Nicky Jam Opens Up About Losing 110 Pounds After Gastric Bypass Surgery: ‘I Feel Healthy’

Nicky Jam is sharing how transforming his health habits and making the decision to undergo gastric bypass surgery have positively impacted his life.

The reggaeton star told People this week that he decided to have the procedure — in which the stomach’s size is reduced and re-connected to the small intestine — six months ago. “The reality is I’ve been fighting with my weight my whole life because this is an industry where you have to be in shape, you have to do movies, you have to do videos,” he explained, adding that the surgery was “something he really wanted,” especially after seeing a friend’s successful results.

Since then, the 42-year-old singer revealed that he lost 110 pounds, which was also facilitated by having an active lifestyle. “Basketball, that’s what helped me. I play basketball every single day,” he shared. “I’m a big fan of basketball, and that’s what I do with my buddies, everywhere I travel. We have an indoor court here. We play every day, and every time we play basketball, I think I lose two pounds!”

Jam also changed up his diet to help maintain his weight. “I used to wake up and I just wanted to eat,” he recalls. “Now I take my time and I eat whenever I want. I feel better. I feel happy. I feel healthy. Two days ago, I did blood work, and I came out better than ever.”

However, the singer revealed that the process hasn’t always been easy. “You have to prepare yourself mentally for what’s coming, and it’s not easy. People say this is the easy way — they’re wrong,” Jam says of undergoing gastric bypass surgery. “Here, you’re obligated to not eat. You can’t even drink liquids and eat at the same time. Because your stomach is so small, you’ll get full [so quickly]. So it’s like you got to learn how to eat, wait 20 minutes, and then you drink some liquid.”