Demi Lovato Shares Untouched Swimsuit Photo to Combat ‘Perfectionism’

Demi Lovato posted an un-retouched swimsuit photo last week, announcing that she’s “letting go” of her “perfectionism and embracing freedom from self criticism.”

In the photo, Lovato is seen smiling and wearing a one-piece, striped bathing suit.

“So, I’m insecure about my legs in this picture but I’m posting it because I look so happy and this year I’ve decided I’m letting go of my perfectionism and embracing freedom from self criticism,” Lovato wrote on Jan. 4. “Learning to love my body the way it is is challenging but life changing. 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.”

Lovato added the hashtags, “ED recovery” and “happy as f—.”

The 25-year-old “Sorry Not Sorry” singer has long been open about her struggles with body image and drug use. In a 2016 American Way interview, Lovato said she didn’t think she would make it past 21 years old because of her struggles with body image, bulimia and drug use. She was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

“I lived fast and I was going to die young,” Lovato said at the time. “I didn’t think I would make it to 21.”

“Sometimes when I’m having bad body image issue days, I remind myself that I’d rather live in freedom from my eating disorder than worry about what people think about my body,” Lovato tweeted in April 2017.

She also revealed in a documentary last fall that she became addicted to cocaine when she was 17 years old and working for Disney. She said she had her last drink in 2012.

“I went on like a bender for like two months where I was using daily,” she recalled. “There was one night where I used a bunch of coke and I popped a few Xanax bars and I started to choke a little bit, my heart started racing, and I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God, I might be overdosing right now.’”

Lovato scored a big hit with “Sorry Not Sorry” last summer and released her latest album, Tell Me You Love Me in September.

In 2018, she will be working with Kate Hudson’s athletic line Fabletics, creating a new workout wear collection appropriately called the “Demi Collection.”

Photo credit: Instagram/ Demi Lovato