Kelly Clarkson Talks Love, Horrible Experience After Winning Idol

Have you seen Kelly Clarkson lately? The former American Idol winner has slimmed down and is thrilled with the weight loss.

Happy at last

"I do cardio. I run. I strength-train using my own body weight. I don't like free weights, because I build muscle easily. Really, what I try to instil in my fans is to be healthy and happy," Kelly said in a new interview.

Love could also be the reason for a new positive attitude for Kelly. She is currently dating Brandon Blackstock who is Blake Shelton's manager and also stepson to Reba McEntire.

"I know I finally found happiness. I told my assistant that today. I said, 'I'm just waiting for something to blow up.' She said, 'No, that's what happiness is.' I'm like, maybe I've never been happy. Because Brandon does, he makes me happy."

In the interview with Redbook, the singer also admitted that the first four years after winning American Idol was hell for her. She wasn't happy and almost quit. "I'm going to be completely honest - I had no one looking out for me. They were looking out for the show, and it was horrible," Kelly said of American Idol. I'm all cried out about it but my first four years, I hated my life. I almost quit a dozen times."

Perhaps it is true then -- what doesn't kill you just makes you stronger. Good on you, Kelly.