Demi Lovato Used Her Stretch Marks To Show Eating Disorder Recovery Is Possible

While discussing her eating disorder journey in a candid Instagram post, Demi Lovato showed off her stretch marks in a beautiful, creative way and shared the progress she's made. The "Confident" singer admitted that she "used to genuinely believe recovery from an eating disorder wasn’t real," but has since gained a new perspective. "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 captioned the Dec. 24 photos in part.

To honor her gratitude for the healthier place she's in today, Lovato shared a series of photos from a quarantine shoot she did this summer "when I wanted to celebrate my stretch marks instead of being ashamed of them." Explaining that she started wearing "actual glitter paint" on her stretch marks "to celebrate my body and all of it’s [sic] features (whether society views them as good OR bad)," Lovato added, "My stretch marks aren't going away so might as well throw a lil glitter on em' amiright?"

Ultimately, she wrote she hoped her post would serve as a reminder that recovery "actually is" possible. "YOU CAN DO IT. I BELIEVE IN YOU," she wrote. "This year was tough.. be gentle on yourself if you slip up and remember to get right back on track because you’re WORTH THE MIRACLE OF RECOVERY."

Earlier this year, Lovato discussed her eating disorder on Ashley Graham's Pretty Big Deal podcast. "I'm tired of running myself into the ground with workouts and extreme dieting," she said, per Entertainment Tonight. "I thought the past few years was recovery from an eating disorder when it actually was just completely falling into it." She added her road to recovery was made "harder" by having "certain people around you that are telling you certain things that you should look a certain way."

That could be why she's heading into the end of 2020 with an evil eye-themed manicure. "Goodbyeeeeee toxic energy," she wrote in an Instagram story, also bidding farewell to the "energy vultures" in her life. "Don't let the door hit ya on the way out."