Ed Sheeran is opening up about his impressive weight loss!

While chatting with the hosts of the Behind the Medal podcast, the 28-year-old revealed he’s down 50 pounds after quitting smoking three years ago and prioritizing his fitness goals and diet.

Related: Terri Hatcher Shows Off Her RIPPED Bikini Bod After Fitness Challenge

Sheeran admitted that he played football (AKA soccer) as a child, but “it all kind of went out the window” when he began playing music and later picked up smoking:

“I didn’t touch exercise for a long time.”

He elaborated:

“And then I stopped smoking three years ago and then ever since then started exercising. I love it.”

Today, his fitness routine typically includes 45 minutes of running in the morning, and will add swimming and sit-ups if time allows it:

“I started doing it because when I stopped smoking, I was very aware that my lungs were so full of s**t that I needed to clear them out. Gyms are good but there’s nothing like fresh air to really give you a cleanout. That’s, for me, the main reason why I started doing it.”

But he also likes cycling because he’s able to multi-task:

“I’ve gotten really into cycling as well, and there’s no way you can, like, check emails or watch TV shows. You’re either with someone talking, or you’re thinking. And it’s a really good thing.”

During his X Tour from 2015-2016, he weighed around 15 or 16 stone, which is between 210 and 224 pounds. Today, he’s weighing in at “12 stone,” which is about 50 pounds less (168 pounds) than his starting point!

Ch-ch-check out his before and after (right to left, below):

From past experience, he knew he would have “to make a real effort on this tour” in order to maintain his progress while on the ÷ Tour from March 2017 to August 2019. One obstacle to overcome was touring in America, he explained:

“It’s always America that gets me, America in buses. Because you finish a gig in America, you know, you get like a tray of chicken wings, sit in the back of the bus, watch The Simpsons, drink a couple bottles of wine, but then that’s every single day, so it just piles on you.”

However, he was able to have more of a routine this time around to set aside time for himself. Plus, “wherever you go, there’s always a cool place to run,” he added about his jet-set lifestyle:

“But these last few years, because it’s been bigger shows, they take longer to set up so you have a bit longer time in between so you can have a routine.”

So, what’s next for Sheeran? The I Don’t Care singer has aspirations of conquering a marathon “in places like Japan or China, or somewhere where it’s a bit more chill,” sans paparazzi:

[Image via Mario Mitsis/WENN.]

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