Demi Lovato Celebrated Their Stretch Marks with a Glittery Photoshoot

Demi Lovato has been open about their struggles with disordered eating and body image for years, frequently sharing with fans the ups and downs they've faced throughout their recovery. In a new Instagram post, they're honoring that journey with some gorgeous celebratory photos.

The post shows a series of close-up shots of the singer's legs in a black bathing suit, taken over the summer, they shared in the caption. Gold glitter is painted across the stretch marks on their thighs "in honor of [their] gratitude" for where they currently are in their eating disorder recovery, wrote Lovato.

"I used to genuinely believe recovery from an eating disorder wasn't real," they shared. "That everyone was faking or secretly relapsing behind closed doors. '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."

But now, continued Lovato, they're embracing their body instead of rejecting it. Referencing their sparkly photoshoot, the singer wrote: "I wanted to celebrate my stretch marks instead of being ashamed of them. I started wearing actual glitter paint on my stretch marks to celebrate my body and all of its features (whether society views them as good OR bad)." (

"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,'" added Lovato.

This isn't the first time Lovato has spoken candidly about changes in their self-image throughout their eating disorder recovery. At the 2019 Teen Vogue Summit, they shared that instead of focusing just on loving their body, they now try to shift their mindset to one of acceptance and gratitude. "We hear the term body positivity all the time," Lovato said at the event. "To be honest, I don't always feel positive about my body. Sometimes I do not like what I see. I don't sit there and dwell on it. I also don't lie to myself... All I have to say is 'I'm healthy.' In that statement, I express gratitude."

Fast-forward to 2020, and Lovato is still practicing body acceptance. "My stretch marks aren't going away so might as well throw a lil glitter on 'em amiright?" they wrote on Instagram.

Concluding their post, Lovato addressed those who might also be struggling with an eating disorder amid all the other challenges of 2020. (

"This year was tough," wrote Lovato. "Be gentle on yourself if you slip up and remember to get right back on track because you're WORTH THE MIRACLE OF RECOVERY."