We love Kelly Clarkson, not just for her hilarious and heartwarming work as a judge on The Voice, but also for her wicked parenting skills.
And like many of Clarkson's fans, we were beginning to feel concerned about her noticeable weight loss.
Throughout this season of the hit singing competition, Clarkson joked away comments about her shrinking figure - crediting "Harry Potter and Spanx" for her new look.
But in a new interview on the Today show, Clarkson finally confessed she's been living with a chronic condition.
"I know the industry loves the weight gone, but for me it wasn't (about) the weight"
Clarkson looked the thinnest she's been in a long time while performing at the CMT Awards this week, and fans continued to wonder what was behind the dramatic change.
In the past, Clarkson has chided the media for praising anyone who loses weight. "For me, when I'm skinny is usually when I'm not doing well," she explained.
That fits with what the singer finally revealed about her most recent weight loss, explaining that she has been coping with an autoimmune disease and thyroid condition since 2006.
Clarkson says she's been using a healthy diet to cope with the illness, and has dropped 37 pounds as a result.
"I know the industry loves the weight gone," she said, "but for me it wasn't (about) the weight."
Instead, Clarkson says slimming down was a way to avoid taking medication for her condition.
But she's obviously still the same old Kelly, because she couldn't stop joking about the weight loss and didn't seem too concerned.
"Don't think I'm going to come play some sport!" she laughed. "Literally, I haven't worked out at all!"
What's the connection between thyroid conditions and weight loss?
Thyroid conditions are more common than you might expect, and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists says 12% of Americans will experience one in their lifetime.
They're caused by the thyroid gland in your throat, which produces a number of your body's key hormones.
When there's a problem with your thyroid, your body will produce too much or too little of these important hormones.
Hyperthyroidism, or under-developed hormones, can cause weight gain, fatigue, and joint pain.
In certain cases it can even increase your cholesterol levels, cause heart disease, or lead to depression.
Autoimmune disease are a common cause of hyperthyroidism, and they're usually treated with synthetic hormones or natural extracts.
Clarkson says she switched to a new fad diet called Plant Paradox to help control her symptoms, and claims she hasn't been on medication since February.
"It's basically about how we cook our food, non-GMO, no pesticides, eating really organic," she explains.
Along with cutting out gluten, Clarkson is avoiding vegetable and fruit rinds, along with seeds.
"It's really expensive to do," she added.
"I was poor growing up and there was no way my family could have afforded this."
But Clarkson also admitted she still indulges in cake (so relatable) as long as it's made from healthy almond flour.
Hopefully Clarkson's symptoms will stay under control!
