Eminem revealed how his addiction to drugs brought him to almost 230 pounds as well as how a different take on his addiction eventually helped him shed off 80 pounds.
His struggle involved extensive training of different kinds, from running to weights to sit-ups, and even boxing.
The 42-year-old rapper said he has always preferred cardio exercises so he doesn't run out of breath while performing.
"I have to keep my wind up. It's never cool to be out of breath - anywhere, doing anything - but especially onstage."
Eminem has been taking Vicodin and Valium for years before he overdosed in 2007. At the hospital, he found out he was almost 230 pounds. The drugs didn't seem to have a direct effect on his weight gain, but his eating habits did change when he started taking in the drugs.
The Vicodin and Valium coating, Eminem said, leaves a hole in the stomach, "so to avoid stomachache, I was constantly eating - and eating badly," he added.
When he got out of rehab, he had two things in mind - how to lose weight and how to remain sober. His addiction turned out to be a good thing when he shifted it from drugs to exercise.
When he started running, he found that the exercise gave him a natural high, while helping him with his sleep trouble. According to Eminem, he got carried away with running, just like an addict.
Every day he would run 17 miles - eight and a half every morning before going to the studio, and another eight and a half when he'd arrive home. He started to become more watchful about his diet and aimed to burn 2,000 calories every day. That's when he lost 80 pounds and got to 149.
But just like an addict, however, his OCD in running turned out to be too much, tearing up his hip flexors.
He didn't want to stop getting healthy, so Eminem tried something else - workout DVDs. Shaun T's Insanity Workout was one of the first DVD workouts he tried. Not only were they entertaining, but the trainers yelling at him when he was working alone in his gym motivated him.
Eminem said he was so into exercising that he still did running one day and the DVDs the next. When it started to become exhausting, he stuck with the DVDs.
He now does the Body Beast workout with free weights, bench and pull-up bar every morning before going to the studio.
"It's easy to understand how people replace addiction with exercise. One addiction for another but one that's good for them," he said.
Eminem seemed to struggle more with losing weight than rising to fame. He's done both now, and is still continuing to maintain his healthy lifestyle and a successful music career.
Photo: EMR | Flickr
