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Home · News

Ruben Studdard's Weight-Loss Journey

Ruben Studdard
By · Updated October 29, 2020
01
Ruben Studdard

Studdard weighed upwards of 450 pounds when we were first introduced to his velvet voice on “American Idol” in 2003.

Ruben Studdard’s Weight-Loss Journey
02
Ruben Studdard

By the “American Idol” three finale, the “Velvet Teddy Bear” had won over America’s hearts. “I never had an issue or a problem with the way I looked,” the former high school football player told Wendy Williams recently.

Ruben Studdard’s Weight-Loss Journey
03
Ruben Studdard

Soon after winning “American Idol” Studdard checked into the Duke Diet and Fitness Center where he lost 70 pounds. “I really wanted to get in shape because I have a family history of diabetes and high blood pressure and things of that nature,” he told the Associated Press.

Ruben Studdard’s Weight-Loss Journey
04
Ruben Studdard

Studdard credits the Duke Diet and Fitness Center with teaching him to change his eating habits. “Two weeks after leaving there I turned to a vegetarian diet,” he said.

Ruben Studdard’s Weight-Loss Journey
05
Ruben Studdard

A former football player, Studdard says he’s not completely unfamiliar with the inside of a gym. He works out three times a week with a trainer and two without.

Ruben Studdard’s Weight-Loss Journey
06
Ruben Studdard

Studdard credits his vegan diet with changing his life. “Nothing with a parent” is how he describes his dairy and meat-free diet.

Ruben Studdard’s Weight-Loss Journey
07
Ruben Studdard

Ruben and Zuri are both vegetarians. “The thing is when you’re not a vegetarian, you don’t look for the places that serve vegetarian food,” he says. “What I found is that there are places all around the country that serve healthy food, you just have to look for them.”

Ruben Studdard’s Weight-Loss Journey
08
Ruben Studdard

Studdard says he and wife Zuri lead a healthy lifestyle at home to set a good example for their daughter.

Ruben Studdard’s Weight-Loss Journey
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