Jordin SparksWow! Fans of American Idol alum Jordin Sparks are no doubt aware that the 22-year-old singer has been losing weight over the past couple of years. However, her stunning appearance in a bikini on the August issue of SHAPE leaves no doubt as to how hard she's worked on her figure.
Sparks, who was 17 and a size 14 when she won the sixth season of Idol, tells the magazine she's lost an impressive 50 pounds total. She first decided to get in shape at age 21, claiming she felt tired, sick, and just plain lousy overall.
"I just wanted to be healthy," she notes. "I remember thinking, 'I'm in my prime. I should be happy and fit.' That was the moment I decided that changes needed to be made."
Sparks tells SHAPE she started out slowly, beginning with simple walks around her neighborhood. Once she felt a bit stronger, she joined a gym for Zumba classes and began adjusting her diet. By June of 2011, she was 30 pounds lighter and down to a size 8, leading her to try out her first-ever bikini shoot with People.
Sparks in 2007 {Photo: Gregg DeGuire}"I've always felt cute, but now I feel sexier," she told People at the time. Twenty more pounds down, she's even happier, telling SHAPE: "I've never felt sexier!"
Sparks assured her fans last year that she doesn't want to lose too much weight, saying that she doesn't want to sacrifice her curves. Judging from her latest photo, it appears as if she's staying true to that ideal. Looking good, Jordin!
Sparks is poised to make her feature film debut alongside the late Whitney Houston this August in the remake of the 1976 musical film Sparkle, which was inspired by the story of Motown legends the Supremes. The August issue of SHAPE is available on newsstands now.
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