With the temperatures rising, many of us are facing an internal battle we dread every time the summer season comes along: to cover or not to cover. Whether it’s a choice between a one piece or a bikini for your beach trip or just a debate over whether or not to sport sleeveless top to work, discussions of so-called “summer bodies” spark feeling of insecurity for people everywhere, even celebrities.
While we all know that most of what you see on social media is fake, it’s still difficult to be our authentic selves online, especially if you’re someone who lives their life under the spotlight like Real Housewives of Beverley Hills star Teddi Mellencamp. But, in an act of radical body positivity, Mellencamp took to Instagram this week to share a photo of her real body—loose skin and all—in hopes of encouraging others to love and show off their bodies this summer.
Teddi Mellencamp Shows Off Loose Skin and Natural Curves in Instagram Selfie
“There’s no such thing as a ‘Summer body,'” the Housewife began in her bare-all Instagram post this week, where she featured an image of her over a decade ago covering her body collaged next to a current image of her in a chic black bikini, letting her natural beauty shine. “For years I would be anxious going to the pool or beach, uncomfy in myself, and thought covering up like in the left photo was all I needed,” Mellencamp wrote in the caption, “But really I was covering up insecurities rather than dealing with them head on. But even after I made my @goallinbyteddi lifestyle changes, there were things I would still pick at myself about, like the loose skin you see on my stomach in the right photo.”
Continuing on, Mellencamp made a brave and important promise: “I’m done covering,” she said, “It’s time to celebrate this body and everything it’s done for me. Because, what I’ve finally come to realize is that it’s the FEELING that matters: the feeling of you’re doing the best for yourself, the feeling of owning your story, the feeling of being kind to yourself and honoring where you are right now, and knowing that you are worthy. This is the true essence of a ‘summer body.’”
