Reggaeton musician Nicky Jam is feeling better than ever after losing a whopping 110 pounds thanks to weight-loss surgery.
The 42-year-old singer spoke People Tuesday about how his rapid weight loss and slimmer figure have significantly improved his mood and his health.
Nicky spoke about his procedure as several celebrities shared their experiences with other forms of weight loss aid, including medications like Ozempic, which Real Housewives Of New Jersey star Jennifer Fessler recently blamed for her hospitalization due to an “impacted bowel.”
The musician (real name: Nick Rivera Caminero) admitted that his weight had been a constant source of torment for him before his surgery.
“The reality is that I have battled with my weight my whole life because this is an industry where you have to be in shape, you have to make films, you have to make videos,” he shared.
Reggaeton star Nicky Jam, 42, told People on Tuesday about his astonishing 110-pound weight loss. He admitted that he had undergone gastric bypass surgery to lose weight
However, he started considering weight-loss surgery after a friend had a positive experience with it, although he couldn't quite shake his nerves before going under the knife.
“I mean, you're always going to be nervous before you have surgery, so I was nervous. I'm not going to lie,” he admitted. “But it's something I really wanted.”
Nicky had gastric bypass surgery, a form of bariatric (or weight loss) surgery in which the stomach is rerouted so that food only passes into a small part of the stomach before moving to the small intestine, according to UCLA Health.
The surgery significantly reduces the capacity of the stomach, limiting the number of calories the patient can consume at any given time, usually leading to significant weight loss.
According to the musical artist, he has lost more than 110 pounds in the six months since he had the surgery, and he is still losing some weight thanks to physical activities like playing basketball.
'Basketball, that helped me. I play basketball every day,” he admitted. “I'm a big fan of basketball, and I do that with my friends wherever I travel. We have an indoor track here. We play every day, and every time we play basketball, I think I lose two pounds!'
The surgery not only affected the amount of food he could eat at one time, but also reduced his desire to constantly snack.
“I wake up and I'm the same man, but I don't wake up and think about food right away,” he said. 'I always woke up and just wanted to eat. Now I take my time and eat when I want. I feel better. I feel happy. I feel healthy. Two days ago I had some blood work done and I came out better than ever.”
“The reality is that I have battled with my weight all my life because this is an industry where you have to be in shape, make films, make videos,” he shared; picture pre-operation in November 2022 in Mexico City
Nicky was inspired to have the surgery after a friend's positive results. However, during his first days of recovery, he was reduced to tears as he could only drink liquids for months; seen in 2020 in Miami
As happy as he is with his new changes and routine, he found the early months of his recovery difficult because, like many people who have undergone weight-loss surgery, he had to be on a liquid diet for quite some time before reintroducing solid foods. .
“I've been eating really well for the last two months, and I'm enjoying it because I've literally gone without food for four or five months,” he revealed. “I was just drinking liquids and stuff like that, and I was going crazy. I'm not gonna lie. The first few days I cried.'
Despite the obvious benefits, the first few days after surgery were difficult for Nicky.
'You have to mentally prepare yourself for what's coming, and that's not easy. People say this is the easy way; they are wrong,” he said. 'Here you are obliged not to eat. You can't even drink liquids and eat at the same time. Because your stomach is so small, you get full (so quickly). So it's like you have to learn to eat, wait twenty minutes and then drink some liquid.”
Even drinking alcohol brings new complications for the reggaeton star, as just a small amount of wine can now make him drunk.
However, he was happy to cut back after admitting he had previously abused Percocet, which he said made him “fat” and “so big.”
Although his gastric bypass surgery was the main catalyst for his weight loss, Nicky admitted that he had previously lost some weight after moving from Puerto Rico to Colombia in 2007, which significantly increased his public fame.
'I've stopped taking drugs. I cleaned myself up. I lost weight over those years, I lost weight, and people would look at me like, “Yo, you look brand new. You look like a different person,” he recalled. “And the way you love and care for yourself makes it easier for the world to love and support you. It's just the way it is.'
He denied that weight-loss surgery is the “easy way” and talked about how difficult it is to manage the minuscule amount of food he can eat at a time; seen in May 2022 in Cannes, France
As his post-surgery recovery continues, Nicky is now embarking on new projects, including an upcoming album and tour.
He reflected on how far he had come, given his difficult circumstances and lack of family life.
'I lacked a mother. I didn't have my mother. I had no father. “I was alone on the street doing things that people do on the street,” he said. “Obviously there are times when I didn't even love myself, like when I was fat and big or when I was using drugs.”
“But that's the magic of being human,” he added. 'Getting better, getting better, getting better – loving yourself more and more and more.'