Emily Simpson is sharing a message about body positivity following her recent weight loss journey.
“Around age 42 I gained 40 pounds and it wasn’t until now (age 47) that I was able to finally get it off and feel like my old self again,” Simpson, 47, wrote alongside Instagram videos of her at the gym on Tuesday, September 19.
The Real Housewives of Orange County star, who joined the show in season 13, clarified that she was always comfortable in her own skin.
“Just to be clear though… I rocked a bathing suit on TV for 5 years and never felt ugly or not confident in myself or my body. Not once,” she continued. “I am the strongest (mentally and physically) right now … at age 47 …and I will continue to improve myself daily. My only competition is Me ❤️💪🏻.”
In the lengthy social media post, Simpson also issued a message to her loved ones for showing their support.
“Thank you for following this journey with me and for those of you who are always kind and comment positive things … I appreciate you! For the haters out there.. I love you too! You motivate me daily to lift harder and eat better ❤️💪🏻🙌,” she concluded. “Thank you @paulinastein for texting me at 6am every morning and confirming that my ass would be at the gym by 7 💪🏻🙌😂.”
Simpson previously addressed her wellness journey, which began with trying Ozempic late last year.
“We finished filming in November [2022] and I remember we filmed the title cards and our showrunner sent a photo of me that he took with his cell phone. And honestly, I didn’t even recognize myself,” she exclusively told Us Weekly in July. “I was like, ‘Who is that?’ And then I was like, ‘Oh, that’s me.’ I really neglected myself those four months that we were filming. I ate too much, drank too much, didn’t go to the gym, didn’t work out and I felt really down, really depressed, really dark when we finished filming.”
After undergoing a full blood panel, Simpson decided to try the controversial drug when her doctor suggested it. (The FDA-approved injections are typically used to help Type 2 diabetes patients with weight management.)
“At that time I didn’t even know what Ozempic was honestly,” she recalled to Us at the time. “The doctor was just like, ‘Oh, there’s this new weight loss drug and it’s just been FDA approved and it’s great. I think it would really help you lose some weight and you’ll feel better and you’ll be able to get working out again and feeling more like yourself.’ And I was like, ‘OK, sounds great.’ Anyway, I did that in December. It was great for my diet. It really just kickstarted me into eating better and eating healthier ’cause it makes you feel like crap ’cause nothing tastes good.”
Simpson noted that she also adjusted her diet and exercise routine amid her journey, saying, “The thing that bothers me the most is that when people comment on the way that I look, they constantly say, ‘Ozempic, Ozempic.’ And it’s like, yes, I did use that nine months ago or however many months ago it was, but I don’t like that it discounts all the hard work I put in. I don’t care if you say that all you want, but at least gimme credit for seven days a week, getting up at 6 a.m. every morning and busting my butt in the gym every single day.”
