Rapper Papa Joe Loses 250 Pounds on 99 Cent Store Diet, Uses Sidewalk as Treadmill

Papa Joe Aviance is an inspiration for his incredible weight loss accomplishment, which didn't even hurt his pockets to achieve.

Aviance was 450 pounds when he saw success on a hit house record by Lula, 'Last Night a DJ Saved My Life (While a DJ Gave Me Trouble),' which hit No. 6 on the Billboard Dance Charts.

He knew it was time for him to shed pounds when he saw the music video for the song on MTV and VH1.

"I was 450 pounds. I was two cheeseburgers away from diabetes or high cholesterol," recalls Aviance in an interview with KPopStarz.com. "I had been big for pretty much all of my life, and I was sick of hating myself. It was now or never."

The rapper took baby steps towards his goal. He first dumped all the processed foods such as cookies, candy and soda from his kitchen. He also planned to stop eating fast food and only drink water and unsweetened iced tea. Things got so bad that they knew his name at the local fast food restaurant drive-thru he frequented. He also guzzled a two-liter container of Mountain Dew daily.

On top of that, he couldn't afford a gym membership because he was unemployed. But wherer there's a will, there's a way. "I realized that walking was the easiest exercise I could do and it cost nothing. So I grabbed my dance music and tennis shoes, and started walking," he reveals. His walks around the block soon added up to a few a miles a day. He also did pushups and other exercises right in the street.

He bought fruits and vegetables and the healthiest food he could find at the local 99 cent store and saved a bunch of money on his weekly grocery expenses. He began to see major changes in a few weeks.

Within 18 months, Aviance lost 250 pounds and was no longer at risk for diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. He now serves his community as a health and wellness expert to inspire others to eat healthy as well.

"I want people to be as happy as I am, and part of that is being healthy. The sidewalk is my treadmill. Every morning I walk right outside my door and go. They can do it, too," he says.

Watch Lula's 'Last Night the DJ Saved My Life' Video Feat. Papa Joe