Inside I Got This by Jennifer Hudson

The author recounts her journey to international stardom.

She Got It! - The Grammy and Oscar winner and Weight Watchers spokeswoman has penned her first book, I Got This: How I Changed My Ways and Lost What Weighed Me Down. It’s a memoir that follows her rise to fame from a girl singing in the church choir in Chicago to American Idol and her big break with Dreamgirls — all with a focus on her big weight transformation.Click through to read excerpts from the book. (Photo: PNP/WENN.com)

1 / 10

She Got It! - The Grammy and Oscar winner and Weight Watchers spokeswoman has penned her first book, I Got This: How I Changed My Ways and Lost What Weighed Me Down. It’s a memoir that follows her rise to fame from a girl singing in the church choir in Chicago to American Idol and her big break with Dreamgirls — all with a focus on her big weight transformation.Click through to read excerpts from the book. (Photo: PNP/WENN.com)

Early Confidence - “By the time I was in my teens I was aware that I had become a plus-size girl. C’mon, I wasn’t blind,” Jennifer writes in Chapter 2, “Invisible.” “I may never have called myself ‘fat’ but I still knew that I couldn’t shop where other girls shopped. I just felt confident that I could work with the body God gave me. I wasn’t insecure — I had all the great curves that a lot of women have to pay for!” She later adds, “To me, being a size 10 was perfect. I thought, surely I could become a star looking like this. Who would have ever believed that size 10 is still considered plus size in Hollywood? Really, I just didn’t get it.” (Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

2 / 10

Early Confidence - “By the time I was in my teens I was aware that I had become a plus-size girl. C’mon, I wasn’t blind,” Jennifer writes in Chapter 2, “Invisible.” “I may never have called myself ‘fat’ but I still knew that I couldn’t shop where other girls shopped. I just felt confident that I could work with the body God gave me. I wasn’t insecure — I had all the great curves that a lot of women have to pay for!” She later adds, “To me, being a size 10 was perfect. I thought, surely I could become a star looking like this. Who would have ever believed that size 10 is still considered plus size in Hollywood? Really, I just didn’t get it.” (Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Criticism from Hollywood - "Early on, I remember one of the musical directors from American Idol telling me that everything about me was too big. She said my voice was too big, my size was too big, and my personality was too big. ‘Isn’t that what being a star is?’ I asked. ‘Stars are larger than life!’ I didn’t understand her motivation in telling me that. Perhaps she was trying to break me down. Who knows? Clearly, she wasn’t a fan.…” (Photo: Ray Mickshaw/WireImage)

3 / 10

Criticism from Hollywood - "Early on, I remember one of the musical directors from American Idol telling me that everything about me was too big. She said my voice was too big, my size was too big, and my personality was too big. ‘Isn’t that what being a star is?’ I asked. ‘Stars are larger than life!’ I didn’t understand her motivation in telling me that. Perhaps she was trying to break me down. Who knows? Clearly, she wasn’t a fan.…” (Photo: Ray Mickshaw/WireImage)

That Dress - The musical contest’s snarky judge Simon Cowell bashed the pink dress Jennifer wore back in 2004, during comments on her performance. “Simon also said I looked ‘hideous’ in my custom-made pink taffeta dress. This was a dress that I had designed myself, and had made for me by a friend. I liked it. But even my sister called to say I looked like I should be on an Easter egg hunt. So, maybe that outfit wasn’t my best, but at least the judges said that they liked my song that night, and to me, that was the reason why I was there.” (Photo: Ray Mickshaw/WireImage)

4 / 10

That Dress - The musical contest’s snarky judge Simon Cowell bashed the pink dress Jennifer wore back in 2004, during comments on her performance. “Simon also said I looked ‘hideous’ in my custom-made pink taffeta dress. This was a dress that I had designed myself, and had made for me by a friend. I liked it. But even my sister called to say I looked like I should be on an Easter egg hunt. So, maybe that outfit wasn’t my best, but at least the judges said that they liked my song that night, and to me, that was the reason why I was there.” (Photo: Ray Mickshaw/WireImage)

Dreamgirls:  Heavy, Heavy! - “One of the first things I found out when I got to Los Angeles to start shooting [Dreamgirls] was that in order to take this role I was going to have to gain weight. The script called for Effie to be heavier than I was at the time, and I needed to put on some pounds. Needless to say, I was pretty surprised. So many times I had felt judged for being too big, had lost jobs because I didn’t fit the image required. And now, for the first time ever, I was told I was too small! I was told to put on an extra 20 pounds before shooting started.…” (Photo: Courtesy Paramount Pictures)

5 / 10

Dreamgirls:  Heavy, Heavy! - “One of the first things I found out when I got to Los Angeles to start shooting [Dreamgirls] was that in order to take this role I was going to have to gain weight. The script called for Effie to be heavier than I was at the time, and I needed to put on some pounds. Needless to say, I was pretty surprised. So many times I had felt judged for being too big, had lost jobs because I didn’t fit the image required. And now, for the first time ever, I was told I was too small! I was told to put on an extra 20 pounds before shooting started.…” (Photo: Courtesy Paramount Pictures)

ADVERTISEMENT
Oscar Gold - Jennifer went on to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Effie, and reflected on the bronze Giorgio Armani gown, a dress chosen by former Vogue editor Andre Leon Tally. “In an unfortunate twist, I made many worst dressed at the Oscars lists. To be truthful, I wasn’t very happy with the dress that I wore that night, a brown high-waisted gown paired with a python bolero jacket with a prominent collar. It was not something that I would’ve chosen for myself. But I was still pretty new to the Hollywood game. I wore what I had been committed to wear, by someone else and without my knowledge. Let me tell you — that was the last time that happened! I would never again wear something I didn’t love 100 percent.” (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

6 / 10

Oscar Gold - Jennifer went on to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Effie, and reflected on the bronze Giorgio Armani gown, a dress chosen by former Vogue editor Andre Leon Tally. “In an unfortunate twist, I made many worst dressed at the Oscars lists. To be truthful, I wasn’t very happy with the dress that I wore that night, a brown high-waisted gown paired with a python bolero jacket with a prominent collar. It was not something that I would’ve chosen for myself. But I was still pretty new to the Hollywood game. I wore what I had been committed to wear, by someone else and without my knowledge. Let me tell you — that was the last time that happened! I would never again wear something I didn’t love 100 percent.” (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Not So Precious - After Jennifer’s Oscar-winning role, all kinds of new acting opportunities came her way, but she remembered advice that Beyoncé gave her during Dreamgirls. “The way you are starting your acting career is an amazing opportunity for you. Don’t hop at just anything,” Beyoncé told her. “You will have a lot coming at you. Take your time and make the right decisions.”  Jennifer said, “I knew it [Precious] was an amazing role. But I also knew that I would have to again gain a lot of weight to play her. I had done that with Effie, and as much as I was moved by the film, I wanted to try a role that had nothing at all to do with my weight. I turned down Precious…” (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

7 / 10

Not So Precious - After Jennifer’s Oscar-winning role, all kinds of new acting opportunities came her way, but she remembered advice that Beyoncé gave her during Dreamgirls. “The way you are starting your acting career is an amazing opportunity for you. Don’t hop at just anything,” Beyoncé told her. “You will have a lot coming at you. Take your time and make the right decisions.”  Jennifer said, “I knew it [Precious] was an amazing role. But I also knew that I would have to again gain a lot of weight to play her. I had done that with Effie, and as much as I was moved by the film, I wanted to try a role that had nothing at all to do with my weight. I turned down Precious…” (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Baby Weight - Jennifer often says she was inspired to lose weight so that she could set an example for her toddler son, David Jr., and she reveals the tot sparked the motivation from his early days in the womb. “I never wore maternity clothes throughout my pregnancy. I just wore my regular clothes, though I went for the looser stretchy ones as my belly grew,” Jennifer revealed. “Maybe I did need to think about losing some weight after this baby was born. If I could wear my regular clothes during pregnancy, maybe they were a little…big.” (Photo: Mark Von Holden/WireImage)

8 / 10

Baby Weight - Jennifer often says she was inspired to lose weight so that she could set an example for her toddler son, David Jr., and she reveals the tot sparked the motivation from his early days in the womb. “I never wore maternity clothes throughout my pregnancy. I just wore my regular clothes, though I went for the looser stretchy ones as my belly grew,” Jennifer revealed. “Maybe I did need to think about losing some weight after this baby was born. If I could wear my regular clothes during pregnancy, maybe they were a little…big.” (Photo: Mark Von Holden/WireImage)

Putting in Weight Watchers Work - Jennifer first rejected the thought of the Weight Watchers plan because she didn’t think it would work for her, but at 193 pounds she decided to give it a shot. Of course she has found great success on the program, but it wasn’t always easy. “It’s important to me that you all know that the hard work I’ve done to take control of my health, I have done completely on my own. I don’t live in a mansion with a private chef or personal trainer at my beck and call.” She writes, “Whenever people ask me how they can lose weight, too, the first thing I tell them is that they have to really want to do it for themselves first…If you can’t take responsibility for your own well-being, you will never take control over it.” (Photo: Gabriel Grams / Retna Ltd)

9 / 10

Putting in Weight Watchers Work - Jennifer first rejected the thought of the Weight Watchers plan because she didn’t think it would work for her, but at 193 pounds she decided to give it a shot. Of course she has found great success on the program, but it wasn’t always easy. “It’s important to me that you all know that the hard work I’ve done to take control of my health, I have done completely on my own. I don’t live in a mansion with a private chef or personal trainer at my beck and call.” She writes, “Whenever people ask me how they can lose weight, too, the first thing I tell them is that they have to really want to do it for themselves first…If you can’t take responsibility for your own well-being, you will never take control over it.” (Photo: Gabriel Grams / Retna Ltd)

Counting Up the Points - “Since I’ve lost all of my weight, people always want to know what I eat. Here’s the amazing thing about the Weight Watchers plan — you can eat what you’ve always eaten as long as you are eating the right portion amounts. While I don’t have a set weekly menu, I do have some favorites that have helped me get to my goal.” She also notes she eats half portions at restaurants and doesn’t “waste” points from Weight Watcher’s diet plan on things like juice, which can be high in sugar and calories. The back of the book is filled with Weight Watcher approved recipes that Jennifer loves, including desserts! Pick up her new book today to read even more! (Photo: Michael Carpenter/ WENN.com)

10 / 10

Counting Up the Points - “Since I’ve lost all of my weight, people always want to know what I eat. Here’s the amazing thing about the Weight Watchers plan — you can eat what you’ve always eaten as long as you are eating the right portion amounts. While I don’t have a set weekly menu, I do have some favorites that have helped me get to my goal.” She also notes she eats half portions at restaurants and doesn’t “waste” points from Weight Watcher’s diet plan on things like juice, which can be high in sugar and calories. The back of the book is filled with Weight Watcher approved recipes that Jennifer loves, including desserts! Pick up her new book today to read even more! (Photo: Michael Carpenter/ WENN.com)