Hollywood was an eye opening experience for Jennifer Hudson. When she arrived in town after appearing on American Idol in 2004, she wasn't aware that there was anything wrong with her weight. Once she hit our tv screens she was shocked to be given the title plus-sized. The Oscar winner opens up the September of Self magazine about her experience being heavy in Hollywood and the decision to slim down.
Here are some highlights:
On her Hollywood experience:
"I didn't even know I was considered plus-sized until I came to Hollywood. I thought I was the perfect size!"
On finding out she wasn't the Hollywood ideal:
"An interviewer asked, 'How does it feel to be plus-sized in Hollywood?' I looked around, like, Who is she talking to? Oh, me? I'm plus-sized? In the neighborhood I'm from in Chicago, a 16 is normal. But in Hollywood, everyone looks exactly the same, so I stood out."
On deciding to adopt a healthy lifestyle when she was expecting her 2-year-old son, David:
"I thought, hold on – why doesn't anybody know I'm pregnant? And I wanted to set a good example for my son."
On her pride in slimming down with the help of the Weight Watchers program:
"I'm prouder of my weight loss than my Oscar!"
You can check out the entire interview in the new issue of Self on newsstands Thursday.
