Body Confidence Tips from Brooklyn Decker

By Ashley Mateo, SELF magazine

"I just try to be the best version of myself," says Brooklyn Decker. "Once I settled into that idea, I felt much more comfortable with myself and what I could do." Get her tips for looking and feeling your best, all the time.

Find the silver lining. "I moved [to New York] to be a fashion model. I wanted to do runway. I wanted to be in the pages of these high fashion magazines, and I failed miserably. That's how I ended up doing stuff like Sports Illustrated. Because my want for this high fashion supermodel life completely failed. You look for pictures. There will not be one picture of me walking on a runway. It's not because I didn't try, it's because I failed at it. Now, I'm doing movies. So it definitely worked out for the better."

Related: Go behind the scenes at Decker's cover shoot!

Think about what you can vs. can't do. "When when I started modeling, I used to worry about what I shouldn't eat. Don't eat carbs, don't eat this, don't eat that. Instead of restricting yourself, just fill your body with goodness--antioxidants, fiber, protein. When you start thinking of food as fuel, your mentality changes for the better."

Consider capability over vanity. "When I first started modeling, I really hung onto the size of my body. Now, it's so much more about capability. When I'm filming and I can go hiking for four miles or lift something heavy in a scene and I don't get exhausted, that's where I notice the benefits of exercise. It's not about size. It's about endurance, how much I can lift, how strong I feel. I'm a lot stronger, because my body is healthy and I'm not concerned with size. It took me a long while to get here, but I really appreciate it."

Related: 5 secrets to keeping your new year's resolutions

Have a realistic role model. "Heidi [Klum] and I have similar bodies. We're both athletic and we both have curves. That was not and still isn't so accepted in the fashion world. There was a lot of pressure from designers and photographers, and you can imagine the kind of mental toll that takes on you. You put so much stock into trying to be skinny and you put so much stress on your body. You can't wreck your body like that that, especially that young. I have an enormous amount of respect for [Heidi] and the way she's gone about her work."

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