The new, improved Mariah

Meet the gorgeous new and improved Mariah Carey! Last year the dazzling diva packed on the pounds - but her famous shape is ship-shape once again, thanks to her iron-willed dedication to a grueling exercise and weight loss regimen. And these exclusive photos prove the point that Mariah is back!

In January the songbird was looking sullen and bloated. But the vamp decided to revamp after signing to sing at the February 3rd Super Bowl. The 5-foot-9 star embarked on a crash program to whip herself into shape - and dropped from 155 lbs. to 124 lbs. She lost some of the weight before the Super Bowl, but kept dieting and now looks even better!

"But it took a lot of hard work for her to get there," said a close friend. "When Mariah was signed to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl, she went into intensive training to get her stunning figure back. First she flew to Sedona, Arizona, with a personal trainer, and checked into the exclusive Enchantment Heal Spa.

There, she worked around the clock on a treadmill and stationary bike, doubling it up with a killer program of stomach crunches, leg lifts with a heavy medicine ball and push-ups. She teamed up all that exercise with a special diet.

Mariah likes to eat, but, in Sedona, she limited herself to lots of salads with fish and skinless broiled chicken. She replaces her favorite Crystal champagne with bottled water and iced tea, with a slice of lemon and no sweetener. And, to head off the munchies, she had her room filled with baskets of fruit.

After the spa, Mariah headed off to Puerto Rico - and a rigorous program of heavy duty water exercises. She boarded a friend's luxury yacht off San Juan, for a week of doing long swims and water skiing every day to shape her arms and legs," revealed the close friend.

Mariah's career is also heating up. Her new movie, "Wisegirls", will be released later this year and she'll start filming "Sweet Science" this summer - a flick about a determined boxing manager guiding an unknown female prizefighter. The sexy star - who got a much publicized $28 million payment when she left Virgin Records in January - is also working hard on her singing career, said her friend.

"Mariah feels so great, she's busy writing new songs." Another source said, "Mariah has never looked better. She's at the top of her game - and she owes it all to sheer determination."

(Enquirer)

Many thanks to Mariah Land.