Mariah Makes History

Since Mariah attended the opening of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls—South Africa in January 2007, she says she's been busy working on her latest album, as well as her body.

For years, Mariah's fluctuating weight has been a popular topic in tabloid magazines. "I think the whole body image thing and people expecting everybody to be this thin is ridiculous," she says. "It just isn't reality."

After a close friend made a comment about her weight, Mariah says she was inspired to make permanent life changes and get into shape once and for all. Mariah says she has a secret weight loss weapon—her nutrition and fitness coach, Patricia. "Finally I just said, 'It has to be a life decision if you're going to really lose the weight,'" she says. "So Patricia created a number of things for me...one is a workout regimen."

Mariah says her workouts typically last for 60 to 90 minutes and combine cardio with resistance training. To tone her arms, Mariah uses her own body weight and stretches to sculpt long, lean lines. She likes to hop into a pool for the cardio portion of her workout. "What's great about working out in the pool is the water acts as resistance," she says. "You're actually exercising twice as hard without feeling it."