Jenni Rivera’s Daughter Chiquis Sheds 30 Lbs. in Eight Weeks

By Juan Manuel Rotulo

01/09/2014 at 02:30 PM EST

Chiquis and Alejandro Chabn

Courtesy People en Espanol

Chiquis worked with celebrity nutrition and wellness consultant Alejandro Chabn to achieve her goal of losing 30 pounds in eight weeks.

"People would say I was gordita," or chubby, says Chiquis, 28. "Yes, I had a little chubby girl in my heart, and she's still with me, but like I always say: 'It's time for you [the gordita] to take a break.' "

The young actress says she achieved her goal by avoiding two foods she loves: white rice and chocolate.

"Her effort has been admirable," says Chabn about Chiquis. "It's been a pleasure being a part of her life because she inspires a lot of people."

Chiquis says she now feels truly sexy, and that this new body has presented her with a new challenge: to continue to lead a healthy lifestyle.

"The curves are there, and I want them there," she says, as she puts her focus on launching her career as a regional Mexican music singer, following in the footsteps of her Latin Grammy-winning mother, who died in a plane crash in Mexico just over a year ago.

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Jenni Rivera's Daughter Chiquis Sheds 30 Lbs. in Eight Weeks