Ginnifer Goodwin: I've Been Dieting Since I Was 9

USMagazine, Tuesday, December 21, 2010, 3:56pm (PST)

"Big Love"'s Ginnifer Goodwin has a big secret: she's been dieting since the age of nine!

"I have been a member of Weight Watchers for 23 years and I'm back on it right now," she reveals in the January issue of Health magazine. "It's the only thing on the planet that doesn't dehydrate you or just make you miserable."

Growing up in Memphis, Goodwin admits she wasn't always so health-conscious.

"I really did go through a period when I was very little when I remember realizing that vegetables did not come out of the ground deep-fried," she recalls. "I changed my eating habits in fourth grade because I was a heavy little girl and I was unhappy."

"I remember my mom making dinner for me the first night that I was on this new program, and I burst out crying because the vegetables were green," she tells the mag. "I thought she was trying to starve me to death."

Now that she's older, Goodwin balances her diet with ballet classes and heavy cardio sessions at her local gym.

"I have a trainer who used to be a New York City Ballet ballerina, and she does a lot of hybrid Pilates ballet," she says. "I like the elliptical, 'cause I feel like I'm dancing. And I'm also big on speed-walking outside. Like, I'll speed-walk a couple of miles, get a cup of coffee, speed-walk back. It's so easy! Just break a sweat for 30 minutes and you're fine."

Though she sometimes still struggles with her appearance, the actress -- who's currently dating actor Joey Kern -- says that she's learned to embrace her figure.

"Even when I'm too heavy, I'm still confident because I never actually let myself go," Goodwin says. "I can be indulgent for six months and put on some weight, but I still never actually get to the point of being unhappy and self-destructive."

RELATED ON WONDERWALL & MSN:

See which celebs hit the beach in 2010

Find out which celebs have started their holiday shopping

Get the scoop on 'Big Love'

RELATED ON USMAGAZINE.COM:

PHOTOS: Stars who were bullied for their weight

PHOTOS: Hollywood's workout hotspots

PHOTOS: Stars who love their bodies

PHOTOS: How celebs fight food cravings