Kate Upton Says No to Crazy Bridal Diets for Wedding to Justin Verlander: 'I Never Get on a Scale'

"What really matters is how good I feel," says 24-year-old supermodel Kate Upton

Kate Upton is starting to plan her wedding!

After announcing her engagement to Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander, 34, last May, the 24-year-old supermodel wasn’t ready to rush down the aisle. But now, a full year later — and after attending the Pronovias bridal fashion show in Barcelona recently — she tells PEOPLE she’s finally ready to start the process.

“This is the first time I’m actually looking at dresses,” the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model says of the fashion show, which featured the Spanish house’s newest designs. “This is the perfect place to start because they’re so known for wedding dresses. It’s an iconic place so I can figure out where I’m going to go on my special day.”

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She says her own dream gown is “something that’s classic, with a sexy twist.” Though, whatever look she ends up in, Upton knows her future husband will approve: “Justin is so supportive and I don’t think that he would honestly have a strong opinion in that way,” she says. “He’s a lover, not a judger.”

No wonder she calls her fiancé “my perfect partner” — “Our relationship is my favorite thing about my life right now,” she says.

RELATED VIDEO: Kate Upton Reveals Her Dream Honeymoon and If She Wants Kids

One thing she won’t be doing, though? Trying any crazy bridal diets. “I never get on a scale because you can’t judge yourself for how much you weigh,” she says. “What really matters is how good I feel.”

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Rather, she’s been working with trainer Ben Bruno for over a year and a half to boost her fitness and confidence goals — rather than any weight goals (he also trains Chelsea Handler and The Big Bang Theory‘s Jim Parsons, among others). “Ben is an amazing trainer,” she says. “He really keeps you moving forward and staying competitive with yourself to try to have the best workout that you personally have ever had to make you feel and look your best.”

She and Bruno share the same philosophy, she says: “I reached a place in my career where I didn’t think of my body as something that I wanted to fit into a certain size; I started looking at my body as a function to help me live my life the best I can — to have energy and to feel strong.”

In turn, she has noticed changes. “I’ve noticed my body changing in the fact that I have more energy, I feel stronger, I’m able to recover faster, whether it’s from jetlag or from a hard workout,” she says. “Things like that help you enjoy your life more and have the best use of function from your body.”

Tell us: Did you try any crazy bridal diets before your wedding?