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New Beverly Hills Housewife Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave Opens Up About Her Weight Struggles
"I was angry a lot of the time,” she shared about her health and fitness journey.
Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave may be the new girl on the 90210 block, but she's not holding anything back in the upcoming season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. In fact, the RHOBH newcomer opened up about her years-long battle with her weight during a recent interview with PEOPLE, which fans can expect to learn more about in the upcoming season.
Teddi shared that she has been "a weight fluctuator" her "whole life." She said she weighed more than 200 pounds when she was pregnant with her son Cruz, who is now 3 years old. “I thought it was just going to come off, but it didn’t," she told PEOPLE. "I was constantly complaining to my husband and my friends. I was angry a lot of the time.”
Teddi eventually found a way to help herself and others with their weight struggles. She started the company LA Workout Junkie where she offers fitness advice and accountability coaching. “I listen to how I feel, and I don’t punish myself,” she said. “There are some days I’m tired and grumpy and I want a tub of ice cream, but then I just have a bite of ice cream and go on a walk.”
Teddi shared on Instagram in August that holding herself accountable has helped her tremendously in keeping her health and fitness on track. "I work hard everyday and hold myself accountable. There is no magic pill or potion that helped me reach my goals but being held accountable and holding myself accountable made all of the difference in the world to me. I think women of all shapes and sizes are beautiful when they are feeling confident and comfortable in their own skin. I can say that I didn't feel very good about myself in photo 1 (and those highlights didn't help, JK. Ish)," she wrote in a post featuring a throwback photo of herself alongside a current pic. "I may still have moments of struggling with confidence now but I can say with 100 percent certainty that I feel proud about how hard I have worked and everyday that I have another client reach her goals, I feel beyond happy. This motivates me. If you are struggling. I feel you and believe that you also are capable of changing the path you are on."
Teddi previously shared on Instagram that she "was filled with sadness and anxiety" in the past when she "was eating and drinking anything I felt like." Now, Teddi wrote, she feels "a whole lot happier, healthier and more comfortable in my own skin." Teddi continued, "To each [his] own on how you want to live but making choices in my diet and workout has given me a lot more options and ways to step out of my comfort zone and create my own happiness. As I continue thinking about the woman I want my kids to see as they grow up, I [100 percent] want it to be someone that feels good about themselves and doesn't define happiness by what they have or have not eaten."
RHOBH fans will learn more about Teddi's background this season, including that she's the daughter of legendary rocker John Mellencamp, with whom she, along with son Cruz and daughter Slate, 5, are looking forward to spending the holidays. “They call him Peepaw,” she told PEOPLE. “He’s so much fun with them. We’re excited for the holidays. He told my daughter she can watch a movie and stay up late!”
We can't wait to meet Teddi when Season 8 of RHOBH premieres on Tuesday, December 19 at 9/8c. Until then, get your first glimpse of the new season, below.
