American singer-actress Demi Lovato. Image: Instagram/@ddlovato
Demi Lovato candidly spoke about her eating disorder recovery, admitting she used to think that it was not possible.
“I used to genuinely believe recovery from an eating disorder wasn’t real. That everyone was faking or secretly relapsing behind closed doors,” said Lovato on her Instagram page, Dec. 25 (Dec. 24 in the United States).
“‘Surely she throws up here and there,’ ‘she can’t POSSIBLY accept her cellulite.’ Those [were] just a few of the things that I used to tell myself growing up,” she added.
Lovato showed a series of photos of her posing in a black one-piece swimsuit, which showed off her voluptuous figure.
Lovato, over the years, has struggled with her eating disorder and in 2010, left a concert tour to enter rehab for her bipolar disorder and bulimia nervosa. She was just 18 years old then.
Bulimia nervosa is a life-threatening eating disorder characterized by a cycle of binge eating and purging or self-induced vomiting, as per the National Eating Disorders Association.
But now, the 28-year-old shared with her fans that she is on the path to recovery and she couldn’t be more thankful for it.
“I’m so grateful that I can honestly say for the first time in my life — my dietitian looked at me and said ‘This is what eating disorder recovery looks like,’” she said.
She added that she has started wearing glitter paint on her stretch marks to celebrate her body and its features, regardless if society frowns upon them or not.
“My stretch marks aren’t going away so might as well throw a lil glitter on em’ amiright?” she said.
In the end, she encouraged her fans that recovery is truly possible.
“YOU CAN DO IT. I BELIEVE IN YOU. This year was tough,” she said. “Be gentle on yourself if you slip up and remember to get right back on track because you’re WORTH THE MIRACLE OF RECOVERY.” JB
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