Actress Nia Vardalos received international acclaimed success for My Big Fat Greek Wedding which has been considered the best independent film of all time. Behind all the glory of the film Vardalos was batteling health challenges: “I have thyroid disease, and that coupled with the stress of infertility treatments and years of what I call ‘write a page, eat a snack’ syndrome led to a high blood-sugar problem,” Nia exposed in Glamour magazine. “So my doctor said, ‘You have two choices: drugs or diabetes. Actually, you have a third choice–you can lose weight.”
The Greek-American star has struggled with many diets without any success. She told About:“Before I was diagnosed with thyroid disease, I didn’t understand why I could hang out with my girlfriends, and just suck on a toothpick all night and gain weight.”
Nia’s doctor advised her that she would have to work harder than everyone else to get results in weight loss.
Nia expresses an optimistic view on her condition: “My basic philosophy is that it’s not an excuse, it’s not a crutch…it’s a motivator…For me, there have been several moments with my doctor that really brought clarity…My feeling is, everybody’s got something. For me, it wasn’t an excuse, it was an explanation.”
Vardalos managed to lose 40 pounds by following a low glycemic, reduced calorie diet and taking her dog for long walks. She even put it simply: “ditching the burrito and going for a walk”.
The 47 year old actress and screenwriter star is now in control of her weight loss but she makes sure it does not rule her life.
In closing Vardalos tells About that she values her artistic work over her efforts towards losing weight. “I don’t want to be lauded and applauded for having lost weight. But I do have control back. If any person in the industry is touting their weight loss as an achievement, they are losing sight of the fact that they are an actor or a creator of material first and foremost…For me to have this new found credibility because I’ve lost weight, is, for me, of all the achievements of my life, the least important. What’s important is that I’ve gotten healthy again.”
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