‘I Was Killing Myself’ (Exclusive)

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‘I Was Killing Myself’ (Exclusive)

Musician Nate Smith says he knew he needed to cut back on alcohol and switch to a healthier diet after he “got pretty heavy” in recent years

By partying less and making small tweaks to his diet — like eating more protein and changing his coffee order — Smith tells PEOPLE he has since lost 55 lbs.

Smith says he hopes to lose more, but is “way happier” now and feels better than he used to

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knew he had a weight problem.

“I feel like the last few years I got pretty heavy,” Smith, 39, tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview from his home outside of Nashville. “Every day, I would look in the mirror and I just felt bad about myself. I just was so depressed, and literally, I didn’t like the way I looked. I didn’t like the way my clothes fit. It’s something I’ve been sad about for a long time.”

Smith also knew that there was a time when he was drinking far too much.

“Last year and the year before were a blur,” admits Smith, who burst on the country music scene back in 2022 with his number one hit “******** on You.”

He says, “I was drunk so often at shows. I was trying to find an escape, and literally that was my thing. It was the funnest time of my life, but I didn’t realize I was killing myself. You can’t party every day. It has to be a treat, especially if you want to be here for the long haul.”

But last fall, fate seemed to step in at just the right moment, when the country music hitmaker was diagnosed with a respiratory infection that had him paying attention to his health for the first time in a long time.

Courtesy of Nate Smith

Nate Smith before (L) and after (R) losing 55 lbs

“I was eating healthy for two days and I thought we might as well just do it now,” he recalls of the beginnings of his weight loss journey. “I was kind of over it.”

So, at the urging of his brother, Smith began a high protein diet and started counting calories. “But I was still struggling,” remembers Smith, whose current single is the top 20 flamethrower “Fix What You Didn’t Break.”

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Kaiser Cunningham

Nate Smith

“I mean, I like white mochas in the morning at Starbucks,” he says with a laugh. “But I started just reducing the pumps of the mocha. And then eventually I did sugar-free vanilla. Now I do sugar-free vanilla and a half and half in my coffee, and I don’t even think about it.

Smith says he’s “not dieting” — instead, he’s “just making little changes.”

And those little changes have resulted in a 55-pound weight loss so far for the “World on Fire” hitmaker. “I feel like a whole new person,” exclaims Smith, who will head out this summer with fellow country music powerhouse

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on his Full Throttle Tour.

Certainly, Smith admits that weight battles have long run in the family. But in recent years, they all have begun to fight back. “My mom sort of led the charge, since she’s been doing aerobics for years,” Smith recalls. “And then my brother [social media influencer Kyle Smith, otherwise known as Tasty Shreds] went high protein and low calorie and lost 80 pounds.”

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Kaiser Cunningham

Nate Smith

And while Smith says he still wants to lose more weight, some things will never change. “I hate working out more than anything in the world,” he laughs. “I don’t run. I just can’t relate to someone who says they love to run.”

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to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

But all jokes aside, the battle is still very real for the musician.

“I still struggle with some binge eating,” says Smith, quick to point to a dirty macaroni and cheese pot in his sink from the night before. “And if I want to have it, I’m going to have it. But I want to find a way to make it a treat versus a lifestyle thing. If I decide I’m going to have mac and cheese, it’s OK.”

“I’m not even close to my goal,” Smith continues, “but I’m way happier where I’m at, and I feel like better about the way I look.”

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