‘Jersey Shore’: Nicole Polizzi Is Focused on Being ‘Strong’ Not ‘Skinny’

Years of being a public figure have taught Nicole Polizzi that there will always be someone critical of your looks. That’s why today, the Jersey Shore: Family Vacation star is focused on being “strong,” not “skinny,” and remaining healthy enough to care for her three children.

Nicole Polizzi wants to be ‘strong’ not ‘skinny’

In an interview with E! News, Nicole Polizzi revealed that as she’s gotten older, she has changed her mindset regarding her weight. Previously, she wanted to be “skinny,” and now she wants to be “strong.”

“My mindset now is I don’t want to be skinny. I don’t want to be thin. I want to be strong,” Polizzi explains. “Like, I want my muscles back. I want to be able to run around [with] my kids, not be out of breath.”

“Or like, walk up the stairs and not be dying. So, my goal right now is to be strong and have muscles.”

Polizzi wants the ability to enjoy life with her three children, sons Lorenzo and Angelo, and daughter Giovanna. Her family, including her husband, Jionni LaValle, live in North Jersey.

However, Polizzi wasn’t always so positive about her looks. There was one time as a teenager when she wasn’t confident in her skin.

Nicole Polizzi had an eating disorder in high school

“In high school, I suffered from an eating disorder—not eating, anorexic. Cheerleading did that to me,” Nicole Polizzi revealed to E! News.

She continued that her confidence overrode negative feelings about her body. “But then I just felt so confident in myself. I was like, ‘You know what? Whatever, I don’t care what size I am. As long as I’m happy and I’m enjoying life, I don’t really care.'”

That mindset helped Polizzi when she was cast on Jersey Shore in 2010. She made a splash when she entered the cast’s Seaside Heights abode, saying, “Party’s here!”

“When I went on the show, that’s kind of where my mindset was. I wasn’t at my thinnest,” she added.

“And my body fluctuates so much because I’m so short. So, like, gaining five pounds looks 25 pounds on me because I’m only 4’9″, So it’s hard to maintain, especially after three kids.”

‘I never cared what anyone thought about me’

Throughout Jersey Shore‘s history, Nicole Polizzi’s big and bold personality made her the series shining star. She chalks that up to being herself and authentic, and viewers relate to her.

“During the whole show process back in the day of my weight fluctuating—like being very heavy and then losing weight—I never cared what anyone thought about me,” she said. “I was like, ‘I’m happy, I’m good, I’m confident. I feel confident in my skin no matter what size.”

She continued, “So, it never bothered me, thank God. But if I still had that mentality of my high school, I don’t know how I would have made being on TV and people talking about my body. Like, I probably would have cracked.”

Nicole Polizzi and her Jersey Shore: Family Vacation castmates debut season 7 of their long-running MTV series beginning Feb. 8. The debut episode airs at 8 p.m. EST.

How to get help: In the U.S. call the National Eating Disorders Association helpline at 1-800-931-2237.