Teddi Mellencamp is giving herself a pat on the back.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum, 42, recently took to Instagram to get honest about her body image journey over the years and vowed not to allow her insecurities to keep her from living life to the fullest.
"There’s no such thing as a 'summer body,'" she began in the caption below side by side photos of herself to show her weight-loss progress. "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."
"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," Mellencamp, who is now an accountability coach, revealed.
Despite still battling with her inner demons, the reality star has been eager to think more positively about the way she views herself. "But I’m done covering. It’s time to celebrate this body and everything it’s done for me," Mellencamp made clear.
"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,'" the mother-of-three noted.
Before signing off, Mellencamp encouraged other women to come forward with their stories about how they learned to love themselves and their bodies. "Yes! It’s the Feeling that MATTERS! And yes celebrate! Thank you for the reminder!" one fan wrote in the comments section.
"There needs to be so much more of these words of wisdom \- for young teenagers through to older lovely ladies! Thank you for posting 💕," a second social media user added.
"I’m loving this!!! It’s so true… everyone has insecurities about something, but loving ourselves is most important!!😃💪🤗💕" another chimed in.
In 2022, the Bravo alum got vulnerable about gaining a few pounds after competing on Celebrity Big Brother. "Today I stepped on scale for first time since going away 20 days ago," she wrote below a picture of herself in a bikini. "Not as punishment but to see where I am after nonstop candy and cakes in @bigbrothercbs. I gained 10 lbs while there."
"It's not about a number on the scale but how I feel when I am eating clean and taking care of my body and mind — my anxiety decreases," Mellencamp added. "Today I am posting to hold myself accountable to making my overall health a priority again."