If you look at Lauren Alaina’s recent social media posts, you’ll see everything from a 22-year-old goofing off with her friends and boyfriend…to a sexy woman proudly posing in bikinis and bathing suits. But having the confidence to show off her body is something new for Lauren, who revealed in May 2016 that she struggled with bulimia for six years before getting treatment when she was 18. “I would have NEVER posted something like that before!” Lauren admitted to HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY, referring to a Sept. 17 Instagram post of herself in a black bikini. The 22-year-old is the healthiest she’s ever been, but it wasn’t easy. When she first started recovering from her eating disorder, she said she gained a lot of weight, which is why she started hitting the gym and eating right.
Now, after a year on the Atkins diet, she’s lost 30 lbs., and finally feels confident enough wear skimpy outfits onstage and pose for photos in her bathing suit. “It’s really helped me learn how to eat right in a way that’s good for my body,” she explained. “It’s changed everything for me. I feel really, really good and I work out, too. I’ve replaced bad habits with good ones.” Atkins is a high protein, low carb diet, which Kim Kardashian, 36, has also had success with.
Before she came clean about her eating disorder, Lauren considered bulimia her “darkest secret.” In fact, when she did open up about what she went through, it was completely by accident. While in a Facebook Live interview, she was asked how she always stays so confident, and she finally felt it was time to admit that that was far from the truth. “I’m really outgoing, and I never felt like I was trying to be someone else, but I was trying to be this unspoken standard, almost,” she revealed. “I wasn’t shy and insecure in a way that showed signs of that. Confidence does not come naturally for me. So I just blurted out that I had an eating disorder. My dad didn’t even know [about it] when I publicly announced it!”
Of course, we also had to ask Lauren if she’ll be tuning in to the American Idol reboot next year — after all, she came in second place on season 10 of the show. “Of course! I love American Idol, it was my favorite show growing up and I got to be on it!” she gushed. “I’m definitely going to watch it. Katy Perry’s a judge, how could I not tune in for that?” It’s been reported that Luke Bryan will fill the second judge’s seat, which Lauren also could not be more stoked about. “I just finished a tour with Luke and he is the greatest,” she raved. “I thought he would be really good on the show — he’s such a good mentor for me on the road and he’s really, really smart.”
And, yes, Idol fans — Lauren does still keep in touch with other contestants from her season! She considers Paul McDonald one of her best friends, and catches up with Scotty McCreery at country music award shows from time to time.
HollywoodLifers, what inspired you about Lauren’s weight loss story the most?