Singer gives smart weight loss advice

Five years ago, Jennifer Hudson was inspired to lose weight for a role, and she went from a size 16 Star to size 6, and her transformation started with a new approach to food.

"I've done a lot of diets in the past," says Hudson, who often would eat only grilled chicken and egg whites until she got bored and fell off the weight-loss wagon. "I was restricting myself." Now she's learned how to eat in moderation and enjoy smaller portions of her favorite foods like pizza and sushi.

"She was very afraid of carbs," says her Weight Watchers counselor Liz Josefsberg, who taught Hudson how to measure her servings with a food scale. "Jennifer fully understands that there are no off-limits indulgences as long as they are portion-controlled," says Josefsberg.

Now, "I don't get hungry," says Hudson. "I just eat right." She also consistently breaks a sweat. Just four days after giving birth to David Jr., the new mom started walking for 30 minutes each day before amping up her workout to Pasternak's five-day, 25-min. circuit training regimen. "I'm a cardio maniac!" says Hudson.

Five years later, the singer has successfully kept the weight off and she really looks amazing.

Jennifer, who can now be called a weight loss expert based on her personal experience, shared some seriously inspiring words of wisdom for anyone who’s trying to shed pounds.

“The key about losing weight: you have to do it for you,” she told People. “It’s not about even starting the journey, it’s about you. You have to want to do it. And you can’t let what everyone has to say overshadow what you want for you.”