Outer Banks star Madelyn Cline talks past struggles with eating disorders and the need for self love

Actress Madelyn Cline is getting candid about past struggles with body dysmorphia and eating disorders. 

The 22-year-old star of Netflix’s Outer Banks appeared in a ‘Body Scan’ video for Women’s Health on Thursday, during which she talked about her experience.

Madelyn said her issues began when she was ‘younger, specifically when I was a teenager. 

Candid chat: Actress Madelyn Cline is opening up about past struggles with body dysmorphia and eating disorders

‘I think I was around 16 when I started working out a lot, and I would wake up every morning at 5 AM and I would work out for 30 minutes,’ the actress recollected.  

‘And it was super-rigorous cardio everyday.

‘And then, you know, it turned into “Why am I not achieving this body shape that I want?” So I started cutting calories,’ Cline continued.

Loving her body, now: The 22-year-old star of Netflix’s Outer Banks appeared in a ‘Body Scan’ video for Women’s Health on Thursday, during which she talked about her experience

Loving her body, now: The 22-year-old star of Netflix’s Outer Banks appeared in a ‘Body Scan’ video for Women’s Health on Thursday, during which she talked about her experience

From there, Madelyn said the disorder only got worse, as she piled on more exercise without proper nutrition.

‘I would eat like six almonds for breakfast because I didn’t want to counteract the cardio I just did. And then it turned into, you know, not feeding myself protein, and not feeding my body what it needed when I was working out so much. 

‘I worked out multiple times in the day,’ she added. ‘All I knew is, I wasn’t achieving a particular body image, and so I was angry.’

All grown up: Madelyn said her issues began when she was ‘younger, specifically when I was a teenager'; seen here in September 2018

All grown up: Madelyn said her issues began when she was ‘younger, specifically when I was a teenager’; seen here in September 2018

It came to a head, Madelyn said in the video, when she ‘was harming myself and starving myself in the process of trying to achieve that [body image].

‘That’s an awful place to be, especially as a teenager, when you’re idolizing a certain body type and you can’t achieve it.’

In the end, Cline credits her mother Pam for helping her to finally see things differently.  

In the end: Cline credits her mother Pam for helping her to finally see things differently

In the end: Cline credits her mother Pam for helping her to finally see things differently

‘My mom was a wonderful help in that. She would stand there in the mirror with me and we would list out things that I liked about my body,’ Cline shared. 

‘After that repetition, those things became solidified in my mind. I like my curves, I like my hips, and after a while I started to love my body. I became so much happier.’

Madelyn, who’s also made appearances in Stranger Things and the films Boy Erased and Once Upon a Time in Staten Island, also said ‘there’s nothing wrong with’ not being able to achieve a certain ‘body shape’.

‘You’re just not built that way, and that’s okay. That’s perfectly fine.’

Learning and growing: Madelyn, who's also made appearances in Stranger Things (seen here, center), also said 'there’s nothing wrong with' not being able to achieve a certain 'body shape'

Learning and growing: Madelyn, who’s also made appearances in Stranger Things (seen here, center), also said ‘there’s nothing wrong with’ not being able to achieve a certain ‘body shape’

'You’re just not built that way, and that’s okay. That’s perfectly fine,' she said

‘You’re just not built that way, and that’s okay. That’s perfectly fine,’ she said

The starlet, meanwhile, confirmed via Instagram this year that she’s in a real-life relationship with one of her costars from Outer Banks.

Madelyn and Chase Stokes, who plays her character Sarah Cameron’s onscreen love interest John B on the show, made things publicly official in June.

Currently, Cline and Stokes, 28, are wrapping up production on the second season of the hit show. 

With Chase Stokes: The starlet, meanwhile, confirmed via Instagram this year that she's in a real-life relationship with one of her costars from Outer Banks

With Chase Stokes: The starlet, meanwhile, confirmed via Instagram this year that she’s in a real-life relationship with one of her costars from Outer Banks