Fat Joe has credited cutting carbs and Ozempic for his staggering 200-pound (90 kilogram) weight loss.
Last year, the rapper – real name Joseph Cartagena – revealed that he had shed 215 pounds (97 kilograms) amid his health journey, having tipped the scales at 470 pounds (213 kilograms) at one point.
Speaking to Us Weekly before serving as host of the 2024 BET Hip Hop Awards on Tuesday night, Joe explained that portion control and eating fewer carbohydrates helped him maintain his slimmed-down physique.
“We just try to eat everything with the least carbs as possible. So, we try to stay away from the bread, the pasta, the rice. That’s the smartest way to eat,” he said, noting that he will still have small amounts of carbs in his diet. “Like this morning, I ate breakfast, I had this toast. I cut the corner off, ate it and kept it moving. Normally I would’ve ate the whole thing (sic). But you know, that’s what we do. We cut carbs and try to be smarter.”
Joe also admitted that Ozempic, which he takes for diabetes, contributed to his dramatic weight loss.
In recent years, the use of the drug – a weekly injection conventionally prescribed to help those with Type 2 diabetes – has caused a stir in the entertainment industry, with celebrities using it to help them lose and maintain their weight.
“Ozempic says you may only have two pieces of your favourite stuff,” the 54-year-old joked.
Elsewhere in the conversation, Joe declared that he won’t be changing his stage name despite his new look.
“My wife (Lorena Cartagena) would kill me. She likes me being a big boy,” he smiled. “She hallucinates like I’m still that big boy. She loves that.”
