The only way you can sustain a permanent change is to create a new way of thinking, acting, and being.

I feel like I've lived about three or four different lives.

My faith in God is everything at this point. Also, my family and friends that I've had around me pretty much my whole life and my boyfriend, we've been together for eight years. I try to keep people around me who've been around me, who've seen me struggle. They know how dedicated I am and how hard I've worked. They know me - not the Jennifer from American Idol and Dreamgirls, but the real Jennifer.

I don't want to work with anyone who has not sat down with me and has gotten to know me. I don't want you writing for who you think Jennifer is or the public persona of because that's not who I am. It's my shell, it's the brand, it's the celebrity, but it's not the person.

I was brought up singing gospel, and I really enjoy getting the church up on their feet, their hips swaying, their hands clapping, it's a great feeling to evoke that energy for the Lord.

Gaining control over your health and well-being is one of those times in your life that you get to be completely selfish and not feel bad about it. If you want to meet your goals, you have to make it about you. You have to make it work for you and you alone. Anything less is a setup for failure.

When you hear my music and you feel the emotion, it's real. When you see me in a film and you see a tear, it's real.