At only 31 years old, Ed Sheeran is one of the most successful and famous male solo artists in the world. The English singer has a long list of hit songs under his belt, including those that he’s written for other artists such as One Direction, Hilary Duff, Rita Ora, and Justin Bieber.
Ed Sheeran is adored around the world for his pure talent as a songwriter and magnetic live performances. He has never built his brand around his image or used his look to sell records. But Ed did make headlines in 2018 when he rocked a visibly slimmer figure, prompting fans to ask what he did to shed the pounds.
While he may be one of the wealthiest artists, Ed isn’t known for spending his cash on personal chefs, trainers, and other tools that many celebrities use to improve their health and wellbeing. Actually, Ed has a reputation for his normal-person spending habits!
So how did the Shape of You singer lose 50 pounds? Keep reading to find out.
What Was Ed Sheeran’s Lifestyle Like Before His Weight Loss?
Back in 2018, Ed Sheeran wowed fans when he debuted his 50-pound weight loss. The singer hadn’t spoken extensively about his diet and lifestyle up until that point. But after losing the weight and attracting attention from fans and the press, he opened up about what his lifestyle was like before shedding the pounds.
As an artist who toured the world, Ed was eating and drinking what was tasty and convenient: pizza and beer. However, he was able to stay in shape because he was so active during his live performances.
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“I didn’t realize how active I was on tour,” he revealed in an interview (via Life and Style). “My diet was pizza and beer, but because I was doing two hours a night I was really in shape.”
Even though his performances don’t typically require choreography, they still burn lots of calories and require a lot of energy. “I jump up and down on boxes, when I’m finished I’m drenched in sweat,” Ed said. “And just under those lights, just sweating, you drop off a bunch.”
Considering that Ed’s tours have been among the highest-grossing of all time, it’s not surprising that they could be quite strenuous for him!
What led to Ed’s weight gain, then, was coming off the tour. While he reduced his exercise by no longer giving grueling live performances, he didn’t reduce the number of calories he was consuming.
“I stopped touring and carried on my diet of pizza and beer. Suddenly I didn’t fit in anything.”
How Did Ed Sheeran Feel About His Body Before His Weight Loss?
According to Insider, Ed Sheeran was never insecure about his body and always comfortable with his weight, until trolls commented on his appearance.
After faceless people on the internet called Ed “chunky” and “fat”, he started to worry about the way he looked.
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"I never once had any insecurities really about myself until people pointed them out,” he said (via Insider). “Your brain starts thinking about them.”
Even though comments from other people led Ed to develop his own insecurities, he did share that he knew the people saying unkind things were just insecure themselves:
"It all stems from other people's insecurities. So many people have so many things they're insecure about so it makes them feel better to point out someone else's. Half the people that would say I was fat would be fat themselves."
Comparing himself to other artists also negatively affected Ed’s self-image. I was the same sort of age as the One Direction boys and Justin Bieber and all these people that were really in shape and had six packs and I was kind of like, ‘Oh should I be looking like this?’”
How Did Ed Sheeran Shed 50 Pounds?
Since losing 50 pounds, Ed Sheeran has revealed the details behind his weight loss, which began with upping his exercise routine. The Perfect singer explained that he incorporated a quick interval training regimen into his daily lifestyle:
“I did ten minutes a day without fail--intervals of 30 seconds sprinting and 30 jogging,” he detailed (via People). “The key is to not miss a day, so you don’t have to do an hour.”
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Ed also revealed that he varies his exercise by doing longer bouts of running, swimming, and sit-ups.
In addition to addressing his exercise plan, Ed also changed his eating habits, reducing the amount of junk food he would regularly eat:
“I was eating like a takeaway every single day, and now I don't eat takeaway every single day and it's been good."
Ed also cut out beer from his diet until he reached his desired weight. Now he does have it in moderation and exercises to balance it out.
