You may have seen Alison Brie kick ass in Netflix's GLOW, but the actress says she hasn't always felt so great about her body and what it could do.
In a new interview for Women's Health magazine, Brie discussed growing up with body image issues, and how she got to a place of not caring about beauty standards.
"Growing up in L.A., both my sister and I had sort of touch-and-go body issues, some mildly recurring body dysmorphia," she told Women's Health.
While Brie doesn't specify whether or not she or her sister were diagnosed with body dysmorphia disorder, people who suffer from body dysmorphia may become preoccupied with what they see as "flaws" in their body.
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When it came time to train to build strength for GLOW ("to be able to throw people and do things like that"), she was a little apprehensive — Brie feared getting "too bulky," a myth that all too many of us believe. But instead of just bulking up (though there's nothing wrong with that), Brie gained more confidence in her body.
"I feel like I was building strength outside and in at the same time," she said. "Now I feel like strength is beautiful, rather than that stick-skinny is the beauty standard."
Though strength and thinness aren't mutually exclusive, it's great that she's gotten to a place where she feels good about her body and its capabilities.
"I've just never given less fucks," she said. "It's a nice feeling because you live your life more and care less about what other people think."
It isn't about how her body looks, but rather about how her workouts make her feel.
"It's how I relax, in a sense," she said about her routine. "I get real antsy on days that I don't work out at all. Anytime I'm down or feeling in a funk, I'll go for a hike."
In fact, Brie said, "I don't own a scale. I haven't weighed myself in years."
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