Jordin Sparks' Diet and Exercise Secrets Revealed (EXCLUSIVE)

Posted on Jul 27th 2012 4:30PM by Contessa Gayles

Jordin Sparks Diet Exercise Damon Dahlen, AOL

Set to make her big-screen debut with the Aug. 14 release of "Sparkle," and with another film and new album on the way, Jordin Sparks needs all the energy she can get! Determined to keep up with her increasingly busy schedule, the 22-year-old recently dropped a whopping 50 pounds off her frame and is committed to a healthy and active lifestyle. AOL Music recently sat down with the statuesque beauty and got the rundown on all her diet and exercise secrets!

Jordin revealed her workout varies depending on her location, but she prefers the tried-and-true circuit-training method. "If I'm at home, I'm super focused in the gym and always with my trainer," she says. "On the road it's different because I'm in hotels and schedules are crazy. So I'll go down to the hotel gym and run until I hit two miles, and then I do circuit training with a bunch of reps in different cycles."

"I'll do bicep curls, shoulder press, move on to something else and then repeat it all over again. So I keep my heart rate up."

According to Jordin, not having access to a gym is no excuse to miss a workout! "I have this elastic band that my trainer gave me, which is amazing. You wrap it around your feet and get into a squat position and walk across the room. But you have to maintain form!" she tells us. "It works your butt, your legs, your core, everything. I can just do that in my hotel room."

"I also just use my own body weight and do pushups, sit ups and tricep dips on the side of the bed." Very resourceful!

And Sparks has a secret weapon when she's not feeling so motivated to break a sweat -- her boyfriend, Jason Derulo! "He drags me, because there are days where I'll just want to go to a movie or hang out," she reveals. "But it brings us closer together, because I'm totally comfortable being completely sweaty and disgusting in front of him, which I might not have been able to say a couple years ago. He makes me feel more comfortable and more confident."

And hitting the gym with her super-buff beau has some other benefits, too. "Watching him work out is so good! I'm definitely entertained!" Jordin gushes.

As for her diet, the singer likes granola, Greek yogurt or eggs for breakfast, but she'll settle for a protein bar if she's on the go. She snacks on apples and says she tries to keep her carbohydrate intake to a minimum after the morning hours. As for lunch and dinner, "Arugula salad with grilled chicken and lemon vinaigrette. I'm obsessed," she reveals.

But Jordin has a balanced approach to nutrition and tells us she's not one to turn down a dessert. "Food is meant to be enjoyed. It's one of the best things in the world. I don't deprive myself, but I listen more to my body now when I'm full."

Her favorite dietary overindulgence? New York's Italian eatery Daniela's. "They have the best penne bolognese!"

Check Out Our Exclusive Photos From Jordin Sparks' In House Visit