Country music star shares jaw-dropping 70-lbs. weight loss after severe health scare


Nate Smith, known for songs like "Whiskey on You" and "World on Fire," has been on a new fitness journey since suffering from a drastic scare in 2024


Nate Smith attends the iHeartCountry Festival at the Moody Center on May 03, 2025 in Austin, Texas.© Getty Images
Ahad Sanwari
Ahad SanwariSenior Writer - New York
1 hour ago
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Country music singer Nate Smith is sharing a new update on his continuing weight loss journey.

The musician, 40, spoke with People at Sports Illustrated and Tight End University's Tight Ends & Friends Concert at The Pinnacle in Nashville about how he's already lost 70 pounds over the past year.

Nate Smith performs during C2C: Country To Country at The O2 Arena on March 16, 2025 in London, England.© Getty Images
Nate Smith is opening up about his continuing journey toward a healthier physique

His current goal is to fall under 200 lbs., returning to his previous weight of 185. "So I was like 275 lbs., somewhere in that world. But I want to get down to like 185 lbs. Again," he explained.

The "World on Fire" singer noted that it was a severe health scare in late 2024 that led him to his new fitness journey, when an upper respiratory infection made him re-evaluate his choices when it came to diet.

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He also cites "keeping the energy on stage and making sure I do that, because I think that takes care of the fans" as a primary motivator for his weight loss. "I don't sweat anymore, which is amazing."

"I used to be totally out of breath tying my shoes. I can jump around a lot more," he continued, adding that not only does he feel physically more agile and healthy, he also is enjoying having more clothes that fit.

"I just feel better. It's nice to be able to wear clothes that I like," Nate continued, pointing to his current outfit. "This is a large. I've been double X for the last five or six years, so I'm feeling really good."

Nate Smith performs onstage at the 59th Academy of Country Music Awards at The Star in Frisco on May 16, 2024 in Frisco, Texas© Getty Images
The country music star was around 275 lbs. at his heaviest

He previously told the publication that his 2024 infection was just the tipping point to a change that had been building up for a while. "I didn't like the way I looked. I didn't like the way I felt."

"I didn't like how I was out of breath all the time and how I'd get dizzy just tying my shoes. I felt like I was slowly killing myself, and I didn't know what to do about it."

He recalled finding himself falling into a depression-like state due to binge drinking. "It was rough. I knew I was hurting myself, but I couldn't stop. It was like looking at this mountain and wondering, 'How do I get up there?' I didn't even know where to start."

Nate Smith attends Sports Illustrated and Tight End University Host Tight Ends & Friends at The Pinnacle on June 23, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee.© Getty Images
"I used to be totally out of breath tying my shoes. I can jump around a lot more."

Once things kicked into high gear, however, he never looked back. And in fact, it turns out that he's been able to inspire some of his listeners along the way. "People come up to me at meet and greets and say, 'Dude, I'm doing the same thing, and I'm down 30 lbs..' It's been really fun and absolutely meaningful to be able to inspire people," he gushed. He's also not trying to limit himself when it comes to his diet and find a happy medium.

"I don't think of it as a diet, because if I do, I'm going to want to break the diet. I also don’t want to restrict myself from the things I want to eat," the "Wildfire" singer noted.

Nate at the Stagecoach Music Festival in April 2026© Getty Images
He's lost 70 lbs. since undergoing his diet and fitness transformation

"If I want to have a macaroni and cheese meal, I'm going to do that; it's just I can't eat mac and cheese and then go drink a bunch of soda and have an ice cream bar after. I'm just mindful of the calories in everything."

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