In 2013, fans were shocked when Tim McGraw showed off his new in-shape physique in the pages of People. During a discussion during Nashville's 2016 Country Radio Seminar, the country star revealed the events that spurred him to put a new focus on his health.
In his original interview with People, McGraw said that his new interest in fitness came from worries about his level of alcohol intake at the time. "I drank a lot from my point of view and I needed to stop," he explained.
During a panel discussion this week, the 48-year-old revealed that the choice also came from an urge to regain control of his life in any way he could.
"I thought that I was at a point in my career where it was either time to give up, or not be the best you can be," he explained, according to the Washington Post. "I felt like I was at sort of a crossroads of my life on all fronts."
McGraw chose not to elaborate on what that "crossroads" was specifically referring to, but many have speculated that it's related to his longtime legal battle with his then-label, Curb Records. For years, the singer had voiced his frustrations over the label's handling of his career.
"I wanted to control something, because I felt it was getting out of control, and I couldn't control anything about all the things I worked so hard for," McGraw said. "So I think the first thing I could grab and control was my physical well-being."