America Ferrera Says She Finally Feels "Strong" and Here Are 4 Things She Ditched to Get There at 41
Audiences have loved actress America Ferrera ever since she appeared in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Starring alongside Blake Lively, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn, the friend group inspired wanderlust in so many of us and showed what it truly means to have an incredible circle of girlfriends. Since then, America Ferrera went on to star in drama series Ugly Betty and won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, according to Buzzfeed.
Throughout her career, the 41-year-old star has been incredibly open about her relationship with body image and dieting. She told Vogue she feels like she has "struggled her whole life with diet and nutrition." But over time, the celeb adopted certain lifestyle habits and found a workout she genuinely loves, helping her make major strides in her wellness journey.
She Completely "Reframed" Her Belief About Herself
Ferrera shared with Vogue that, in today's culture, many of us spend a significant amount of time thinking of ourselves as "a problem we need to fix." This mindset can apply to things like body weight, fitness, diet, and even fashion decisions that feel as though they're "never quite living up."
The actress added, "Recently, I shifted and reframed my belief about myself: I am whole, I am strong, I am healthy, and I am enough. And anything that I'm adding to that is about what makes me feel good."
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She Started Weight Training
Ferrera went on to share that she's dealt with a history of injuries and pain since her teen years. She's learned that the best way to change the narrative around her physical trauma is by "feeling her strength."
"At the moment I'm doing that by weight training with my trainer Grant Roberts. We like to use GRIPBELL weights for our virtual workouts. I'm also enjoying my trampoline and getting on my Peloton," the actress revealed.
She Trusts the "Wisdom" of her Body
Ferrera is a firm believer that we all have a "deeper wisdom" in our bodies.
"If we can drop in and listen, our bodies will tell us what we need," she noted. "I feel like I have struggled my whole life with diet and nutrition. As a body image thing, as a health thing, as a nourishing thing. I was having really uncomfortable reactions to lots of foods, and I constantly needed a doctor, a plan, a nutritionist or an allergist or someone to tell me what the right thing is for me. Like, just tell me what I need to do and I'll follow it. Which of course we need sometimes and I've needed a lot of times, but currently I feel like I've done a lot of bad and now I can trust the wisdom of my body to tell me what I need—what's enough, what's not enough."
She Prioritizes Her Mental Health
Social media can be an amazing way to stay connected and in touch with friends and loved ones, but it's also been associated with drawbacks when it comes to mental wellness. Ferrera has learned it's all about establishing a healthy balance.
"I think social media is a real mental health issue," Ferrera shared. "We're taking in so much and we have so little control over what pops up on our screen. I've realized I feel most out of control when I'm just giving my time to social media without any discernment. But there is this sweet spot, where it does feel like a tool, where it does feel like connecting, where it does feel like I'm being authentic by sharing a part of myself. So I've begun to set parameters around how much I take in and when I take it in, knowing full well that I'm just a human being and I'm just as susceptible to going down a rabbit hole or scrolling and then feeling terrible about the world and myself. I want to really honor that space and not just go to social media when I feel like I should or I have to."
She Loves Zumba
Ferrera has completely revamped her workouts. One of her go-to routines involves a healthy blend of dance and cardio: Zumba. The celeb tried Zumba for beginners and has been loving it ever since, noting that she experiences a "bump of endorphins" when doing an at-home Zumba workout.
"I'll wake up the next day and I'm like, 'I didn't realize I was working that part of my arm, or that side of my abs,'" Ferrera told TODAY.com. "You're getting a full-body workout."
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She Shifted Her Workout Mindset
Ferrera told TODAY.com that her relationship with fitness used to center around "fixing my flaws"—and it's majorly shifted since then.
"For years, I was in a cycle of beating myself up," she said. "It took me a lot of work to transform that relationship into one that is based in deep gratitude for the ability to move my body in ways that make me feel strong, joyful and alive."
She Practices Intuitive Eating
In addition to fitness and mental wellness, Ferrera has also shifted her thoughts about eating. She completely nixed foods that don't give her energy or make her feel like her best self.
The star previously told Health, per PEOPLE, "More than anything, I just try to be aware of how does what I eat make me feel. Do I feel better? Do I feel energized? Does this make me tired and not feel great?"
For more weight-loss inspiration, check out Kim Kardashian Lost 21 Pounds With This Diet Change and Workout Hack.
