Jessie James Decker<\/strong><\/a> has been known to confront body-shamers<\/a> over the years, but her confidence didn\u2019t come easily.<\/p>\n The 35-year-old exclusively opened up about her relationship with her body<\/a> in the new issue of Us Weekly<\/em>, confessing that having children<\/a> caused some major changes. (She shares Vivianne, 9, Eric Jr., 7, and Forrest, 5, with husband Eric Decker<\/strong><\/a>.)<\/p>\n \u201cYour body changes so much and so quickly. I think I struggled with it,\u201d she told Us<\/em>. \u201cI was a petite little thing my whole life. And I gained 55 pounds my first pregnancy \u2014 my body hurt, my back hurt, I had tendonitis, carpal tunnel. It was so painful.\u201d<\/p>\n Decker recalled that \u201cit took so long to lose the weight\u201d she put on before giving birth to Vivianne. Her candid approach to discussing her own postpartum experience<\/a> stems from recognizing that \u201cwomen struggle with it so much.\u201d<\/p>\n After her pregnancies, Decker \u201cwas not one of those women who breast-feeds and the weight melted off\u201d \u2014 and she wants other moms to know that \u201cit\u2019s OK\u201d to embrace the change<\/a>. \u201cYou just grew a baby in your body and it\u2019s OK if it\u2019s not melting off,\u201d she told Us<\/em>. \u201cIt took nine months and it may take that time or longer to get it off. So just focus on your baby and what a miracle it is.\u201d<\/p>\n Decker had her \u201cmoments\u201d while adjusting to the way her body \u201ccompletely changed\u201d after giving birth<\/a>, but she told Us<\/em> that she\u2019s learned to shift her focus<\/a>. \u201cI love to eat and don\u2019t hold myself back when I want to enjoy. I don\u2019t restrict myself,\u201d she said. \u201cI put on more than I should for my height and weight and it\u2019s just what happens. It\u2019s life and that\u2019s the way it goes.\u201d<\/p>\n Instead of making weight loss her workout goal, Decker has \u201cput in the work\u201d to be more \u201cfit and strong.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to get my strength back because when I\u2019m strong I feel like I can conquer anything,\u201d she explained. \u201cIt\u2019s not just about being skinny. I love building muscle. When I\u2019m toned and have muscle I just feel stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n Decker knows it\u2019s natural for a person\u2019s weight to \u201cfluctuate\u201d \u2014 and she\u2019s not interested in following a strict diet. \u201cI am a foodie and I\u2019m Italian and I want to eat all the pastas and bread. I can\u2019t be the girl who just has lettuce,\u201d she teased.<\/p>\n Facing the heat from haters online doesn\u2019t make the self-love journey<\/a> any easier. In July 2021, Decker shared a tearful video after discovering the \u201cawful\u201d things being said about her weight<\/a> on a Reddit page.<\/p>\n \u201cIt does make you stop, and you look in the mirror and go, \u2018Is there something wrong with me?’\u201d she said via her Instagram Story at the time. \u201cIt is hurtful. I\u2019m such a strong and confident person and I always have been, but it does hurt my heart a little that people are ripping every little thing about me apart. \u2026 I think we all need to do better.\u201d<\/p>\n Decker later thanked her supportive fans<\/a> for helping boost her confidence, and the moment has stuck with her ever since.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted people to understand that I\u2019m just like them<\/a> in these scenarios,\u201d she told Us<\/em>. \u201cI wanted to be vulnerable. That\u2019s why I like to share. And when I see DMs, I know there\u2019s an amazing community of women and I wanted them to know it sucks and I get you and I am in this with you. I always think that\u2019s important.\u201d<\/p>\n Watch the video above \u2014 and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly<\/em> \u2014 for more from Decker.<\/p>\n![\"Jessie](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Jessie-James-Decker-Says-Body-Image-Isn-t-Just-About-Being-Skinny-I-Don-t-Restrict-Myself-307.jpg?w=700&quality=86&strip=all\")
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\n Jessie James Decker.<\/span> Michele Eve Sandberg\/Shutterstock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n