by Bonnie Siegler

Jennifer Love Hewitt has been in front of the camera her whole life it seems. She was pulling in applause at age 2 in her hometown of Killeen, Texas, doing skits in her family's garage. And before starring on CBS' popular Ghost Whisperer as Melinda Gordon, she put in some angst years on FOX's Party of Five. "Love," as friends and family call her, is still in the spotlight, but her one-hour skits have turned into 12- to 14-hour workdays on the set of her otherworldly drama.

Hewitt looks appealing whether she's serving up holiday dinners at the Los Angeles Mission or appearing for one of her other charities (St. Jude's Hospital, Tuesday's Child or the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund). But the savvy beauty, who has matured before our eyes over the years, judges her physical flaws, just like any other woman. "Oh, my butt and the back of my thighs, when I gain a few pounds, that's where it all goes," exclaims the actress.

Moderation and balance in her eating habits ensure peak physical stamina. "I pretty much eat anything I want," admits Hewitt, "but I just eat half of it. That's my secret. I really don't believe dieting is good for you because your body craves things and wants them because there's something in them that it needs." Even so, it is surprising to hear that this trim star indulges in cookies 'n' cream ice cream, pizza and even strawberries with whipped cream. "To deprive yourself is not a good idea," she says. "If you do, the next time you allow yourself a slice of cake, you end up eating the entire cake instead of one small piece."

The Hewitt family prides itself on culinary skills and Jennifer is no exception, having proved she is no longer a novice in the kitchen. "I've really learned over the years how to put something together in the kitchen. The best thing that I make is either filet mignon and beef risotto made with a bit of red wine and four different cheeses or Dover sole with saffron chardonnay risotto. Risotto is my specialty," she says.

Another Hewitt specialty is style and knowing what looks best on her body. "For me, being comfortable is an important part of my personal style and my style represents who I am," she says. "We all have several different people in us at one time. I think style is an expression of all your different beings. So one morning, you can wake up and feel like you want to look like a classic movie star and another morning, it's a rock 'n' roll type of day," she says. "What's great about style is that on any given day, it's your expression to people about how you feel. You don't want the dress wearing you, you want to wear the dress. That's the way it should be."

Today Hewitt feels like "Peter Pan jolly." She enjoys being in a happy place and strives to think happy thoughts about the good in people. She pauses and giggles as she recounts how it felt to portray Audrey Hepburn, in the made-for-TV movie, The Audrey Hepburn Story. "But maybe tonight, I'll have that bit of Audrey Hepburn in me. She was sexy, cute, classy, sophisticated, smart and funny. Most women, if they're lucky, get to have a couple of those traits, and she had them all." As an actress, Hewitt can channel whomever she feels inspired by and we, the audience, are sure to watch with rapt admiration.

Bonnie Siegler has covered celebrity fitness for American Fitness since 1990. Based in Playa del Rey, Calif., she is an internationally known writer whose work has appeared in McCall's, Redbook and InStyle.