Like most women, Sofía Vergara would rather eat than exercise.
As the Modern Family star explains in Shape's November 2014 issue, "I heard about someone in L.A. who got hypnotized so they wouldn't eat candy. I'm seriously looking into that because I'm obsessed." The 42-year-old actress says she "has always been very happy" with her figure, but admits that her feelings towards exercise changed when she reached a milestone birthday. "I hit 40 and I started seeing a softness everywhere on my body," Vergara confesses. "I knew it was time to do something, so I did."
When she moved to L.A. in 2005, Vergara says she had to change her "mentality about food." Exercise was another matter. "If you live here, you can't always order the high-fat dishes like pasta with truffles. You have a little sushi, and when you're out with your girlfriends you order a nice salad," she explains.
Joe Manganiello's girlfriend believes the key to looking great is finding balance. "When I do indulge, I exercise a bit harder the next day," she says. "My workout motto is really simple: No pain, no cake!"
Vergara works with trainer Jennifer Yates and credits co-star Julie Bowen with inspiring her to work out. Still, she'll find "any excuse" to skip a session. "I'll say, 'Sunday? No, it's the Lord's day; I can't work out.'" But, she admits, "Being around Julie and seeing how motivated she is...I started to think more about it."
The actress has "bad knees," which means running is out of the question. Instead, Vergara uses a Pilates-like machine called the Megaformer, which has adjustable springs and pulleys. "With this machine, I was able to figure out what worked for me. I don't love it at all, but I love how my body's changing," she says.
"My body is looking better than it used to, but I wish I had worked out more when I was younger and taken it as seriously as I do now," TV's highest-paid actress tells Shape. "My niece is 21 and she loves exercising, and I tell her, 'Keep doing it so you don't have to go crazy with it when you're my age!"