada dog, y’all aren’t gonna recognize me, bro”. Obviously, he is very proud and excited about this new weight loss transformation.

So, how was he able to hit the century mark in weight loss, all while dealing with a busy tour schedule?  Well, Ian Larios (Jelly Roll’s nutritionist) shed some light on the changes that Jelly Roll has implemented.  He stated, “We just passed the halfway point of the tour and Jelly has been crushing it.”  He also stated that Jelly Roll has been showing up to arenas early and walking, and has taken an interest in Basketball and Boxing to stay active.

As far as Jelly Roll’s diet is concerned,  He has been eating high-protein meals that he is making himself, and one of his favorite pre-show snacks is a banana with manuka honey, stevia, and dark chocolate.

“The habits he’s been building are truly life changing,” the Larios wrote in a Sept. 16 Instagram post. “He’s doing this while also changing lives on this 56-city tour. Excited for him to show the world he’s just getting warmed up!”

Will Jelly Roll continue down this path towards a healthier self?  Hopefully, he is learning how to balance living in a healthy way while still managing a busy schedule AND enjoying the process.  Time will only tell if Jelly Roll is able to maintain this massive weight loss, which he has achieved.  One of the worst things that can happen with weight loss is to lose a significant amount of weight very quickly and then regain all (if not more) of the weight lost.  Doing this can severely skew body composition.  

If this yo-yo cycle is repeated, body composition numbers can get even worse.  This is a process that, in our Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky weight loss centers, we call ratcheting.  Ratcheting works like this: every time you lose a significant amount of weight, you will lose some fat and some muscle (and with gimmicky diets, you can lose a majority of

muscle).  If you regain weight, you only regain body fat (it is extremely difficult to regain muscle).  This raises your body fat percentage.  Each subsequent time you lose and then regain, you end up “ratcheting” down your body’s muscle percentage and “ratchet” up your body fat percentage.

The key then is to lose weight once, for the weight you lose to primarily be fat tissue, and to be able to live in a way once you hit your weight loss goal that you don’t feel like you are on a diet.  Hopefully, Jelly Roll is able to accomplish this.

In this blog posting, we review a very popular group training gym, OrangeTheory Fitness.  How much does it cost?  What are the benefits?  Is it overpriced?  I am doing this blog post specifically because I am constantly being asked in my Cincinnati and Florence, Kentucky, weight loss offices – “what is the best gym?”  This is a very individualized question based on a number of factors.  Do you like to work out in groups or alone?  Are you looking to lose weight?  Do you want to build muscle?  These questions and others must be answered before the right gym can be selected.  So let’s dive into OrangeTheory specifically so that maybe you may be able to better assess if it is right for you.

Fir things first – the price… OrangeTheory has three different levels of membership.  You can select 4 classes per week, eight classes per week or unlimited classes per week.  The prices are $60, $100, and $16,0, respectively.  These prices may be a little higher in big cities like New York or Chicago.  You will also need to buy a heart monitor for around $70.

So what do you get for these prices?  Well, without going into details, OrangeTheory is a HIIT-type workout.  You will work very intensely while using a treadmill, rower, and weights in a one-hour class.  You will also have a highly motivating coach and the support of other class participants.

So, the big question is – Is it worth it?  Again, this is going to come down to the individual.  I tell my weight loss clients in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky that it is worth it if you use it.  If you like working out in a group, it is a good option.  If you want to set goals and work hard to achieve them while using science (heart rate data) as your guide,it might be for you.  It would not be a good choice for someone who likes to work out alone or who is looking to put on a lot of muscle.

I hope this helps you make a more informed decision about OrangeTheory Fitness.