Jordin Sparks: How I Lost 50 Pounds

USMagazine, Tuesday, July 24, 2012, 5:00am (PDT)

At the Teen Choice Awards in Universal City, Calif. on Sunday, Jordin Sparks radiated confidence and beauty in a Chagoury Couture halter mini that showed off her toned shoulders and legs on the pink carpet.

Since appearing on the cover of August's Shape magazine to flaunt her 50-pound weight loss, Sparks dished to Us Weekly about the question on everyone's minds: what regimen is behind her slimdown?

"There is no secret," the 22-year-old Sparkle actress told Us at the event. "It's just eating better and working out! It's definitely a daily thing."

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Among her favorite ways to get her sweat on: high-energy dance classes like Zumba. "My mom's best friend is a Zumba instructor and I loved it," she gushed. "I started with walking then went to jogging and then Zumba. I started [working with a trainer] and we did 30 minutes of circuit training so I didn't feel like I needed to be in the gym for two hours."

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In addition to intense cardio sculpting sessions, Sparks, who had been dating fellow singer Jason Derulo since last August, had to makeover her diet as well. "I stop now when I'm full," she admitted. "I love food and I love to eat. My thing was, do I really need seconds or do I want it just because it tastes good?"

But leftovers and second helpings have proven to pay off for the season 6 American Idol champ, who admits that she got extremely emotional when shooting her first bikini cover.

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"I could only dream having a cover and looking like that," she said. "I thought, 'I did it!' I had to walk back to my dressing room and I had to pull myself together because I was overwhelmed. I cried. I shed a little tear but I'm really happy with how it turned out."

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Jordin Sparks: How I Lost 50 Pounds