MORE  GOOD BUZZ  for KAT  from Ft Worth, TEXAS

'American Idol' motivated her to triumph over an eating disorder In this month's issue of Shape , American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee, 22, reveals what it was like to battle bulimia for seven years and how ..

 

Do I Look Fat?

'American Idol' motivated her to triumph over an eating disorder

In this month's issue of Shape, American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee, 22, reveals what it was like to battle bulimia for seven years and how the show helped her regain control of her relationship with food. With her debut CD, Never Saw it Comin', set to be released this month, McPhee says she's motivated to stay on track with her healthful new eating habits this year.

On motivation to overcome bulimia: "At the time of the [Idol] tryouts, I was out of control, bingeing and sometimes purging up to seven times a day," she says. "But after I made it through the first round of auditions, I knew I had to get better if I was going to go all the way."

On how she developed the eating disorder: "[At age 15], I was probably a size 10, but in the entertainment business, that's a sin. Casting directors kept telling me I need to lose 10 more pounds; I was crushed," she says. "I tried eating nothing all day, but then I'd end up bingeing at night. I felt guilty about eating, but I was obsessed with food."

Three things she's learned about healthful eating: 1. There are no bad foods. "I love Snickers bars. For many years, I denied myself, which is why I wanted them so badly. In the eating-disorder center I attended, I had to eat them every day to get over the excitement. Now I rarely crave them."

2. Snack smart. "I'll have an apple with peanut butter or cottage cheese with fruit."

3. Listen to your body. "I eat what I want -- pizza, pasta with marinara sauce, ice cream, bread -- but now I pay attention to how I feel while I'm eating. When I'm full, I stop."

-- Shape

Cheeses stand alone

No reason to squeeze the cheese out of your diet -- not with some great-tasting low-fat options out there. This month, Prevention magazine tested diet-friendly cheeses; here are the six top picks:

1. Best Cheddar

Cabot 50 percent Light Vermont Cheddar

With a sooth, buttery texture and flavorful tang, this cheese also comes in snack packs (per 1-ounce serving: 70 calories, 4.5 grams fat).

2. Best spreadable

Alouette Light Cucumber Dill

"Just the right amount of dill," noted one pleased tester. And its numbers are just right, as well (per 2-tablespoon serving: 50 calories, 4 grams fat).

3. Best for snacking

The Laughing Cow Light Gourmet Cheese Bites

These creamy cubes pack lots of sharp bite into every 6-calorie morsel (per 3/4 -ounce serving: 35 calories, 2 grams fat).

4. Best mozzarella

Polly-O Part Skim Mozzarella

Mellow flavor and 1 gram less of heart-clogging saturated fat per serving than other mozzarellas (per 1-ounce serving: 70 calories, 5 grams fat).

5. Best cracker topper

Legendairy Light

This smooth, creamy Gouda was a favorite among testers who loved its "mildly sharp" flavor and "silky" texture (per 1-ounce serving: 86 calories, 5 grams fat).

6. Best Swiss

Jarlsberg Lite

A slice contains half the fat of regular, and a third fewer calories; it has a soft, nutty flavor and even melts well (per 3/4 -ounce serving: 50 calories, 2.5 grams fat).

-- Prevention

Ease up a little

Vigorous workouts can rev up your appetite, finds a University of Ottawa study. Thirteen women consumed enough to replace nearly all the calories they burned during high-intensity exercise. When they did lower-intensity walking, they had healthy appetites but still netted a 177-calorie deficit for the day.

-- Rodale

Stat!

Losing 15 pounds or more may reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure by 28 percent.

-- Fitness

Great article. More positive buzz about our girl can never hurt.

It just goes to show that if our girl overcame this problem in the past, then she can overcome ANYTHING! I mean ANYTHING, Any problem that stands in Kat's way will not stop her from doing what she does best. Since the ending of AI, Kat's confidence level went up by a huge amount and now she is doing better than ever, looking healthy and into perfect shape (I think) For those that think Kat is too skinny, I have no idea what you are talking about, I think Kat looks pretty darn good and looks to be in the best shape of her life. As long as she's not Anorexic then I'm not worried.