Camila Mendes in Bathing Suit Has a “Very LA Thanksgiving”

Camila Mendes is best known for starring as the iconic character Veronica Lodge in the CW series, Riverdale. But in real life, there appears to be far less drama: She’s often seen having fun on Instagram, including over the Thanksgiving holiday, where she posted a photo of her “very LA Thanksgiving.” In it, she’s wearing a bathing suit. How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Camila Mendes stays in shape and the photos that prove they work—and to get beach-ready yourself, don't miss these essential 30 Best-Ever Celebrity Bathing Suit Photos!

1. She Taught Herself To Cook

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Like many other people, Mendes decided to learn how to cook because of the pandemic. “I forced myself to learn to cook,” she tells Health.com. “It's funny, my mom went to culinary school and my grandma was a caterer. I think because I was spoiled by my mom, I never really had to learn. I began with a meal-delivery service, where they send you the recipe and ingredients—it was great basic training. I've realized I know a bit more than I thought. I must have picked it up somehow through my mom."

2. She Works Out On Her Own

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While Mendes works with a personal trainer, she also says that she’s comfortable working out on her own. She told Health.com “My trainer sends me workouts, and I do them on my own—I've realized I really like working out on my own. I feel like I can pay more attention to my form and what I'm doing.”

3. She Doesn’t Diet

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Mendes revealed to Health.com that she doesn’t diet, and she has a good reason for not doing so. “I had an eating disorder. I used to not eat carbs—but that would just lead me to binge on them after avoiding them for a while.” Mendes says she has a better relationship with food now. “As soon as I started listening to my body and eating what my body needed—which sometimes is eating the things I used to think were bad, like sugar and bread—I noticed a big change. The crazy lesson was that your body tells you what it wants and needs; you just have to learn how to listen to it. It takes a while to learn that—it's hard. And what one woman needs isn't going to be the same as what another woman needs. We're all different.”

4. She Goes To Therapy

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Mendes says that she always tries to take care of her mental health and well-being. “I see a therapist once a week—it gets me through a lot,” she said to Health.com. Mendes revealed that her therapist helped her get through her eating disorder.

5. She Practices Self-Care

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Mendes says that self-care is extremely important to her, and she tells Health.com that she has a few practices that she does. “I also have a gratitude journal,” she says. “I got it from a costar. You write a few brief things each day that you're grateful for. I never thought I'd be one of those people, but I love it. I'd love to journal more in-depth every day but just don't have the time. So with this, it's great because you're still checking in with yourself and you feel good because you've done something for yourself.” Mendes also says she loves to take baths. “Taking baths helped with the panic attacks. I also learned in those moments to put down my phone and take a break from technology and get in the tub with some music on and a book. I never did that before the pandemic, and now I love that I've learned to do that for myself.”