Nikki Bella’s new normal. The former professional wrestler has been “so frustrated” with her postpartum body since welcoming her son, Matteo, in July.
“I don’t feel sexy at all,” the Total Bellas star, 36, exclusively told Us Weekly on Wednesday, November 11, while promoting season 6 of the E! show. “Like, I don’t feel beautiful. … It’s so hard to, like, look at yourself in the mirror and just feel disappointed. It’s been, like, a huge struggle on me because even when I would fluctuate in weight, I was still toned and working out and felt good in that way. This was just something different.”
The California native added that it has been “really hard” that she can’t help comparing herself to her fiancé, Artem Chigvintsev, who is currently competing on season 29 of Dancing With the Stars.
“Artem’s dancing and getting more and more ripped,” the E! personality explained. “I’ll see him naked and he’ll be like, ‘Oh, I think I’m losing too much weight.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, that sucks for you. Like you sneeze and you have abs.’”
The “Bellas Podcast” cohost’s romance with the Russian dancer, 38, does, however, also help her “feel beautiful” at times.
Nikki explained, “Today I got the most passionate kiss before he left to rehearsals, and he’s good doing things for me that make me feel still good about myself and sexy.”
The Incomparable coauthor’s twin sister, Brie Bella, is also pushing Nikki to love her postpartum body, calling her criticism “crazy.”
Brie, also 36, explained to Us, “I think social media now makes us all feel that we have to be real thin, we have to be ripped, and it just kind of messes with your head.”
The two-time mom, who shares daughter Birdie, 3, and son Buddy, 3 months, with Daniel Bryan, has been documenting her weight loss journey via social media as well. In September, she said that she is “18 pounds away” from her pre-baby weight.
Season 6 of Total Bellas premieres on E! Thursday, November 11, at 9 p.m. ET.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
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