We had the pleasure to chat with Health and fitness coach, body positive weightlifter, professional Nikon photographer, published model, motivational speaker beautiful Renee Moora Ferri.
Focused and dedicated to weight lifting and CrossFit, that give her the “thick fit look”, she partecipated in different races like the 2014 Malibu Spartan Race and the 2015 Opens CrossFit Games.
She coaches people worldwide, teaching them how to get in the best shape of their life through nutrition and fitness. Within her team, she has helped more than 100 people losing 400+ lbs all around the world.
Her mission is to to bring out the best and show people their true beauty through photography and health & fitness coaching.
Check our exclusive interview next.
Hi Renee, please tell us a little about you?
Ciao 😉 Renee here. I tried to choose between art, business and fitness and I couldn’t. So..
First and foremost, I’m a professional photographer and marketing strategist. Second, I’m a health coach, body positive weightlifter and motivational speaker.
I’m from Italy, currently living in LA, and I’m 24 years old.
Describe yourself in 3 words?
Determined, fierce, unstoppable.
Who has been the biggest influence on your life?
My incredible zen parents.
As an author, I would definetly say Abraham Hicks and Gabrielle Bernstein.
I need to mention my friends Lauren McAulay, Marilyn Brody and Monika Zands as well; they supported me through my darkest times and without them I wouldn’t be the person I am today.
How and when did you start into fitness and body building?
I started two years and a half ago, at the age of 22. Pretty recent uh?
I struggled with severe anemia since I was 11. I was so weak. The girl that couldn’t workout without feeling like dying (anemia makes it hard for you to get enough oxygen in your cells). So I just didn’t. I refused to workout any time I was asked to. Furthermore, I was incredibly ignorant about nutrition, as many Italian people unfortunately are, and I started gaining a lot of fat during college. I developed scary eating disorders like bulimia first and orthorexia then.. I literally hit the bottom so many times.
Being a photographer since the age of 16, I was living my life from the neck up. I was completely disconnected from my body.
When I moved to California I felt in love with the healthy lifestyle and I decided that I could feed my diseases and my laziness or I could start taking full responsibility of my life.
It hasn’t been easy. I was looking for motivation online 24/7 and I had different coaches to help me along the way. It took vision boards, showing up even when I didn’t feel like it, constant research, tons of books, the right mentors, an insane amount of personal development and unconditional self love to bring me where I am today, physically and spiritually.
What keeps you motivated to keep training hard and eating right?
Health. Stress release. And endorphins’ production. Honestly the phisycal appereance doesn’t mean much to me anymore.
I always say that if body building and body positivity had a daugther that would be me. I’ve been through a lot and I learnt how to accept any kind of form my body wants to assume. I would lift weights even without having results on my body, because I’m so in love with it.
Some people want me to compete, some people keep saying that I looked much better before weight lifitng.. But guess what? Who needs to be happy with herself at the end of the day is just me.
What is the biggest highlight of your career?
As a photographer, working for Rolling Stone Italy and hosting an exhibition about Alzhaimer where I’ve really put my heart and soul into (reneemooraferri.com/jeestunautre). I followed my grandma and one of my best friends’ granpa journeys during their last year of life.
As a health coach, every time I get to inspire somebody to heal or to recover from an eating disorder makes me think that everything I’ve been through has been worth it.
What is your workout routine these days?
I lift weights 4/5 times a week at Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach. I make sure I hit my macros and I eat enough during the day, so at night I have enough energy to lift. I get off work late and I go straight to the gym. It has become authomatic. Tip: keep showing up until it becomes part of you.
How much and what types of cardio do you do?
Soooo…. mmmm. I’m not a cardio girl. Don’t get me wrong it’s great. Just not my thing. I partecipated in Spartan Races, Crossfit games opens and LA Triathlon but I’ve never really had fun being out of breath.
Right now I’d do cardio only to release stress, to sweat out the sodium gained during the weekend or to get an alternative great booty workout on the Stairmaster/Treadmill. I get really creative and I do different types of squat/lunges/kicks/pistol squats/jump squats ON the equipment.
Do you have any diet?
I combine intuitive eating with IIFYM principles. Seriously, intuitive eating has been a life saver and helped me reconnecting with my body and finding out what I really need and I really crave.
Try this exercise: go to your favorite grocery store and ask your Inner Guidance to choose what to buy for you. Breathe deeply and listen carefully. It won’t lead you to what you usually consume, I promise.
What is your favorite healthy food? And your favorite cheat food?
To me, there is no such a thing as “cheat food”. Not anymore. This a way of living for me. What am I supposed to cheat on.. my life? Here is a little secret for you: it’s not about what you eat, it’s the energy you have around the food you eat that determines if you are gonna gain fat or not. Cortysol and negative thoughts are much more dangerous than calories at the end. Make sure you are sending love to your food, whatever it is.
Now we know you have been a photographer for over 8 years. Tell us about that?
In a nutshell, I am here to show beauty. I started when I was 16 years old (my dad is an incredible photographer and taught me the basics). It has always been part of me. I want the beauty all around me to shine bright. I see lines, patterns, details that other people usually miss and it’s my job to bring it back to their awareness.
What kind of photography do you prefer? (Fashion, Landscape, Portrait, Product Shot, etc)
I was born as a Street photographer, but on the streets I would always shoot old people, mostly smoking or eating junk food. I don’t know why, I’m just really attracted to it. So I moved to Portrait.
During this time I obviously shot pretty much everything (weddings, events, children, families, fine art, still life, fitness, editorial) but Street and Portrait will always have a special place in my heart.
Where we can see some of your work?
In five years from now, where do you see yourself and your career?
All I care about is to inspire other people to grow. Every day I ask the Universe: “Who would you have me help? Where would you have me go? What would you want me do?”
I wanna keep helping through photography, fitness coaching, motivation,
What music we can find in your iPod?
Tons of gangsta rap and sexy-bdsm vibe music.
Do you support any charity?
I volunteer once in a while as a photographer. I definetly wanna get more involved.
3 things you can’t leave home without?
Gym clothes, food (greek yogurt and cottage cheese with me all the time) and headphones to tune in to my beloved gangsta rap.
What do you think of Social Media?
It’s a powerful platform to share your inspiring message with the world. My fitness journey wouldn’t have been possible without motivation coaches and authors that have put themselves out there. So I’m all about it if it’s used in the right way. I get sad when I see that people who don’t deserve fame or that are sharing negative messages get so much following.. But oh well. The world is all about balance.
Where we can follow you?
ireneferri.com
facebook.com/ferrirene
instagram.com/ire.ferri
I’ll keep you inspired I promise 🙂
Favorite food: I adore random things like ravioli, eggs and peanut butter protein bars.
Song: Drinking in LA – Bran Van 3000
Travel destination: Italy (sigh), France, Netherlands
Celebrity Crush: Lady Gaga
Restaurant: If you are in L.A., try EnjoyEat. It’s the only original Italian restaurant with parmesan and prosciutto directly from my city.
Quote: “I guess I could be pretty pissed off about what happened to me, but it’s hard to stay mad when there’s so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I’m seeing it all at once, and it’s too much; my heart fills up like a balloon that’s about to burst. And then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold onto it. And then it flows through me like rain, and I can’t feel anything but gratitude—for every single moment of my stupid, little life. You have no idea what I’m talking about, I’m sure; but don’t worry….you will someday.”
Book: Marianne Williamson – A return to love
Movie: Can’t choose in between: The skin I live in – Dogville – Kill Bill Vol 1 – American Beauty – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – Vanilla Sky
Drink: Margaritas and protein shakes.
