American Idol Alum Lauren Alaina: ‘I’m Still Learning to Love Myself’ After Overcoming an Eating Disorder
Lauren Alaina is committed to healthy living.
After struggling with body image throughout her life, the country singer opened up about her new body-positive attitude to The Tennessean earlier this week.
“This body is new to me, so I’m still trying to get used to it. I’m still learning to love myself,” the 22-year-old told the newspaper. “I want to be the girl who has a positive influence on people’s lifestyle. I don’t want to be the girl who has an eating disorder and that’s why she looks the way she does.”
Alaina battled an eating disorder in her teens before overcoming bulimia in 2012 and then gaining weight. But one year ago, Alaina decided to change her habits for good. She amped up her fitness regimen with a trainer, started boxing, and swapped pizza for a high-protein, high-carb diet using a meal delivery service.
As for her new exercise regime, “Now my low speed is what my high speed used to be,” she said. “I went from not working out at all to working out six days a week. The most rewarding thing, it’s not looking in the mirror because that’s hard for me. The most rewarding part is that I have people asking me to help them.”
The star also opened up about living healthy on a recent Instagram post.
“I could stare at this picture and cry. My 17-year-old self who was riddled with insecurities and suffered with eating disorders is so proud right now,” she captioned a photo of herself in the gym.
A Georgia native, Alaina came to fame in 2011 when she was crowned the runner-up on the tenth season of American Idol. Her second full-length album, Road Less Traveled, drops Jan. 27, and she alludes to her body image issues on the LP’s title track.
“Why do you keep on staring? / That mirror, mirror, it ain’t fair at all / Dress sizes can’t define / Don’t let the world decide what’s beautiful,” she sings on the empowering single. “Show what you got and just own it / No, they can’t tear you apart.”
Alaina isn’t the only Idol alum getting real about her body transformation. Fantasia recently opened up to PEOPLE about her 20-lb. weight loss, saying it was inspired by her late grandmother.
