Dascha Polanco, the Dominican-American actress celebrated for her role as Dayanara "Daya" Diaz in Netflix's "Orange Is the New Black," has not only captivated audiences with her acting prowess but has also inspired many with her journey of weight loss, self-acceptance, and body positivity. Her story is a testament to the power of resilience, determination, and the importance of embracing oneself, regardless of societal expectations.
Early Life, Aspirations, and Obstacles
Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in the United States, Dascha Polanco harbored aspirations of acting from a young age. However, her weight became a significant personal obstacle. She once reflected, “A lot of my life as a young adult has been influenced by how people will accept me… I was very fearful of going out on auditions and being told, ‘Well you have to lose weight, your hair is curly.’” Despite these challenges, Polanco pursued her education, graduating with a Bachelor of Psychology from Hunter College. Initially, she worked in the healthcare sector with aspirations of becoming a nurse, a path she pursued before her acting career took off.
A Pivotal Moment: Embracing Her Dreams
After a stint in nursing, Dascha experienced a pivotal moment. She realized her beliefs about her weight were self-imposed barriers. This epiphany led her to audition for various roles while simultaneously embarking on a weight loss journey. She attended an acting studio in New York, which is where she was signed by the talent agency Shirley Grant Management.
The Role of Daya Diaz: A Career Breakthrough and Physical Transformation
Her decision bore fruit swiftly. Within six months, she landed the role of Daya in “Orange Is the New Black,” which proved to be a significant career breakthrough. This role not only showcased her acting prowess but also marked the start of her physical transformation. In the Netflix series, Dascha’s character, Daya, faces life in prison and becomes involved in the prison’s drug trade, showcasing her ability to portray complex and challenging roles.
Dascha Polanco's Weight Loss Regimen
Dascha Polanco has impressively lost between 30 to 40 pounds, going from around 230 pounds to about 174 pounds. Dascha’s approach to weight loss was methodical and disciplined. Her diet included egg whites with truffles for breakfast, abundant papayas for fiber, and a focus on Dominican vegetables like yams and yucca. She emphasized, “The most important thing is to always eat after you work out. So after I am done with a workout I have a grilled chicken with vegetables”. Her diet plan emphasizes fresh, local ingredients, making it nutritious and affordable.
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Workout Routine
Dascha Polanco’s fitness regimen is a mix of high-intensity and low-impact exercises, along with strength training and cardio.
Here’s a glimpse of her workout routine:
- Wednesday: 40-minute High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on equipment like an elliptical, treadmill, or rowing machine.
- Friday: A combination of a 45-minute gentle yoga class and a 25-minute low-impact hiking session, followed by 30 minutes of mountain biking.
- Saturday: A 50-60 minute speedwork session on the Elliptical/Treadmill.
- Sunday: Rest day.
Her routine starts with a 10-minute warm-up focusing on flexibility exercises and stretches, followed by cardiovascular exercise using Tabata intervals. She then moves on to strength training exercises targeting the lower body, including squats, lunges, and single-leg deadlifts with resistance bands. She concludes with vigorous cardio workouts featuring sprints and HIIT sessions. Dascha finds motivation for her fitness goals from the classic film “Rocky.” She often watches Sylvester Stallone’s iconic movie during her workouts, combining her love for cinema with her fitness regime.
Diet Plan
Dascha Polanco’s diet is inspired by the traditional Dominican diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, and lean protein.
Here’s a glimpse of her daily diet:
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- Breakfast: Not specified. She included egg whites and protein shakes for breakfast.
- Lunch: 3 cups of chopped romaine lettuce with cucumber and tomatoes, topped with 2 tablespoons of hempseed dressing, shredded carrots, red pepper flakes, and crumbled goat cheese (optional).
- Evening Snack: 1 piece of fruit (like apple or grapes) and 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed.
- Dinner: 4 ounces of grilled chicken breast or fish, steamed vegetables (such as broccoli and cauliflower), and 1 cup of brown rice.
Dascha is not a vegan. She avoided fast and processed foods, emphasizing healthy eating, especially post-workout.
The Impact of Transformation: Self-Love and Acceptance
Dascha’s transformation was not just physical. She also embarked on a journey of self-love and acceptance. She admitted, “I could not find self-love. I always thought that self-love would come from outside. But I was wrong”. This realization was crucial in her journey, underscoring the importance of internal acceptance over external validation.
Becoming a mother at 17 added complexity to her life. Juggling motherhood and career aspirations, Dascha’s story is one of resilience and determination. Her journey resonates with many, especially those grappling with similar challenges.
Body Positivity and Challenging Societal Norms
Orange Is the New Black's Dascha Polanco has an empowering attitude toward her body. She simply refuses to buy clothes by designers who turn down her requests because of her size. It took a lot of growth for her to get to that point, though. "To tell you the truth, when I first arrived at this year's New York Fashion Week wearing a tight bodysuit that completely revealed my thighs, I was a little nervous. I kept on covering myself up with my jacket and I just didn't feel ready," she recently told Today. "There's a lot of insecurity within every person - woman or man. But the only one in charge of changing that is you.
She then shared how she shifted the way she thought about her own insecurities. "I used to be made fun of for having a big butt (a "watermelon ass," they'd call it!) and big legs," she explained. But since then, she's realized, "This is mass. This is volume. This is strength. Her journey toward body positivity included a powerful realization. "I used to try to fit into everything. Now, I realize that there's no point on focusing on something that might not fit.
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Polanco chose to wear this outfit because she wanted to make a statement. She wanted the world to know that this is her, this is real, and she’s good with that. Who the fuck are you to shame her for loving herself? Maybe you don’t think the outfit is cool, but the message behind it is. Polanco’s bravely using her body to push society and the fashion industry into realizing that not all women fit a size 0-4, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Polanco told People, “I want to break that barrier. Even though I’m a size 8 or 10, I still can look as great as someone who’s a size 0.
"I'm not going to lie and say I wasn't nervous. I thought this could be a huge hit or a total disaster. But I just went with my gut. People don't expect curvy women, plus-size women, or Latinas to be chic, be in fashion, or take risks. It's only my opinion, but I feel like we're expected to taper ourselves a little, or be more conservative. "When I'm having a fitting, I tell [my publicist] Alyssa, "Really? They had to do all black? They couldn't throw in a little red?" I don't want to wear black. I want to wear white. Let my body show.
Advocacy and Impact
Beyond her acting, Dascha has teamed up with Dove on its self-esteem project. This initiative focuses on teaching young girls about self-acceptance and self-love, highlighting her commitment to positive body image. "There are a lot of people who send me nice comments about how I help them feel good, or they thought they could never wear that, or, "You make me love myself," and it's hard because I'm still working on that.
Net Worth
As of the information available, Dascha Polanco has an estimated net worth of $5 million dollars. This reflects not just her success as an actress but also her impact as a public figure.