Thanks to Cover Awards for the picture.

Kelly Clarkson has become one of my favorite celebrities. She has a great way of not succumbing to the pressures of fame. She doesn’t give in to body criticism – and she’s received a ton of it. In fact, Kelly seems more confident and happy than ever. Whenever I see her interviewed I’m always impressed by how genuinely friendly and level-headed she seems. It honestly boggles my mind that some celebs act so high and mighty, and others like Kelly seem like they could be your next door neighbor.

Kelly’s doing her third cover for Self magazine, and in it she talks about her positive body image.

Kelly Clarkson admits her size fluctuates in the September issue of Self mag. “My happy weight changes,” the American Idol champ says. “Sometimes I eat more; sometimes I play more. I’ll be different sizes all the time.” Clarkson, 27, says she doesn’t care though. (In June, she admitted she was tired of hearing “the fat joke” because she’d accepted her curves.)

“When people talk about my weight, I’m like, ‘You seem to have a problem with it; I don’t,” she explains. “I’m fine! I’ve never felt uncomfortable on the red carpet or anything.”

The singer tells the mag she’s been working out with CrossFit, a strength training and cardio program used by police academies and military special operations, according to its Web site.

“I love it! It’s like boot camp,” she says. “You never work out more than 35 minutes, but it’s so intense. You do things like box jumps, then 50 sit-ups, then 50 squats and then running.

“Me, my backup singers and my hair-and-makeup girl do it together. They laugh at me, because most of the time they’re like, ‘Oh, my God, I don’t want to go,’ and I’m the one saying, ‘I’m ready!’” she goes on. “It makes me feel like GI Jane. It’s very empowering. I feel like I can whup a–! And in my shows, everybody has noticed. They’re like, ‘Dude, you have 100 percent more energy!’”

[From Us Weekly]

I pass one of those boot camp fitness places everyday and their routines look hardcore. Like, you’d probably rather beat yourself over the head with a mallet than endure five minutes of it. Or at least I would. But I respect the hell out of anyone that would willingly put themselves through that. Obviously Kelly works out, but everyone’s got their own shape and their own metabolism. She’s under no obligation to go to hardcore extremes to get some teeny tiny celebrity approve body. She became famous for winning a competition (American Idol) that seeks out talent in regular folks. She seems to still carry a lot of that attitude with her, and I mean that in the very best sense. And ultimately, the only thing that matters is that Kelly’s happy with her body, and she’s always made it clear that she is.

Here’s Kelly Clarkson performing live on ‘Good Morning America’s Summer Concert Series’ at Rumsey Playfield in New York City on July 31st. Images thanks to WENN.com .