Jennifer Love Hewitt Hit Back Weight Critics With New Figure 8/15/08

Jennifer Love Hewitt has hit back at critics who ridiculed her for putting on weight - by showing off her new slimline figure in a U.S. magazine.

The Ghost Whisperer star was infamously snapped in her black two-piece swimsuit as she enjoyed a dip in the sea in November (07), sporting a slightly bulkier frame than usual.

The weight-gain attracted much unwanted attention, with celebrity website TMZ.com profiling the snaps alongside the headline: "We know what you ate this summer, Love – everything!" And the star went on to lash out at the media, saying, "It made me feel a little embarrassed to be honest. It made me a little sad.

It hurt my feelings." But Love-Hewitt has had the last laugh, after shedding 18 pounds (8.16 kilograms) through a rigorous exercise program. She tells Usmagazine.Com, "I am in a pretty good workout regimen that I like, so it inspired me to keep it up.

The energy level and the way I feel now is great." And Love Hewitt's trainer, Stevie Sant'Angelo, insists the dramatic image overhaul has nothing to do with the unflattering snaps. He adds, "She told me, 'They said some rude, mean things, but that's not why I wanted to change.'"