For DJ Khaled, Moderation Is the Major Key to His Weight Loss Transformation

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View this post on Instagram @markwahlberg said Khaled im ready for FATHER OF ASAHD MAY 17 @markwahlberg on set shooting ANOTHER BIG MOVIE BLESS UP @markwahlberg A post shared by DJ KHALED (@djkhaled) on May 9, 2019 at 11:13pm PDT

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Khaled has a knack for bringing smart, talented people like Wahlberg into his orbit. In fact, collaboration has been the baseline for his meteoric rise in the music industry, working with an enviable list of collaborators that reads like a dream roster for popular music in the past decade (Bieber, Cardi B, Beyonc , and so on and so forth) who have helped him notch after chart-topping single.

And whether its hilariously chronicling on Snapchat or conquering the zeitgeist with a seemingly endless stream of , DJ Khaled has always been larger than life.

But until recently, the hip-hop multi-hyphenate was also larger-physically-than he wanted to be. Enter Weight Watchers, who partnered with Khaled at the end of 2017 and began formally showcasing his weight loss journey as the companys official social media ambassador on New Years Day 2018.

Khaled weighed 293 pounds at the start of the Freestyle program, which assigns different points to different foods and sets a daily points limit. Earlier this year, he shared on Instagram that after one year on the program, hed dropped 43 pounds, bringing him down to his original goal of 250 pounds.

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View this post on Instagram A year ago I told yall its coming OFF! I started at 293 lbs and now Im OFFICIALLY 250 lbs!! They CALL ME SLIM JIM!! Thank you @ww for changing my life!! And i aint stopping! We gon keep winning with the Freestyle Program!! I promise you!! Its coming OFF! Join me and win with me on @WW. The new Weight Watchers. Im not racing! Im not speeding! Im cruising! Ride with me through the journey link in my bio! *People following the WW plan can expect to lose 1-2 lbs/wk. #wwambassador #ad A post shared by DJ KHALED (@djkhaled) on Feb 12, 2019 at 9:01am PST

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Khaled says his motivation to embrace a healthier lifestyle has less to do with him personally and are more about his family.

I have to love myself to take care of the people that I love, Khaled said. Its not a priority, its the only priority.

Moderation is the major key when it comes to Khaleds new lifestyle. He cut back dramatically on two foods that were weakness pre-diet: white rice and bread. Also, to hear Khaled tell it, when it came to sweets it was always another one.

I love pumpkin pie, I love sweet potato pie. Who dont? But I touch that and it still pleases my taste buds, he said. Im not gonna eat it seven days a week now. I might eat it once a week and its like a celebration.

He also says hes blessed to have a personal chef, Melissa Zuniga, who lives with Khaled and his family full-time and whose culinary creations regularly pop up in his videos on social media.

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View this post on Instagram The is to start your day right wit a great breakfast ! Bless up @ww the new weight watchers! #wwambassador FATHER OF ASAHD MAY 17 *People following the WW plan can expect to lose 1-2 lbs/wk. #wwambassador #ad A post shared by DJ KHALED (@djkhaled) on Apr 16, 2019 at 8:30am PDT

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Khaled spends a lot of the time road playing shows and promoting his various projects and businesses, which means he doesnt always have Zuniga to fall back on when its time to eat. But he insists having a good foundation at home in terms of eating habits has translated to smarter eating on the road.

If I go to a restaurant, Ill order what I love, Khaled said. But Im going to think about every time I order something, know what Im sayin? If I order a cappuccino, its-whats that sugar called?-its stevia instead of sugar, know what Im sayin? I eat more fish and salad.

The multi-platinum producer is also hitting the gym more frequently, working out 3 or 4 days a week.

I dont know how to pronounce this so I hope I say this correctly: the ecliptical? That machine, Khaled said. I just go in a zone for 30 minutes and I listen to music. If Im not listening to music, Im on a conference call handling my business or running my company on my phone. It makes time go by faster.

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View this post on Instagram Focused ! @ww the new weightwatchers ! #wwambassador Getting ready for Mothers Day dinner wit MAMA ASAHD ! FATHER OF ASAHD MAY 17 A post shared by DJ KHALED (@djkhaled) on May 12, 2019 at 10:06am PDT

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And while Khaleds savviness on social media allowed him to better connect with fans of his music, sharing his weight loss journey online has been a major motivator, particularly for helping him feel like hes a part of a greater WW community. He says hes met countless people on the road who have asked him about his lifestyle change, and shared that it inspired their own.

Khaled maintains that the best part of this whole experience has been being able to teach healthy habits to his 2-year-old son, Asahd .

My son loves working out with me. He loves to work out on his little toy bike right beside me, Khaled said. I feel like its my job as a parent and for the love of my son that I teach him everything correct.

As Khaled prepares to release his 11th studio album, Father of Asahd, on Friday, he says hes never been in a better state of mind, thanks in part to his new lifestyle.

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View this post on Instagram FATHER OF ASAHD OFFICIAL ALBUM COVER Location: Holy Mountain Photo by: @jonathanmannion ! # ! Styled by @terrellish A post shared by DJ KHALED (@djkhaled) on May 15, 2019 at 10:28am PDT

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Healthy is not just eating good. Healthys being happy. Healthys having joy and love. Thats healthy, Khaled said. When you have all that connected in one, life is way better. Its beautiful. Youre smiling, youre laughing, you feel good, you love more.