Emmy Rossum, the actress known for her roles in "Shameless" and "Phantom of the Opera," has garnered attention not only for her acting but also for her dedication to health and fitness. Rather than adhering to restrictive diets or grueling workout routines, Rossum embraces a holistic approach that focuses on feeling good, listening to her body, and prioritizing overall well-being.
Redefining Health and Fitness
Rossum has redefined what health and fitness mean to her, focusing on how exercise and food make her feel. She shared with Shape that she started listening to her body to determine the exercise and food that made her feel good and how much sleep she really needed.
Scaled-Back Workouts
Rossum has scaled back her workouts, moving away from intense cardio and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). She felt as if she was in a pattern of doing those things because she thought she was supposed to, not because they gave her joy, and she wanted workouts that made her feel more in tune with her body. Now, the actress focuses more on Pilates and a program called GST [Grace Somatomorphic Technique]. Put that together with the toning and flexibility benefits of Pilates, and, well, who needs HIIT when you’re building a long and lean body without all the sweat?
She enjoys group fitness classes like Physique 57, Burn 60, SoulCycle, or Flywheel, drawing positive energy from the people around her. To avoid improper form, she admits to raising her hand like an idiot whenever the instructor asks if anyone is new to the class. She also incorporates dance classes into her routine, having grown up doing ballet.
Weight Training and Diet
Rossum shared some secrets for staying in shape. Rossum reveals that when she wants to drop weight quickly, she cuts back on her cardio and does a lot of weights instead. She finds this counterintuitive, as one might think they should stay on the treadmill for five hours. She also cuts out all fruit and eats a lot of protein and vegetables. Her go-to moves are walking lunges, leg raises, and four sets of 15 ballet pliés, holding 8-pound weights.
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During filming of "Beautiful Creatures," she ate 1,500 calories a day, with meals sent by nutritionist Carrie Wiatt from L.A. Rossum also gave herself two cheat days a week, indulging in foods like steak and fries, an ice cream sundae, and Pinkberry.
Meal Preparation
Rossum has become a stress cooker, not a stress eater. She roasts a bunch of carrots and makes some fish and cauliflower rice, so she knows what she’s putting in her body. That allows her to have a really good relationship with what she’s eating-avocados and healthy oils, good starches, and foods that are going to fuel her for the rest of her week.
There are many benefits of prepping your own meals like the star. It’s not only healthy for your pocketbook, but it’s also great for weight loss since you know exactly what you are putting into your body, and how much. And if you take a page from Rossum’s recipe book, you’ll be reaping many health benefits, too. Lean protein, like fish, as well as fibrous veggies, like cauliflower, and healthy fats are not only all ripe with essential nutrients but help you stay satiated longer.
Body Positivity and Self-Acceptance
Rossum emphasizes the importance of body positivity and self-acceptance. She doesn’t weigh herself. Rossum said, "I think it’s vital that we stop focusing on unimportant things, like a number, and start thinking of our real worth as what we’ve accomplished, as well as the things that make us unique and strong." She started the “I Weigh” movement on Instagram in order to promote body positivity. While making the goal to “lose ten pounds” is a good starting point for a goal, it’s important to know that a scale doesn’t tell the whole story when it comes to weight loss and fitness. For starters, our weight continuously fluctuates from morning to night (and especially after you’ve just eaten or drank a lot of water). Also, a pound of fat and a pound of muscle weigh the same but look different. So while you might be losing fat and gaining muscle, you could potentially weigh the same. And possibly the most important part? The actress put it best: “The idea that stepping on a piece of metal is how you should define yourself? I don’t think so!”
Rossum acknowledges that she won't wake up like Gisele, recognizing that genetics play a role in body type. She states that she is fit because she makes it a priority and it’s part of her job and tries to stay confident, so 5 pounds up or down doesn't affect her brain.
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Dietary Preferences and Habits
Rossum has been off wheat since she was about 13 years old, so almost forever. She went off cow’s milk, not off dairy completely because she still eats dairy and some cheese. But other than that, she eats everything. She eats sugar, she eats carbohydrates, she eats gluten-free breads. Some of her favorites are roasted chicken and roasted vegetables. She loves eggs, she loves omelets. She loves Burrata so much and sushi.
Breakfast is her favorite meal. If she goes out for breakfast usually she’ll have an egg dish or she’ll make eggs. She loves shakshuka, which are eggs with tomatoes and eggplant and kale, or she’ll fry up eggs with sautéed spinach, or she’ll make a smoothie. She works with a nutritionist in California called Kelly LeVeque. She makes a smoothie with almond milk, almond butter, spinach, and vanilla protein powder. It’s actually delicious. You don’t taste the spinach. She will use yogurt or protein powder but she’s not into bee pollen and stuff like that.
A Balanced Lifestyle
Rossum emphasizes the importance of a balanced lifestyle, incorporating regular exercise, a healthy diet, and self-care practices. She acknowledges the pressures of conforming to beauty standards but advocates for staying true to oneself. She recognizes that natural means true to yourself.
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