Luther Vandross' Diet Secret

Feb. 20 -- Though Luther Vandross is best known for his Grammy-winning R&B hits, his career is not his crowning achievement.

"I am more proud of my weight loss," said Vandross, who is also well known for his lifelong, public struggle with his weight. "I'm most proud of my health improvement."

Vandross — who has lost more than 100 pounds 13 other times — said he's finally figured out the secret to losing 100 pounds and keeping it off.

"I've never been more healthy than I am now," he said. "I wish I was this healthy when I was 25."

A Cruel Cycle

Vandross began his career as a backup singer in the '70s. One of his early jobs was singing on a David Bowie album. It was actually Bowie who encouraged Vandross to go solo.

Vandross' career took off in 1981 when his first album, Never Too Much, went platinum. Twelve more platinum albums followed. Though he enjoyed success after success in his professional life, he was beset by personal struggles with his weight — the cruel cycle of gaining and losing 100 pounds dominated his life.

"It's the most awful, dark feeling in the world," he said of the times when he put back on 100 pounds. "It feels like you're wearing an 80-pound hat and a coat that weighs 300 pounds … You feel like it's always dark and gloomy."

While many people struggle with significant weight fluctuations, Vandross' yo-yo relationship with food was displayed before millions of fans.

"It makes it very hard," he said. "You wear it externally so the minute you walk through the door, everybody knows 'Luther's not winning his battle with his demon.'"

In 1998, Vandross weighed 340 pounds. He also had high blood pressure and diabetes, a problem that has plagued his whole family. He called his relationship with food an addiction: "The food had its clutches on me strong enough that it sort of demanded that I ignore reason."

Reaching His Target Weight

In his recent dieting success, Vandross says he has discovered the secret to weight loss. Using a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet, he shed 120 pounds. "I deleted carbohydrates, I deleted starches … no bread, no rice, no pasta, no potatoes," he explained.