Stacey Solomon is one of our most relatable home-grown stars – and never more so than when she’s speaking about her weight.
The Loose Women presenter has had five kids, two in pretty quick succession with husband Joe Swash, but does the fact she’s got a few wobbles stop her from slipping into a bikini? Hell no! And woe betide anyone who says she shouldn’t.
A firm favourite with ED! readers, her candid Instagram posts are just what us ladies need to hear as we approach summer. Take it away, girl!
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Stacey Solomon on her weight
Just days after giving birth to new baby Belle, Stacey was back on Instagram, sharing a picture of the baby and the fact that she still had her bump. Rather than complain about it, though, Stacey told us that she loved the fact it hadn’t popped straight back.
“I love that I still have our bump. The best memory of growing you and the perfect little ledge to sleep you on,” she said in her caption.
The star has embraced her changing shape during her last three pregnancies with Rex, Rose and Belle. And she’s spoken out the fact that her body will never be the same as before she had kids – and she wouldn’t want it any other way.
Your body doesn’t define you
“Just be you and accept it, your body will change. I don’t think my body’s ever been the same, I don’t think it’s ever gone back since I’ve had children because the whole composition of my body changed after kids and everyone is going to experience it differently. It says nothing about you, it means nothing, it doesn’t define you and I think the most important thing is that we just entirely forget it’s a thing… you can’t win, you just have to eliminate it completely and not worry,” she said on Loose Women.
Easier said than done, I hear some of you cry – but the more women in the public eye that speak out in support of normal post-natal bodies the better. If enough mums are honest about their changing shape and size, and the fact that they don’t care because their body has done something amazing, the world will 100% be a better place. We all need to be more Stacey!
Beach body ready?
Now I’m a fine one to talk, because the thought of hitting the beach in a bikini horrifies me and would most likely scare small children. But I reckon it’s about time I changed my mindset. So what if there’s some cellulite and stretch marks on show, it’s hot and, really, we should dress accordingly.
Stacey, of course, said it best when uploading shots of herself in her new In The Style swimwear range. “Just because… I felt bloody beautiful today!” she said, before explaining that she never thought she’d “be the girl who got to do swimwear shoots”. Her followers were thrilled for her too, hailing her attitude towards her “real” body.
“I’ll be honest growing up society’s vibe did make me feel like I definitely wouldn’t be the girl who got to do swimwear shoots. So I’m marking these moments. So proud,” she said, before adding: “I love that I didn’t have to worry about my bum cheeks flopping out or having to shave within an inch of my life in any of these!”
And it’s not just on shoots that Stacey is happy to strip off and show off her curves. On holiday with Joe and the kids earlier this year she hit the beach and, where some of us might have edited our pics and selected the best ones for social media, that’s not the way our Stacey rolls.
“Joe took some really nice pictures. There’s not one I’m not putting on here. So grateful for these memories, so grateful for my family and so grateful for my body, that brought our family here,” she said.
Stacey’s vision for the future
By now you’ll have probably guessed that I’m a bit of a Stacey Solomon fan (my husband even had to talk me out of getting a copy of her tattoo at a gig over the weekend!). But I’m not ashamed to say that I love her, and I love all that she stands for.
If we could all just get in line and adapt to her version of the future, then I think a lot of issues teenage girls and young women face when it comes to their bodies could become a thing of the past.
Her hopes for daughter Rose as she grows are just beautiful: “Dear Rose, I hope you grow up and love who you are. I hope that love is never determined by your appearance. To the moon and back darling,” she said.
Stacey’s summer message
Yes, Stacey has body hangups, but she embraces them. More than that, she points them out and proudly shows them off. And this only works to 1, make me love her more, and 2, push forward the idea that there is no such thing as a perfect body.
This summer, if you’re near a beach and fancy stripping off, be more Stacey and just do it. Please don’t feel the need to cover up – you have a body, and it’s brilliant, so get out there and enjoy yourself.
After all, I have proof it’s what Stacey would want: “It’s going to be 34˚C in some places tomorrow,” she said recently. “Wear Whatever Makes You Feel Comfortable. You’re beautiful. Never let anyone make you believe otherwise.”
Read more: Joe Swash drops bombshell about expanding family with Stacey Solomon
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