Zac Brown is a much, much different man than he was when the Zac Brown Band‘s debut single, “Chicken Fried,” came out in 2008. In the 17 years then, Brown has shed 65 pounds, cleaned up his diet, focused on exercise, and completely cut out alcohol. He also cut out sugar, dairy, and gluten. Brown says he is much better for it.
“I had a great drinking career, and I’m retired from it now,” Brown tells GQ. “You have to redefine what success means to you every year or two, educate yourself, and then apply the discipline to doing it. For people that want to do it and feel like it’s impossible, just start with a month. Your amygdala is directly connected to your stomach and your brain.
“The more sugar that you consume, the more your brain is telling your body that it has to have it,” he adds. “If you can go sugar-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free for a month, then your body doesn’t crave it, and it becomes 90 percent easier.”
How Zac Brown Quit Drinking And Started Eating Healthy
For Brown, there wasn’t a gradual decline in drinking. He just realized one day that it was no longer contributing to the life he wanted to live. He also restructured his life to be the healthiest version of himself, including utilizing a trainer and nutritionist.
“I went cold turkey,” the singer reveals. “It’s always around. It’s always at a party. It’s always at a meeting. It’s always at a dinner. It’s everywhere, socially. Being a musician, I lived in bars for the first ten years. As time moves on, you have to be willing to go, ‘Okay, what’s serving me now? Where do I want to go? Am I smart enough and disciplined enough to apply those things and move toward that?’ I’m not a master of it. I have nights that I’m like, I’ll just go eat a snack late-night, if I feel like it’s been a stressful week. But when I do the things I need to do, I never feel better.”
It’s sugar that Brown admits has been the hardest to conquer, since it’s hidden in so many foods in the United States. Now, the 47-year-old has no interest in going back to his former ways.
“We’re straight addicted to it. If you drink alcohol, you’re getting liquid sugar all the time. That’s the hardest one to give up. You need 30 days of suffering so that you don’t suffer for the rest of your life. Now, if I have a little bit of gluten, it makes my joints hurt. I can tell when I wake up. My team … they really showed me this is what’s going to get you results. I did that for a year, and then I was down to below 190 [pounds] for the first time since I was 13, 14 years old.”
View this post on Instagram
How Zac Brown Maintains His Sobriety And Diet On The Road
Life on the road isn’t conducive to healthy eating. But Brown insists it is possible, and he is living proof.
“If you can conquer really just not doing what you want all the time, then you can have a higher level of discipline,” Brown explains. “Also, I was at a point in my life where I was ready to engineer my choices around my end result. Nothing tastes better than feeling really good, being able to do things, and having a clear mindset.”
Brown will likely never return to drinking and anything but his strict diet. For him, it’s the best way he can be a father and a band leader, and the benefits far outweigh any inconveniences.
“I’m making my choices based on how I want to feel, how I want to look, and the amount of energy I have,” Brown says. “My discipline for the workouts, the days that I don’t feel like working out, those are the days that you really need to do it the most. It pulls you out of whatever funk you’re in.”
Zac Brown Band will kick off their Love & Fear residency at Sphere in Las Vegas on December 5, the same day their album of the same name will be released. Find all of their music and upcoming shows at ZacBrownBand.com.