Jordin Sparks of American Idol fame talked weight loss, body image, and feeling good on The TODAY Show this past week. During the show’s special week-long ‘Love Your Selfie‘ segment she talked with Jenna Bush Hager about her goal to become healthier, and how that prompted her 50 pound weight loss.

“I had gotten really sick,” the 24-year-old singer-songwriter said. “And I was about to celebrate my birthday and I was like, ‘I should be in the prime of my life right now. I shouldn’t be feeling like this. I really need to make my health a priority.’ And that’s what I did.”

It took about a year and a half for Sparks to lose the weight and transform her body. She changed her eating habits and became more physically active. She knows she still doesn’t conform to Hollywood’s super thin standards, but she really doesn’t seem to care.

“I go anywhere from, like, 155 to 161,” she said, in a rare on-air celebrity divulgence of what she weighs. “So I’m right around there. That’s where I am.”

“It does get a little crazy,” Jordin added. “I think not succumbing to the pressure is harder than actually giving into it.”

It would be easy, she said, to say, “‘OK, I’m going to try and look like everybody else.”

Jordin Sparks didn’t think she looked bad prior to her weight loss. She simply became ill and knew healthier habits needed to become a part of her life. The weight loss came as a result of that mind set.

“Instead, I loved the way I looked before,” she said. “I was comfortable with how I looked. But, a lot of it has been really focusing on becoming healthier. And the plus side was that my body changed, which was awesome. It wasn’t about being a zero or a certain size or anything like that.”

Sparks has a very healthy self image and serves as an excellent role model for women everywhere who may be struggling with theirs.

@JordinSparks Saw you on @TODAYshow and your look GORGEOUS! Crushing that Hollywood stereotype of "gotta be a size 0" #LoveYourSelfie

— Yvonne Sayers (@yvonnesayers) May 2, 2014

“I know that there are some women who struggle to even look themselves in the mirror,” she said. “And I hope that those women who are struggling can watch this and go, ‘You know what? I’m OK with who I am. And I’m beautiful in my own way.’”

Jordin knows that according to Hollywood standards weighing around 160 pounds isn’t okay. Her new healthy self image, however, allowed her to try on a bikini and even to post an Instagram photo of herself while wearing it.

“Just go have a good time,” Sparks said. “And you know, rock your bathing suit, whether it’s a tankini or a one piece or a bikini or you have, like, a nice little sarong. Dress yourself up and go have a good time.”

Kudos to Jordin Sparks who has defied Hollywood’s unrealistic standards and unhealthy body images. Hopefully young women everywhere will see how wonderful she looks and how healthy she is and know that she respects herself and her natural beauty–which is a far cry from how many celebrities live.

@JordinSparks thanks for being such a good, STRONG role model!

— Jenna Bush Hager (@JennaBushHager) May 2, 2014

“It feels really good,” she said. “Yeah. Take that. That’s how much I weigh, Hollywood. Grrr.”

Do you love Jordin Sparks’ new healthy physique and her incredibly healthy attitude? It’s certainly refreshing–especially coming from a celebrity.

Image via Instagram