Ed Sheeran recently lost over 50 pounds, revealing how and why on the long-running British podcast “Behind The Medal.”
Sheeran apparently decided to start taking his weight more seriously after being fat-shamed online.
“I never once had any insecurities really about myself until people pointed them out,” he opened up. “Whenever I’ve been big, there’s always online trolls or newspapers, or like comments … it’s always like oh, ‘chunky’ or ‘fat’ or whatever.”
His unhealthy diet and lifestyle choices “ballooned” his weight to “like 15 or 16 stone,” or about 210 to 225 pounds.
“You finish a gig in America, you get a tray of chicken wings, sit in the back of the bus, watch The Simpsons, drink a couple of bottles of wine, but then that’s every single day,” said Sheeran. “My friends used to call me ‘Two Dinners Teddy’. My problem before was I’d go to a pub and I’d have bangers and mash, and then a pie, then maybe a pudding, and loads of pints, and then not exercise.”
The “Shape Of You” singer decided to quit smoking and start running and cycling. He claims it helps his mental, as well as his physical, health.
“There’s no way to check emails or watch TV shows,” said Sheeran. “You are either with someone talking or thinking and it’s a really good thing.”
He’s content with his weight and lifestyle choices now.
“The stage I’m at now is a happy balance,” he said. “I feel like this is the weight I’m meant to be.”
He seems committed to his new transformation, even taking a break from music for the near future.
“I’ve been a bit non-stop since 2017,” he confesses, “so I’m just going to take a breather to travel, write and read. I’ll be off social media until it’s time to come back.”
Don’t worry, though! He promises to be back with new music “when the time is right.”