Jessica Simpson Says 'It's Hard Not to See Your Flaws' but Loves Her Body After Being 'Every Size'

"I understand the mentality of all women, and I understand loving where you're at or wanting more, or wanting something better," Jessica Simpson tells PEOPLE

By

Nicholas Rice

Published on April 15, 2022 03:00PM EDT

Jessica Simpson is all about body positivity.

While chatting with PEOPLE, the singer and fashion designer, 41, says she believes all bodies — no matter their shape or size — should be celebrated daily.

"It's hard to not see your flaws first, [but] I think that, as a society, things are changing. And that's great because every body's being celebrated," she tells PEOPLE.

Pointing to her eponymous clothing collection and how it's crafted with women of all sizes in mind, Simpson explains that was "because I've been every size."

"So I understand the mentality of all women, and I understand loving where you're at or wanting more, or wanting something better," she says. "I understand that."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Simpson has famously dealt with weight gain and weight loss throughout the years — all while in the public eye — and says she's always shocked by her body's ability to go back to her pre-baby size.

"I always celebrate my body," she says. "The fact that it made children is unreal, ... but you just don't ever think you're going to fit back into things. It's crazy. A woman's body is phenomenal in what it can do."

Adding that she has "been happy at every size," with the exception of her weight "at the end" of her pregnancies, Simpson says, "I've definitely embraced myself."

"And I think that people get that with me, and they know that I'm being open and that I'm being honest about my life."

Want to get the biggest stories from PEOPLE every weekday? Subscribe to our new podcast, PEOPLE Every Day, to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.

Earlier this month, the "With You" singer and her family took a trip to Cabo San Lucas, where she sported bikinis during the fun-filled getaway — something Simpson didn't think she would be comfortable doing again.

"I never thought of being in a bikini again, because I was stretched out as big as the couch," she says. "So to be able to put on a bikini ... I just hadn't thought that was even a goal until I put it on, and I was like, 'I think I was afraid of that.' "

"It really made me emotional," Simpson continues, before explaining that she shared photographs of herself rocking the swimwear on social media as a way of reminding herself that "the impossible can happen."

"And for me, as a woman, to be able to look as good as I feel was a major moment," she adds. "You're proud of yourself and you deserve it ... [and you're] understanding yourself and feeling good on the outside. When those two things click, the sky's the limit."

RELATED VIDEO: Jessica Simpson Is 'Determined to Not Let Myself Down' as She Gets Back into Working Out

Simpson — who recently partnered with Flonase — says that she works out often, and her go-to exercise involves weight training, which she describes as being "something I love."

"I don't know why I've always loved it. Maybe because my papaw was a football coach, and he always wanted me to have big calf muscles, and I made sure I accomplished that in my life," she continues with a laugh.

"But I love weights. There's something about it that actually give me energy. And I know it burns fat," Simpson adds.

The Dukes of Hazzard star says she also enjoys going for walks with her husband Eric Johnson, with whom she shares three kids, because it keeps their bodies, and their relationship, in tip-top shape.

"For Eric and I, it's so good to walk, because we're creative on walks and we talk through things," Simpson says. "It's a really inspiring conversation. That's good for our relationship — and that's cardio."