Iam Tongi is feeling good after stepping back into the spotlight in recent weeks for the premiere of Disney's new Lilo & Stitch live action adaptation.
The 20-year-old singer-songwriter is partnering up with Disney once again after emerging victorious on ABC's American Idol in 2023, the winner of season 21.
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The night before the show crowned its season 23 champion Jamal Roberts, Iam stepped out in Los Angeles, attending the world premiere of Lilo & Stitch at the El Capitan Theatre.
With his appearance (plus his performance on Idol a few days prior), Iam debuted a brand new physique, coming from a health and fitness journey that has resulted in a whopping 115 pounds lost so far.
The musician spoke with People at the premiere about his new regimen, emphasizing a desire to "stay healthy" with the help of a personal trainer and a new daily fitness routine.
"We have a workout session maybe around 11, come back [home], and we go to an ice bath or sauna… or whatever it is," he explained. "And then we come back, shower and go on a walk. And I've lost 115 lbs. It feels amazing. I feel great."
The Hawaiian native, who recorded a version of "Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride" for the new Disney film, also discussed working on his new music while incorporating fitness in a new home base — Memphis, Tennessee.
"I moved out to Memphis, so I've been working out, writing, recording, and just been busy — but in a different way," he explained. "I'm working on an album, actually, so I'm excited about that, and we'll see how that goes."
"I'm inspired by a lot of soul. I love Al Green. Al Green is one of my favorite singers, so I'm excited for that [single]." While he explains life has been "crazy" lately, he's hoping to find more time to visit his home state.
"It's a great feeling to go home and just see the people and see them be excited when they see me. It's such a good feeling. It's a cool feeling," Iam shared.
With his win in 2023, Iam became the first Pacific Islander and the first Hawai'i native to win Idol in its decades-long run, impressing the judges and audiences with his emotional ballads and skills with the ukulele.
As Iam mentioned, saunas in particular have become a popular tool for those looking to rejig their lifestyle, especially at-home saunas and infrared saunas. Singers like Jelly Roll (coincidentally, an Idol mentor this past season) have proclaimed their love for it as well.
Jelly Roll, who has been on his own personal weight loss journey, told People of his own routine: "I've been really kicking [expletive], man I'm doing two to three miles a day, four to six days a week. I'm doing 20 to 30 minutes in the sauna, six minutes in a cold plunge every day. I'm eating healthy right now."
"I was thinking, I plan on losing another 100, 100-and-something [pounds]. If I feel this good down this weight, man, I can only imagine what I'm going to feel like by the time I go on tour," he added.
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