Demi Lovato doesn’t always feel as confident as her hit song might have you believe.
“So, I’m insecure about my legs in this picture but I’m posting it because I look happy and this year I’ve decided I’m letting go of my perfectionism and embracing freedom from self criticism,” began Lovato in a Thursday, January 4, Instagram post.
In the photo, the 25-year-old pop star posed at the beach in a black and white Neda one-piece bathing suit.
“Learning to love my body the way it is is challenging but life changing,” Lovato continued. “Giving up my eating disorder has been the most challenging journey of my life but I work every day towards solid recovery even if I mess up sometimes. Today I”m feeling strong. You all can do it too. It IS possible. Thank you God for this new chapter in my life. #EDrecovery #happyAF.”
The messaged has been liked nearly two million times so far.
Lovato opened up about her battle with bulimia in her YouTube documentary, Simply Complicated, and explained how her June 2016 breakup from boyfriend of six years Wilmer Valderrama caused her to fall back into unhealthy habits.
“When I was in a relationship with Wilmer I went three years without purging and when we broke up that’s one of the first things I did,” she said to her manager, Phil McIntyre. “The less I have to think about food, the easier it into go about having a normal life and I don’t want to let anybody down so when I do have moments when I slip up, I feel very ashamed. What started the release was missing Wilmer. And when I feel lonely my heart feels hungry and I end up binging.”
Her struggles with eating began at an early age, Lovato recalled in the documentary. “I would bake cookies for my family and I would eat all of them and nobody would have any to eat,” she revealed. “That was my first memory of food being that medicine for me.”
Today, the musician finds comfort in physical activity instead of sweets. “The gym really helps and I know that I would be in a very dark place without it,” she said. “Working out is a form of meditation for me because I’m not focused on anything in my head. I can transport you to a totally different place.”
