Jamie-Lynn Sigler Speaks About Her Past Eating Disorder

Jamie-Lynn Sigler was honored last Thursday for her work as an ambassador for the National Eating Disorder Association. During her speech she recounted her own struggles in the past with an eating disorder.

"It's hard for me to even recognize who I was," the former Sopranos actress, 26, tells PEOPLE. "My reality was so warped. ... I knew I had a problem and wanted to get better, but I was not able to let go of my habit." She recalls one moment in particular â€" a meal with her family, when her father begged her to have some cake."I remember rationalizing that if I had that one piece of dessert, the next morning I would wake up and weigh 400 pounds," she says. "It sounds so wild, but for me it was true."

These days, Sigler remains in recovery, and works to keep the bad habits at bay. At one time, "I knew every calorie that entered my body, and I tried to measure every calorie that I could burn," she says. "So for me, any sort of regimen, any sort of ritual or rule when it comes to dieting or exercising, is bad for me."

This isn't the first time she has spoken about it, but she's one of the few who have gone through it, admitted it, and works hard to educate others on the disease. We need more women like Jamie-Lynn to come forward and let these younger girls know it's not worth putting their body through turmoil and to get help.

People