After suffering Simon Cowell’s rebukes about her size on season 2 of American Idol and surviving the TV boot camp of Celebrity Fit Club, Kimberley Locke has gone from 178 lbs. to 141 — just three pounds from the 40-lb. goal she set last fall.

The 5′3″ Locke, whose holiday CD hits stores this winter, is celebrating by cleaning her closets — “I gave away all my size 14s” — and sharing some hard-won tips about her diet and weight loss philosophy.

Pick a program you can stick with. Locke chose the Jenny Craig diet plan and six-weekly cardio and strength-training workouts.

Mix it up. Locke breaks up treadmill monotony with jump rope.

Beat temptation. At the Croton Creek Steakhouse and Wine Bar she co-owns in New York state, “I haven’t eaten a quarter of the stuff on our menu.” Instead she sticks with salmon and “the chef will steam spinach for me.”

Enjoy the rewards. “I never used to show my legs,” says Locke. “This entire summer I’ve been in short dresses!” [via]