14 DAY TRIAL // Singer and actress Katharine McPhee has a long history of eating disorders, having started to starve herself at just 13 and developing bulimia at 17. Before her auditions for the fifth season of American Idol, Katharine went to a specialized center that helped her overcome her issues with food. Speaking with Shape magazine now, the star says recovery meant learning to be more forgiving on her body.
Featured on the cover of Shape, the February 2010 issue (out on newsstands on January 18), in nothing but a two-piece red swimsuit, it’s clear that Katharine has come a very long way from the days when she was extremely insecure about her body. She’s not thin now, she’s fit and there’s a major difference between the two terms. Like she also said in the past, she now stays in shape by eating whatever she wants but exercising portion control and, of course, working out regularly.
Since she overcame her eating disorders years ago, Katharine has learned to take it easier upon herself, which is why she can honestly say today that she rarely, if ever, obsesses on her weight. “The more I focused on my weight, the worse my bulimia got. Now I’m more easygoing. I stopped fighting myself and became more forgiving of my body. Ironically, the weight came off naturally through exercise but no dieting,” the acclaimed singer and, as of late, actress says in the interview with Shape.
However, not dieting doesn’t mean she gets to have her way with food. Katharine eats all kinds of foods but, at all times, she’s very careful about portions. She’s equally strict about her workout routines, because she knows for a fact now that exercise is key to weight loss and, ultimately, health. “At my last physical, the nurse took my vitals and said, ‘Wow, you must be taking care of yourself! Your blood pressure is perfect. You’re very healthy.’ Hearing her say that made me feel better than seeing an ‘ideal’ number on the scale,” the star reveals.
As also noted above, the February issue of Shape magazine is out next Monday, January 18. Make sure you pick it up for more on how Katharine McPhee stays in such enviable shape, as well as for more stunning photos.