Last year, Charlie Puth was in Toronto, playing in front of 15,000 screaming, idol-worshipping fans. It was his first crowd, and his first performance of his new tour. And, for the first time in a while, Puth was feeling confident. So confident, in fact, Puth did something on stage hed rarely done before.

Just out of pure joy to be back on tour and playing music again, I was like: you know what, this shirt is full of sweat, I might as well take it off, Puth, who met with Mens Health at his home in L.A., says. To the surprise of absolutely no concert-goer in the history of music, the stage disrobing caused Toronto to erupt. Everybody went crazy, remembers Puth. It just made me feel really good about myself. Its kind of cheesy.

Cheese or no cheese, for Puth, the shirtless moment came after a year of hard work and confidence building. He'd earned it.

Puth first blew up in 2015 as a featured vocalist on Wiz Khalifas single from Furious 7, See You Again. His debut album followed, went platinum, and sent Puth on his path to stardom. (In the past couple months, he's kept busy, releasing the singles I Warned Myself and the bona fide jam, Mother) But Puth has always had trouble seeing himself as a star, and he's spoken about being bullied at school and suffering a nervous breakdown when all the fame got to be too much.

But a lots changed for Puth over the last few yearsand not merely his star recognition. Hes given up unhealthy dietary and fitness habits, and in the wake of this new lifestyle (and to his complete surprise), Puth has discovered some non-physical boons of wellness: being healthy has made his music even better.

The moment I started eating healthier and not eating chicken fingers every day, I started coming up with ideas quicker, Puth says. A year ago, he was eating a half-healthy diet healthy in the morning and then in the afternoon pigging out on Fish Filet and other indulgences of that nature.

Puth says now hes usually up at 7 or 8 a.m., getting in a healthy breakfast right away, which includes coffee and a shakealmond milk, almonds, apples, bananas, yogurt and cinnamon, all mixed together. Lunch now includes grilled salmon with thyme and lemon, along with sweet potatoes and broccoli. Dinner might be sashimi, avocados, cucumber. Fish Fillet and chicken fingers aren't gone forever, thoughthey stick around as occasional cheats.

[My goal] is not to become too bulky, but to find that happy medium of just being cut and in shape. I dont want to look like Arnold Maybe like 30 percent Arnold.

Puth says he also changed his fitness habits to the betterment of his music makingand his mental health. I found that when I started working out, my music-making process got better, because I think my mind was less crowded. Puth now hits the gym almost every morning before going to the studio. His most conducive exercise, he says, is working out on the treadmill; it acts as his meditation and allows him to zone out. Its like driving, the pop star says.

Puth explains that what he and his trainer do in the gym is minimal (bodyweight, free weights, light machine work), but with maximum results. Its a strategy he translated in the studio: producing minimalistic beats, but making sure his vocals on top are at their maximum. So in a weird way, Puth explains, his exercise mentality has helped inspire parts of his upcoming album.

Exercise for Puth means utility. It means feeling confident on stage and clearing his head for work in his studio. He doesnt want to destroy himself chasing after the perfect bodyjust a near-perfect body. [My goal] is not to become too bulky, but to find that happy medium of just being cut and in shape, he says. I dont want to look like Arnold [Schwarzenegger] maybe like 30 percent Arnold.

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Charlie Puth - Diet and Fitness Routine - menshealth.com