Issa Rae opens up about her health and fitness routine in the April issue of Women’s Health; showing off her fit physique and revealing that she was unhappy with how she looked on her hit HBO show, “Insecure.”
“I exercise for, like, an hour each day,” she tells the publication about her 4:55 a.m. work out. “My neighborhood has a bunch of hills. I alternate between walking and jogging. I hate jogging – you’re going in circles, but I recognize that it helps.”
The actress follows a more “paleo-leaning” diet now; after being a vegetarian for 15 years. She also finds that exercising on the daily fuels her creative nature.
“You know those earbuds that you put in your ears? I was running, and one fell. It was dark outside and I couldn’t find it. So I was forced to be alone with my thoughts, and I was like, ‘Oh, I need to do this more often,’” she says. Adding, “Those moments are the most creative.”
But the 34-year-old admits that just because she has adopted a rhythm that works for her, doesn’t mean exercising comes naturally.
“I was a big excuse person when it came to exercising and eating right,” she tells Women’s Health. “I’d have spurts of trying to work out and be good. Then once I fell off, I’d be like, ‘Well, there’s always next year. Let me make it my New Year’s revolution.’ But even then, I would still be eating wrong while exercising vigorously.”
She admits to having a “new money weight” phase, saying, “When the Web series started, I was very, very broke. Then more opportunities began to come, I was gaining New Money Weight. When you get a good job, you’re like, ‘I can afford to eat at restaurants all the time!’ That adds up in weight.
Issa also recalls getting her weight right together when her size began to affect her self-esteem.
“Time to work out is so limited, but when I first started seeing myself on TV, I was like, ‘I gotta make time.’”
She added, “We, as black women, don’t take care of ourselves enough. I think finding those moments while also nurturing your body is important.”
Read the full feature on womenshealthmag.com
