Kate Upton Says Her Unretouched Health Magazine Cover ‘Is a Step Toward Embracing Real Life’

“The goal should be to be the best you can be—not try to look like someone else.”

Xandria James | Aug 13, 2019

Kate Upton is celebrating her body just the way that it is on the cover of Health Magazine. The three-time Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model sent the ultimate body-positive message by posing unretouched for the magazine’s September issue, and we’re totally in awe of her natural beauty–both inside and out.

“When you think about it, we have retouching everywhere now—and we don’t even know it,” Kate told the magazine. “People are staging Instagram shots and retouching those pictures. That’s the new norm. And then we believe that’s how people actually look, and think we should look that way too. So, for me, doing an unretouched shoot is a step toward embracing real life. The goal should be to be the best you can be—not try to look like someone else.”

We couldn’t agree more.

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It’s safe to say our girl Kate knows a thing or two about the pressure to look perfect, especially after giving birth to her first child last year. But she’s ready to shut down weight loss culture once and for all.

“I don’t want anyone to have to be in that negative space where they think, “Oh, no! I don’t fit into that size 2 dress,” she said. “You know what, who cares? Buy another one!”

For Kate, it’s all about feeling strong, rather than the number on the scale. Her fitness program Strong4Me, created with the help of her trainer Ben Bruno, focuses on just that.

“Instead of beating yourself up about the number on the scale, you notice when you get stronger,” Kate told Health. “It’s a healthier mind-set, one that took me a while to get to. That’s really what I wanted to share with others.”

And Kate is already making a difference. Just last week, she encouraged women to take to social media to open up about what gives them strength using the hashtag #ShareStrong. The response was inspiring to say the least!

Now that’s what we call GIRL POWER.

See all of Kate’s stunning photos for SI Swimsuit 2017: