Jorja Fox admits she has trouble seeing herself as the beautiful woman she is today. “Up until the age of 17, I was an overweight kid,” she says. “So I still see my body that way sometimes. It stays with you.” Lately though, Fox has been feeling more comfortable in her own skin, having landed a coveted role as crime scene investigator Sara Sidle on last season’s top-rated freshman drama, CSI. Fox, a self-admitted tomboy, says she prefers outdoor exercise to the confines of a gym. “I’ve never even had a membership!” - Alexis Iacone.

WORKOUT “I try to work out every day. Of course, it ends up being like every other day. I do stuff outside. I grew up on the beach in Florida, and everything there involved some kind of outdoor activity: surfing or waterskiing or swimming or hiking. And in California, there’s always some kind of outdoor sport to do.”

CARDIO “Hiking, surfing and running. I also take my dog out for long walks, throw the ball with her for a while and then we run together.”

FUEL “I really like to eat. Typically, I eat a lot early in the day, a big meal midday and a light meal at night. I’ve been a vegetarian for 12 years now, so I eat lots of soy products and fruits and vegetables. When I make bacon cheeseburgers, I’ll get all the ingredients from the health food store - like soy cheese and fake bacon. Or I’ll barbecue ribs that aren’t really meat.”

SLEEP “Sleep is key. I try to get a full eight hours a night. On the weekends, it might even be 10 or 11 hours. I know they say it doesn’t work to play catch-up, but it feels better for me.”

INDULGENCE “I love anything that’s home-baked.”

PEAK MOMENT “I just did a short film about dancers. There’s no nudity in it, but at one point, there were seven scantily clad women on the set doing a striptease. I had never done it before, so it felt really sexy and scandalous. I was free and vulnerable at the same time.”

IDOL “I saw Benicio Del Toro at the Golden Globe Awards. Even from far away, he was still this gorgeous person. There’s a little extra charisma or energy going on with that guy.”

MIND/BODY/SPIRIT KEY “I go to a spiritual center in Los Angeles. It’s not a particular religion; people of all religions are welcome. But I enjoy going someplace and experiencing other people. I find it balances my workout, which are more of a solo, almost meditative, time for myself.”

SPIRITUAL RETREAT “It’s all about being outdoors for me. Even when I was living in New York city, i would climb onto my rooftop to meditate.”