'Idol' winner 90lbs heavier than expected

American Idol winner Ruben Studdard had a shock when he stepped on the scales to discover he was 90 lbs heavier than he thought.

The singer, who topped the TV talent contest in 2003, guessed his weight at 360 lbs (25-and-a-half stone) but was surprised to learn he was actually 449 lbs (32 stone).

Ruben's weigh-in was part of his eight-week extreme makeover for the US TV show Extra. Among those helping him to shed the pounds are Idol judge Randy Jackson, serving as life coach, trainer-to-the-stars Gunnar Peterson and Cynthia Graff from the Lindora Weight Loss Clinic.

"I hope that we can get him to lose at least 50 pounds," said Jackson. "That's the goal, 50 pounds in eight weeks."

Part of the plan includes Ruben - dubbed the 'velvet teddy bear' - cutting down on his calorie intake from 4,000 to just 1,500 a day. His new diet will consist of three meals a day including protein, vegetables, fruits and three protein snacks.

"We all saw Ruben's commitment in 'American Idol,'" said Graff. "If we can apply the same kind of personal commitment and dedication, there's no question he'll do it."