Tom Brady Says He's 'Down About 10 Lbs.' Without the 'Stress' of Life in the NFL

The former quarterback, famous for his dedication to fitness and his diet, is even more focused on it post-retirement, he said

Tom Brady is leaning into his retirement — emphasis on the “lean.”

While on his weekly Sirius XM podcast Let’s Go! With Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray, the 46-year-old former NFL quarterback shared that he weighs less now than he did during his playing days.

“Yeah, I'm down about 10 lbs., but I'm actually very fit right now,” Brady said after Fitzgerald, 40, remarked to him that he looked “lighter now.”

“I haven't had the stress that I had while I was playing so that's allowed me to focus a little bit more on my physical health,” Brady continued. “But I think it's important for everyone. Physical and mental health is so important to all of us. Without that, what do we really have? You could prioritize a lot of other things — career, kids, relationships, family, greater good, community. But at the end of the day, physical and mental health should sit at the top of the pyramid because if we don't have that, we have nothing.”

Related: Tom Brady Poses in Just His Underwear to Complete a Bet: 'Did I Do It Right?'

Brady’s dedication to his diet has been a longtime topic of conversation. In the past, he’s said he steers clear of specific food groupings like white sugar, dairy, white flour, iodized salt and caffeine. Famously, he's also avoided nightshade vegetables and fruits like strawberries.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

"I don't think it's a strict regimen," he told PEOPLE exclusively in June. "I think it's just trying to make healthy choices that allow me to live the life I want to live."

On his podcast this week, Brady had words of encouragement for Fitzgerald, who admitted that he has a hard time resisting treats such as cheesecake now that he’s out of the NFL  — and that it’s a “mental dilemma” for him.

Related: Tom Brady Says Retirement Is a ‘Chance to Really Sit Back and Watch and Learn a Different Career’

“I think most people do because, you know, it's a hard thing to do,” Brady said. “‘Cause you know what that tastes like and know the gratification it gives you. And I think a lot of it for people out there, it's hard 'cause there's not instant gratification in showing discipline. But there's instant gratification in having that cheesecake 'cause everyone knows it tastes good.”

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.