!["I'm prouder of my weight loss than my Oscar!"](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/7f/ff/1358889317_3747_Untitled.jpg?itok=yjSxRDI6 ""I'm prouder of my weight loss than my Oscar!"")
Singer Jennifer Hudson showed off her amazing 80-pound weight loss in a body-hugging black evening gown while performing at the 2013 Commander-In-Chief's Inaugural Ball in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 21.
Hudson, 31, delivered a stirring rendition of the Al Green classic, "Let's Stay Together," as President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama enjoyed the first dance of the evening. The slimline Jennifer has maintained her impressive weight loss for over two years, thanks to portion control and regular workouts.
"I'm prouder of my weight loss than my Oscar!" Hudson told Self. "I hope it has inspired people." Jennifer, who slimmed down from a size 16 to a 4, is happy with her weight now and has no intention of starving herself down to a size zero.
"I'm at the weight I want to be," Hudson told Redbook. "But I hear all the time, 'Don't lose any more weight, you need to stop.' People are under the impression that I'm still losing, but I'm not."
Jennifer had been heavy all her life but decided to lose weight after giving birth to her son David Otunga Jr. in October 2009.
Hudson lost 80 pounds in nine months by eating small portions of healthy foods and working out up to six days a week doing an hour of cardio and another hour of resistance training.
Hudson, who shot to fame after finishing third in "American Idol" in 2004, had never exercised until after she had her son. She began working out slowly, by walking 30 minutes a day, and gradually worked her way up to longer workouts that included running and strength-training.
“Going jogging makes me feel powerful and free, " gushed Hudson. "In winter I do the treadmill, the Stairmaster. I always say to myself: ‘Just give me 10 minutes.’ If I do those 10 minutes, the next thing you know, it’s 20 minutes. I trick myself!”
Jennifer says the key to successful weight-loss maintenance is allowing yourself to indulge in your favorite foods, but in tiny portions. “You have what you’re craving,” she said. “I have chocolate every day.”
