Vanessa Hudgens Hated Her 'Tree Trunk Legs,'

Talks Cheetos Weight Gain

By Hollie McKay

Vanesa Hudgens in the April SHAPE.

Most young men (and women) would probably consider Vanessa Hudgens' petite physique close to perfect.

But it turns out there was one body part the star was particularly self-conscious of during her teen-age years.

"I grew up dancing a lot, so I was self-conscious of what I would call my 'tree trunk legs' because they are very muscular," she told FOX411's Pop Tarts while promoting her new film "Beastly." "When you are dancing a lot every day you become very muscular and I did not appreciate that at the time, but now I’ve learned to love them."

But apparently it wasn't just a lot of running and jumping that kept Hudgens' legs on the sturdy side.

The young star has gone from teen sensation to sexy actress right in front of our eyes.

She told the April issue of Shape that, as a teenager, "I used to go to Cold Stone Creamery, get a tub of Butterfinger ice cream, and eat it all before bedtime. And my fingers were permanently stained orange from Cheetos.”  Her aha moment? She was on tour with "High School Musical" and started popping out of her costume after the show took a short break.

“When I finally got it zipped up, my boobs were up to my chin!” she told the magazine. “The director, Kenny Ortega, saw me and said, ‘Whoa, mamacita, look at you!’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know where this came from!’ But I knew. I lived on Hot Pockets and never touched vegetables; I needed to do something about my diet.”

Hudgens got herself back in shape, and hasn't looked back since. She is currently starring in her first non-singing-and-dancing role in "Beastly." But it turns out she almost didn’t get that opportunity. Insiders tell Pop Tarts the leading lady role was initially offered to Blake Lively, who turned it down due to scheduling conflicts.

"There are positive and negative experiences with everything that you endeavor whether it’s business or fashion," Hudgens told Pop Tarts of her rough and tumble career choice. "It’s definitely a lot more cutthroat [in Hollywood] but it’s really exciting. I think its surrounding yourself with creative people and just staying true to what you are passionate about."