Trey Lewis took the plunge, literally. And from that moment on, he’s never looked back on his quest to regain his health.
All it took was a friend’s ice‑cold barrel in the backyard to help the “D***ed Down in Dallas” singer work through a painful breakup and confront how he’d regained the 100 pounds he once lost. The freezing bath shocked his system and, he admits, became the chilly catalyst that set him on his second triple‑digit transformation.
“What really started it all the second time is I got into cold plunging,” says Lewis. “I started going over to his house every day and getting in this barrel. For me, it was more mental. It really helps me, like, realize that, man, you can do hard stuff. You know, it’s all a part of your mind.”
That “do hard things” mindset kicked in even more intensely when he connected with Nashville‑based performance coach Justin Todd on his recovery podcast. Their conversation about sobriety (Lewis is now 19 years sober) and mental health made it clear his physical health wasn’t matching the rest of his progress. After Todd offered to help, they made a deal: Lewis would show up three days a week for a month.
“I started working out with a personal trainer, and I’ve done that four days a week for three years in a row,” he says.
The results are worthy of a country‑music comeback story. Lewis has dropped more than 100 pounds for the second time and is keeping it off with a far more sustainable nutrition plan. Now sitting around a comfortable 225 pounds, he isn’t finished yet. The former “fat kid walking around the track at school” now runs three to four miles like it’s nothing, has knocked out his first 5K, and even got married along the way. Better yet, the newfound energy has transformed his live show. “I can hit all my notes and still jump around,” he says. “It’s pretty amazing.”
What has changed is his reliance on the cold plunge—these days he opts for heat. “I moved on to sauna—I’m a sauna guy now,” he says. “I love the sauna every day, 20 minutes, 200 degrees.”
That shift has turned his current music run into a different kind of ride. Since “D***ed Down in Dallas” went viral in 2020, Lewis has gone full‑time on the road, signed a Sony Music Publishing deal, scored cuts with Tracy Lawrence and Cole Swindell, and launched his more reflective Thomason project, which he just dropped his latest track, “Something in the Whiskey”—all with the peace of mind that he can handle the hectic pace without slipping back into old habits.
You can check out the full Trey Lewis conversation—as well as every other episode of the Country Muscle Podcast—on the Country Muscle YouTube channel.
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5 Takeaways from the Trey Lewis ‘CMP’ Appearance
1. Small Gains Eventually Turned Into ‘Big Wheels’
All it took for Lewis the second time around was his dedication to consistency, especially in the weightroom. Once unable to complete a single pushup, Lewis began taking Todd’s advice and training program more seriously. He showed up on time, put in the work, and kept stacking small victories until he was able to stack more weight onto the bar when it came to bench press day.
“When I started, I couldn’t even do a push-up. Now I can pump off like 20, no problem,” he says. “I just go in there and put the weights on that he tells me. But I do know that I’ve got the big wheels on the side.”
2. His 6 A.M. Routine Is Non‑Negotiable
Once dogged with inconsistent sleep schedule, including all-nighters filled with junk food, Lewis completely decided to overhauled his lifestyle, starting with an early lights out whenever his schedule allowed. Lewis now wakes up at sunrise for sweat sessions in both the gym and new favorite toy, the sauna. Early wakeups, along with prayer, and a set schedule have been invaluable additions to in helping with his fitness, sobriety, and songwriting.
“I get up at six o’clock in the morning. I go to the gym, I work out, I get done with that, I go home. I get in the sauna for 20 minutes, I shower, I do my prayer, meditation, I eat breakfast, and then I go write a song.”
3. Ten‑Minute Walks Helped Turn The “Fat Kid Walking The Track” Into A 4‑Mile Runner
In high school, Lewis admits to being that “fat kid walking around the track” just trying to get through PE. During his second quest at losing 1oo pounds, with the help of Todd, Lewis built a base around daily 10‑minute walks, mobility work, and stretching. Over time, those low‑stress reps became longer, more intense, until finally, Lewis completed his first 5K over the summer.
“Back in the day, I would have stretched once for 20 minutes and called it a workout,” he says. “I had never ran a mile ever in my entire life. When I was a little kid, I would be the fat kid walking around the track at school. And now, I can go out and rip three, four miles like it’s nothing. It’s just awesome, man.”
4. Trey Lewis Swapped Protein Shakes For 160 Grams Of Real Food
The first time he lost 100 pounds, Lewis struggled through Overeaters Anonymous. The plan of eating the exact same thing every day and living in a permanent calorie deficit—took its toll when Lewis’ career began to take off.
“I ate the same thing every day for three years,” he says of that period. “I was in such a calorie deficit all the time that I was losing weight, but Ihad a hard time learning how to maintain it.
Now, on his doctor’s recommendation, he aims for 150–160 grams of protein a day from whole foods: eggs in the morning, steak and fish with vegetables, plus plenty of potatoes and sweet potatoes.
“Now the emphasis is different,” he says. “I try to get 150 to 160 grams of protein every day. My doctor wants me to just get my protein from actual meat. I eat eggs in the morning and steak and fish and vegetables, potatoes, sweet potatoes…”
5. The Real Health Hack Is Showing Up—In The Gym And In The Writer’s Room
Lewis doesn’t credit any magic exercise or diet trick with his transformation. However, he has found the formula for managing through stay leaner, sober and able to churn out top tracks for his fans.
“The biggest thing is that I show up. It’s been the consistency, man—that’s everything.”