VIDEO: Jordin Sparks Talks 50-lb Weight Loss & More on TODAY

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American Idol winner Jordin Sparks dropped 50 pounds in the last year and a half, transforming her body along the way. The actress and singer appeared on this morning's Today to promote a healthy diet and lifestyle.

"I had gotten really sick," the 24-year-old singer-songwriter told TODAY's Jenna Bush Hager on Friday as part of "Love Your Selfie, Reclaiming Beauty" week. "And I was about to celebrate my birthday and I was like, 'I should be in the prime of my life right now. I shouldn't be feeling like this. I really need to make my health a priority.' And that's what I did."

Sparks changed her diet and became more active, challenging the pressures of celebrity beauty. She shared, "I go anywhere from, like, 155 to 161," she said. "So I'm right around there. That's where I am."

Since winning "American Idol" in 2007, Sparks has released two albums making Billboard's Top 40 list and her self-titled debut platinum album sold more than two million copies worldwide. The multi-award winning singer has toured with Alicia Keys, The Jonas Brothers, and Britney Spears and performed for President Obama and former President Bush. In 2012, Sparks made her acting debut in the upcoming feature film, "Sparkle."

In 2010, Sparks made her Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning musical, 'In the Heights.'

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