[Nick Carter] I’ve lost 30 pounds

During the '90s, the blond Backstreet Boys graced the walls of thousand girls' rooms, more than Tokio Hotel and Robbie Williams, together, were able to do during the 2000s. Nick was so sweet! But after charted hits like "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) "and "Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely" not everything was peaceful in the life of the greatest boy band in history. Carter released his first solo album, "Now or Never " (2002), which did not reach the critics' expectations, who found in Justin Timberlake's the newest pop star.

Instead of giving up he bounded together with his band formed by Howie Dorough, AJ McLean and Brian Littrell, now all grown up men, and together they managed a few more hits and concerts. But the singer, 31, still does not seem satisfied, and once more he tries to kick off his solo career releasing, next June 3rd, his second solo album titled "I'm Taking Off. " Last May he was in Germany to play in Hamburg, but before that Unikosmos was invited to come to his hotel and talked about his mistakes, her new self and German food.

U: You recently attended to a culinary event in Hamburg. How was it?

CN: It was pretty cool, I had the opportunity to cook with the chef Nelson Müller and it really was a new experience for me, the food warms the heart and it's good for endorphins, it was a great opportunity to also present my work. We had steak and meatballs ... those meatballs.!

U: Is this the kind of food you would order in a restaurant?

NC: I would order it more often sometime ago. Me and the boys have come to Germany many times and if we are staying at a hotel in any countryside town in the middle of nowhere and we read "steak" at the menu It's always a safe choice (laughs).

U: What do you eat today?

NC: Today I try to feed myself in a healthier way, I'd rather eat fruits, vegetables and all kinds of organic food.

U: But you're not vegetarian, right?

CN: Well, I'm trying. I'm trying to add more vegetables in my diet. I'm very into this kind of diet.

U: You were just a little boy when your joined the Backstreet Boys. Do you still remember how you felt?

NC: Sure, we weren't very popular when we came to Germany for the first time and it was a great experience, we had to work hard to achieve and gain some space. As we weren't famous, we could do much more than today. At that time I tried to live the moment, always trying to draw girl's attention. One of my first girlfriends I met here in Germany!

U: Do you ever miss your youth?

NC: For a while I felt so, and with a certain frequency. I tried to figure out who I really was. I lived my past and I do not regret anything. All my friends attended high school and had their graduation ceremonies, but whenever I came home was for very short periods. I had sort of a free spirit. Today, if I look back, I realize I'm happy. All my friends seem older and less healthy than me. I am also very cosmopolitan, because I had the opportunity to travel around the world. Today I think I was lucky to have gone through all this. I like my life.

U: It is true that your life dramatically changed a few years ago? What happened?

NC: I went through a near death experience ... or at least been closer to death than ever. Doctor told me that I have a heart disease called cardiomyopathy. It is the extenuation of the heart's muscle caused by drugs and alcohol. And hearing that from a doctor was like a warning that I needed to wake up and see my life in a different way. I eat differently, I go to gym regularly, I try to be more vegetarian, I try to improve my diet to improve my health. All this is very new and exciting to me. I like my healthier appearance.

U: How do you feel after getting rid of your "unhealthy" routine? Do you miss anything?

NC: No, no, no. I think better, I produce more, I have a better appearance. When I look in the mirror I like what I see. I'm healthier. I won. Mentally I changed a lot. I used to have very negative thoughts. This alert has forced me to change my life style and make a decision, I had to get off the train and seek a new path that completely changed me as a person. All I had done until then was wrong.

U: It sure was not easy. Congratulations.

NC: It was very difficult and I still working on it, because although It was four or five years ago It is a battle for life, so I gotta learn and live every day.

U: Do you still have this heart disease?

NC: The doctor said at the time I had primary symptoms, early symptoms of heart disease. At about eight months later I went back to the doctor and he told me that the symptoms had disappeared. I thought it could've happened because I'd changed my life style, but I go on as if nothing had changed since the first diagnosis. Who knows. And if during the next visit the doctor tells me that the symptoms came back? I'd rather keep adjusting myself to that reality.

U: How you and Aaron are, since he was also a child pop star? He has more than one million dollars in tax debts ...

NC: We're close. I believe that from the moment he looks closely to his life, he will see he needs to get rid of some things. This is an important thing for all of us, I think. We have to learn to be independent. When you start to face life it will bring you experiences that will make you become a better person. He will do it when the time comes. I support him, of course.

U: There are many fans waiting for you in the lobby. At some point you get tired of it?

NC: No. Right now that's all I need: support. They're always around, giving me advice and support. You see all the hard work I put out to make this album, and It was only possible because of the amazing fanbase I have, hopefully I can come back and introduce myself in more and larger venues and make a nice tour in Germany - it is very important to me.

U: What were you thinking when you wrote your single "Just One Kiss"?

NC: This song was written by me in partnership with two other writers. It's a song about despair. He comes from one side of the relationship, when he thinks he has lost someone. He tries to fix the relationship. His last hope is to ask her for one last kiss. And if even after that they do not feel anything, so it's really over, he will understand that. He is the one who messed up the entire relationship. For men it is not easy to admit, I think ... even if they have done something wrong. This story is not necessarily my current life story - can be anything that has happened in the past. But I think everyone can fit in this story ...

U: Where are you going tonight, after the concert in Hamburg?

NC: I'll be a good boy and go to bed earlier. Sleep today is a precious thing to me. Ok, if you are young, maybe we can enjoy all night, but I wish I could wake up the next day and do something productive, read a book, study a little. I want to be a better person, I will eat better and go to the gym. It is a sacrifice. I can not go out and do all that after, I've done it, but not now, although I love hanging out with my friends one thing is certain ... if I had not made ​​the right choices I would not be, professionally, where I am today. I lost 30 pounds, I became a better singer and changed my life style, they way I see the world and the way the world sees me. I'm very happy to be where and how I am now and nothing would have happened if I had gone back to my old habits.

Credits to Unikosmos.de