The diet diva

Mariah's curves are almost as famous as her incredible vocal range. But with the release of her new single - rather aptly titled Touch My Body - the shapely singer has ditched her lady lumps to unveil a new slimline silhouette to the world.

A far cry from the plump size 14 figure of last year, Mariah spent the last six months training like a demon to achieve the super-toned, wobble-free size 8 bod she confidently flaunts in her new video.

Now, in the best shape of her life, and rivaling uber-buff singing stars almost half her age, there's only question on everyone's lips - how the heck did she get that fit so fast?

Weird And Wacky Diets
Aside from the rumour that Mariah shelled out over Dhs1 million on surgery to get her body flab free, the singing star has long been known for her oddball regimes to keep looking young, thin and beautiful.

She swears by her purple foods diet, filled with antioxidant-packed blueberries, beetroot and aubergines to ward off wrinkles, and back in 2006, she lost over 14 kilos by sticking to a militant regime she named ‘The Morsel Diet.' This rather loopy plan forbade her to eat more than a mouthful of any given food - based on the theory that one bite of anything is all you need to satisfy cravings.

‘‘When I'm really hungry I'll be like, I need a morsel! So they'll just give me whatever is there, but it has to be less than a forkful" she explained.

You must have been permanently stuffed, hon!

Take a look at me now...
With the launch of her new album, E=MC2, on the horizon, 38-year-old Mariah threw herself into a super-strict health and fitness regime. Setting herself a six-month deadline, the famously frivolous singer flew her personal trainer all the way from St Bart's to her home in New York every day, combining cardio aerobic workouts with plenty of weight training to get results, fast.

Cutting out all fast food, crisps and cookies, which she blamed for giving her skin "an unattractive waxy look", Mariah swapped her junk food binges for a low-cal diet of smoothies for breakfast, homemade soup for lunch and grilled fish and veg for dinner, claiming, "I discovered that I actually liked munching on carrots, celery and even broccoli."

But despite her 12.5 kilo weight loss, she remains adamant she won't become obsessed with her weight, saying, ‘‘I still have a butt and thighs, so I'll never be as skinny as Paris Hilton.'' Mariah - not obsessed with herself - now that'd be a first!

How To Get A Bod Like Mariah

Breakfast
Porridge with low-fat milk and a handful of berries OR
Banana and blueberry smoothie made with low fat milk OR
Museli with mixed nuts and seeds and low-fat yogurt.

Lunch
Homemade soups made with a vegetable stock cube, and a variety of colourful, vegetables, served with a plain wholegrain roll.

Dinner
Poached salmon with roasted vegetables OR
Grilled tuna steak with green salad, red grapes and pomegranate seeds OR
Two-egg omelette with a little goats cheese and red onion.

Snacks
Purple fruit: blackberries, red grapes, blueberries OR
An apple OR
Celery and carrot sticks with hummus OR
Handful of almonds.