She shed 50 pounds in seven months and ran a half marathon last October, but there's one challenge Sara Rue avoided for 33 years.
"I've never worn a bikini in my life!" she tells the new issue of Us Weekly (on stands now). "Not even as a kid. Literally, never."
That all changed when Rue — who has been a spokeswoman for Jenny Craig since December 2009 — slipped into a sexy two-piece for an upcoming ad campaign.
"I looked at the images and said, 'Wow, that looks good. I really like my body,'" star of ABC Family's My Future Boyfriend says.
The 5'8" actress — who used to be size 14 and is now a size 4-6 — credits her lean figure to a 1,200-calorie-a-day diet of Jenny Craig's home-delivered portion-controlled meals. "It worked when everything else failed," Rue tells Us.
To prep for her bikini shoot, Rue — who runs four to five miles a week — amped up her workout with hourlong interval training on the treadmill, walking lunges and 100 crunches daily, plus twice-weekly sessions with a trainer.
"I want someone to have a freaking pool party and invite me," a newly confident Rue tells Us. "Because I can't tell you how many I've turned down!"
For more on Rue's incredible body transformation — and details on her wedding to educational consultant Kevin Price, 36 — pick up the new issue of Us Weekly, on stands now.