Lauren Conrad's tale proves that moving on and letting go make for a healthy life. The former star of The Hills has not only embraced love with the actor Kyle Howard, but healthy eating is a staple of her new life, too. Gone is the worry of what others think and the junk-food cravings. All good changes for the natural beauty, which she shares in the upcoming issue of Shape.

Once a calorie counter, LC is more flexible these days when it comes to food choices. Opting for fresh fare — fruit, organic salad greens, and lean proteins — she has tamed her cravings.

"I've found when all I'm eating is really fresh, healthy foods, I stop craving pizza and burgers," she says. Lauren's even switched to super-nutritious nibbles (what she calls "snack plates"): hummus, sliced turkey, cucumbers, and apples. "When I have these foods in front of me, I find it easier to avoid high-calorie binges," she says.

For more on her workouts and her new tattoo keep reading.

As we all know, dating can do a doozie on your figure and a month into her relationship with Kyle, Lauren felt soft in the middle. She called her weight gain her "boyfriend layer." Proving they're a healthy couple, LC and Kyle hopped on the fitness train together:

"We like doing outdoor stuff: tennis, bike riding, kayaking, stand-up surfing, hiking in the canyons around L.A.," says Lauren. "I just ask Kyle, 'You feel like working out?' It's more fun than hitting the gym alone."

I completely agree that working out is more fun with a friend or loved one. For a while though, LC's self-esteem was being undermined by backstabbing "friends." After encouraging words from her mother and a close friend, Lauren definitively decided to stop worrying about what other people think of her.

"The next day I got a tattoo on my lower back that says 'sticks and stones,' because they may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Once I let go of that, I felt more confident about myself. And that made my decision to leave The Hills pretty easy."

While we will all miss her weekly TV appearances, it will be fun to see where Lauren's new attitude takes her.

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