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Kristin Cavallari is ready to show off the results of her fitness journey. On Thursday, the _Very Cavallari_ alum, 35, shared an Instagram photo of herself rocking a black bikini while

looking out at the ocean. She also posted two throwback photos of herself before adopting a healthier lifestyle. "I've been sitting on this picture for a few days going back and

forth on if I should post it or not. Ultimately I decided to bc I've come a long way from a few years ago and I'm really proud of the progress I've made," Cavallari — who

split from husband Jay Cutler in 2020 — captioned the snaps. "I don't even recognize the girl in those other 2 photos..and no, I never had an eating disorder..that was purely

stress." She added, "I work out really hard and am dedicated to a healthy lifestyle and I think just because I'm a mom doesn't mean I can't be proud of my body and

be comfortable in my skin. So, here ya go." The Uncommon James founder recently opened up to _Us Weekly_ about feeling confident in her new body after developing a fitness regime that

makes her feel "the best I ever have." "I've put on a lot of weight in the last few years, but in a good way," she told the publication. "My goal is sort of,

right now, just to maintain the muscle that I have. I'm not trying to lose weight," she added. After looking at photos from her past, Cavallari revealed that she was "shocked

at how thin" she used to be. "I didn't realize it at the time, how thin I was. So I'm happy that I've put on weight," she shared. The_ Laguna Beach_ alum

revealed that she no longer uses a scale to track her weight and is focused on building her muscle through workouts with a professional trainer. "I'm really petite. I have no hips.

I'm just small. And so if I don't work out for like a week or two, I feel like all my muscle goes away," she said. "So it is about consistency for me." "He

kicks my ass. He pushes me really hard. He has me actually lifting really heavy weight, the heaviest weight I've ever lifted in my entire life," she added. "I feel the best I

ever have. I feel like I'm the strongest I've ever been." RELATED VIDEO: KRISTIN CAVALLARI SAYS SHE'S 'GROWN UP' A LOT SINCE JAY CUTLER SPLIT: I'VE

'CLOSED THAT CHAPTER' _NEVER MISS A STORY — SIGN UP FOR __PEOPLE'S FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER__ TO GET THE BIGGEST NEWS OF THE WEEK DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX EVERY FRIDAY._ When

she's not working out with her trainer, she exercises on her own and even hits some steps on the VersaClimber — all while sticking to her "healthy lifestyle" that involves

very little alcohol. "I feel like I'm only doing the things that I really love right now and that feels really good," the mother of three told_ _the outlet. "My work-life

balance right now is at a perfect place and I'm really thankful for that."