Gina Rodriguez rocked surprising weight loss on the Golden Globe red carpet. The "Jane the Virgin" star's trim figure was all the more wow-worthy given her hypothyroidism diagnosis. In thyroid disease, or Hashimoto's thyroiditis, weight gain is symptomatic. The star says her sluggish thyroid makes it difficult to keep pounds off. What's Rodriquez's secret to staying healthy?
Gina Rodriguez beats the odds
Odds are Rodriguez will gain weight because that's what people with Hashimoto's disease do. Odds are her under-active thyroid will make calories and fat stick where a person with better metabolism would burn them off.
But the "Deepwater Horizon" star doesn't always do things the usual way, and, apparently, neither does her body. Instead of letting obesity set in, "Jane the Virgin" actually lost weight and rocked a very sexy dress at the 74th Golden Globe Awards. How? She put her positive, no-nonsense, pay-it-forward spirit to work.
It would be the easiest thing in the world for a person with thyroid disease to knuckle under. All too often, normal weight people diagnosed with hypothyroidism give up trying to maintain health and become overweight. When obese people with the disease learn that they will have trouble losing weight, they often give up. Obesity is a common outcome, and with it, comes numerous other life-threatening illnesses: Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, high cholesterol, and heart disease.
Gina does all she can to stay healthy. She's gone gluten-free, and, like Oprah (who also debuted big weight loss), she loves bread. She also works out, and enjoys walking, boxing, and jump-roping.
Gina Rodriguez is all about girls and diversity
Hypothyroidism is just one hurdle the 32-year-old has mastered. As a Latina, she understands the struggles of minorities.
After the #OscarsSoWhite outcry of 2016, Rodriguez began a #MovementMonday Twitter campaign. The goal is to showcase people (especially women of color) doing noteworthy things. She's also a champion of the poor but in a totally unique way. The Chicago native gave last year's Golden Globe dress to a girl to use for prom. She hopes that kids will pass on the love and generosity. She preaches a message of girl power, mental strength, and self-affirmation.
