Abbott Elementary’s Lisa Ann Walter Wants You to Forgive Yourself for Falling Short of Health Goal [Exclusive]
Abbott Elementary star Lisa Ann Walter says the “all or nothing” weight loss mentality needs to pump the brakes and more people should encourage moderation to reach their goals.
“In America, it’s either all or nothing,” she told Showbiz Cheat Sheet. “Either you’re healthy and you hit the gym first! And you’re going to eat celery! And that’s it! You run every day. Then by the third week, you’re on the couch with a bag of chips.”
Lisa Ann Walter says ‘we have to stop killing ourselves’ to lose weight
Walter said she identifies with the cycle most people endure when it comes to health and weight loss. But also the mental beating she gives herself when she falls short of her goal.
“It’s the same for me. If I fail at the diet, I’m a failure and I’m just going to shove my face full of cake,” she said. “We have got to stop this killing ourselves with the whole you got to be a perfect number on the scale. You got to be one body type. You’ve got to kill yourself to achieve this. I think it’s much smarter to embrace moderation. And the idea that you’re not going to do everything perfectly every single day.”
She’s embracing her Sicilian curves too
Walter recently reflected on body image and how Abbott Elementary co-star Sheryl Lee Ralph got her to change the body negative narrative.
“Sheryl was the one who said to me, ‘You talk too much trash about yourself — I know you think it’s funny. You’re gonna stop that. You are beautiful. Your body is beautiful. I don’t want to hear negative [things],’” Walter told TheWrap at the NAACP Image Awards. “So I said, ‘Alright … that’s good advice,’ and it truly changed how I was.”
During her interview with Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Walter said she’s proud of her Sicilian curves. “I said on the red carpet the other day, as a Sicilian, I’m blessed with a nice [butt],” she said.
Lisa Ann Walter from ‘Abbott Elementary’ describes a fun new commercial
Walter’s humorous approach to body positivity made her the perfect spokesperson for Fiber One’s new “Fall off Forgiveness” campaign, which allows goal-setters who fall short to file a “claim.”
“That’s why I responded to this campaign because if you fall off, there’s forgiveness for it. And you have a little treat,” she said. “I gave myself one yesterday when I finished doing my taxes and that was my treat. And by the way, they’re not bad for you!”
The comical ad parodies the typical insurance commercial with Walter telling people if they fall short of their goal, they can file a claim with Fiber One. “I love the idea they came up with,” she said. “They made it a take on these insurance commercials, which I thought was so clever. I had so much fun doing it. We laughed the whole day when we were shooting it. The directors and the writers and the team that was in video village were like throwing out lines and coming up with ideas. And we just had a lot of fun doing it, so I can’t wait for people to see it.”
“But then the other part of it is there’s like a game involved. You go to FallOffForgiveness.com and register a claim, which I think it’s hysterical,” she said. “People actually are like, ‘I was at a party and I couldn’t help it. I had my favorite sausage and I just picked the whole stick up. And I stole it.’ I hope people are completely honest about their falling off.”
To participate in Fall Off Forgiveness Sweepstakes, those who have fallen off their resolutions are invited
to visit FallOffForgiveness.com for a chance to win a one-year supply of Fiber One through April 3.
