In her most recent film Barbie, Golden-Globe actress America Ferrera plays a mom who alongside her daughter helps a collection of real life Barbie dolls fight the impossible standards women face in society. It must have been easy for Ferrera to step into character as she’s always been an outspoken critic of how society treats women who don’t fit into a pink box.
Following the birth of her son Sebastian, Ferrera met with Oprah Winfrey to discuss how motherhood impacted not only her life but her self-image.
“There are parts of it that I love and also parts of it that are super challenging. I’m just now starting to feel like I want to feel strong in my body again,” she says. “I didn’t work out as much as I imagined I would during my pregnancy. I was in triathlon shape when I got pregnant. I had so much on my plate and something had to give.”
She also spoke about the relationship she had with food and the scale. She told Winfrey that she didn’t weigh herself anymore and instead just ate whatever food made her feel good and energized. She also mentioned her commitment to being gentle with herself when it comes to the ups and downs of the future and present.
“I feel like I’ve been burning myself out for years. A mental shift that I’ve had recently is to not take it all on… It’s a generations-long battle of continuing to show up,” she says. “So being kind to yourself and acknowledging I’m going to show up, because that’s what’s in my heart—to show up, without expectation that once and for all it’s going to be done.”
Sources
https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/health/a24735351/america-ferrera-scales-body-weight-giving-birth/
