Real estate expert and reality star Tarek El Moussa has been on a transformative journey over the past few years, and the results speak for themselves.
The HGTV star opened up to Fox News Digital about how his new approach to life has not only changed his appearance but also altered his mindset.
El Moussa dramatically transformed himself through his fitness journey to the point where fans began wondering if he had gone under the knife.
El Moussa shut down the speculation, explaining it couldn’t be further from the truth.
“A lot of people have been telling me lately I look different, like I got plastic surgery, or I’m wearing a toupee,” the “Flipping 101” star told Fox News Digital as he laughed off the rumors.
“But here’s what I did. I grew out my hair, and about four years ago I decided to start going to the gym every single day, not to get in shape or not to be on a diet, but to make it a part of my lifestyle.”
WATCH: ‘FLIPPING 101’ STAR TAREK EL MOUSSA ON FITNESS JOURNEY, BEING TWO-TIME CANCER SURVIVOR
The “Flip or Flop” star’s comments come after he shared a photo of himself doing an intense workout in the gym. El Moussa was seen exercising with a variety of gym equipment, as he flexed and showed off his muscular physique.
“I’m not wearing a toupee, I didn’t get plastic surgery, and I’m not all ‘fake,’” he began his social media caption.
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“Well I do look different… it’s not from anything other than working my a– off in the gym the last four years! If you want to flip your body…keep reading!”
El Moussa shared his fitness hacks and added that he trains four days a week while using a “high-intensity method” with his trainer.
“It’s tough, but without pain there is no growth! I get amazing results without spending hours in the gym,” he explained.
The real estate expert also works to get his steps in by walking and doing yoga.
El Moussa went on to tell Fox News Digital about his transformative fitness journey.
“I completely changed my lifestyle about four years ago, and I’m so happy I did because I’m now almost 44 years old, and I am reaping all of those benefits.”
While his transformation was a commitment to his health and well-being, his path to wellness wasn’t always smooth sailing.
The reality TV star faced a terrifying diagnosis in his early 30s that changed everything.
El Moussa recalled the devastating moment he learned he wasn’t just dealing with one form of cancer but two.
In 2013, he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, which was discovered after a fan noticed a lump on his neck during one of his shows and suggested he see a doctor. Soon after, he was also diagnosed with testicular cancer.
“I wasn’t only diagnosed with one cancer, it turned out in my early 30s I had two cancers,” El Moussa emotionally told Fox News Digital.
“The scariest part for me was not knowing if I was going to live or die, because at the time I was young, I had a family, I had my daughter, Taylor, and the scariest thing was not knowing if I would be around to raise my baby.”
He added, “Fortunately, it’s been 10 years, I’m in remission from both cancers, I’m thriving, the kids are thriving, and we made it.”
El Moussa announced he was cancer-free in 2019.
While he was going through cancer treatments, his marriage to then-wife Christina Haack crumbled. The two announced their split in 2016.
The former couple were married for seven years before their divorce was finalized in 2018.
WATCH: HGTV STAR TAREK EL MOUSSA ON THE MOST AWKWARD SITUATION WORKING WITH WIFE AND EX
El Moussa and Haack co-parent their two children and star in “The Flip Off” with his current wife, Heather. The HGTV reality show premiered this year.
El Moussa and the “Selling Sunset” star tied the knot in 2024 and welcomed their baby boy, Tristan, in January 2023.
Now, the real estate expert is gearing up for season 4 of his solo series, “Flipping 101,” and told Fox News Digital about some of the challenges he faced.
“When flipping houses, there are always a million challenges from what to do, when to do it, interest rate changes, waiting for permits,” he remarked.
WATCH: HGTV STAR TAREK EL MOUSSA SHARES WHAT CHALLENGES STOOD OUT FROM THIS SEASON OF ‘FLIPPING 101’
“But the challenges I faced this season were similar to the challenges that I faced in past seasons where pretty much rookie flippers know what they’re doing better than Tarek El Moussa. So, it makes a really fun TV show, because no matter how much experience I have, people still think they know better.”
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In “Flipping 101 with Tarek El Moussa,” the reality star, who has over 1,000 profitable sales under his belt, mentors real estate novices to help them learn the secrets to a successful flip and how to avoid costly mistakes.
El Moussa shared some words of wisdom for fans of his hit HGTV shows, including “Flip or Flop” and “The Flipping El Moussas,” who are looking to dive into the industry.
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“They want to be a real estate investor. They want to be a house flipper, and they think it’s so overwhelming,” he told Fox News Digital.
“I like to simplify this process – if you’ve ever wanted to get into real estate, you got to remember the four F’s of flipping: You got to find it. You got to fund it. You got to fix it, and you got to flip it.”
The fourth season of “Flipping 101” premieres tonight on HGTV and is also scheduled to be released on Max and Discovery+.
