Fat Joe caught attention at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday evening, where the 55-year-old rapper revealed his dramatically slimmer frame after shedding 250 pounds. He joined actor Diego Boneta on the CIBO red carpet for the Killing Castro afterparty.
(Photo by Robert Okine/Getty Images)Previously weighing up to 470 pounds, Joe, whose real name is Joseph Antonio Cartagena, appeared fit and confident in black pants paired with a white cardigan sweater.
The Turning Point in Fat Joe’s Weight Loss Journey
(Photo by Robert Okine/Getty Images)Joe’s commitment to a healthier lifestyle was sparked by the sudden loss of his best friend, fellow rapper Big Pun, who died of a heart attack in his 20s.
(Photo by Robert Okine/Getty Images)“I went to his funeral and I felt like Ebenezer Scrooge. Like, I seen me,” Joe told Men’s Health in 2023. “And I’m looking at his little daughter. She was the same age as my daughter. I said, ‘You gotta lose weight; otherwise you outta here.’”
(Photo by Robert Okine/Getty Images)The loss pushed Joe into a period of depression.
“That’s what depression was like to me,” he explained.
“When you’re fighting yourself, there isn’t a wall high enough that you can build. There isn’t a place you can go to where you get away from it, because you’re fighting your mind.”
How Fat Joe Transformed His Habits
(Photo by Robert Okine/Getty Images)Joe transformed his health by changing his diet and lifestyle, emphasizing portion control and cutting back on carbs.
“We just try to eat everything with the least carbs as possible,” he told Us Weekly last year. “So we try to stay away from the bread, the pasta, the rice. That’s the smartest way to eat.”
(Photo by Terence Rushin/Getty Images)He added that moderation is key. “Like this morning, I ate breakfast, I had this toast. I cut the corner off, ate it and kept it moving. Normally I would’ve ate the whole thing. But you know, that’s what we do. We cut carbs and try to be smarter.”
Joe also revealed that he takes Ozempic for diabetes, which helps him stay disciplined. “Ozempic says you may only have two pieces of your favorite stuff,” he joked.
Why He’ll Always Be Fat Joe
GettyFans have often wondered if Fat Joe will change his name after his dramatic weight loss.
Despite his dramatic transformation, the rapper has no intention of changing the name that made him a household figure. Joe shared that his wife, Lorena Cartagena, reminds him that “Fat Joe” will always be the name fans and family know and love.
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