Jessica Simpson "Empowered" by Weight Criticism, Still Felt Like a "Sex Symbol"—Watch Now

Now at her goal size, newlywed tells Today she " just feel(s) more comfortable in my skin."

By Rebecca Macatee Sep 24, 2014 4:03 PMTags

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Jessica Simpson is happier than ever these days!

"I'm doing amazing," the newlywed mama mogul gushed to Matt Lauer on Today Wednesday. "I really am...It's the most exciting time!"

When asked why she and hubby Eric Johnson chose July 5 as the time to get married, Jessica quipped, "Well, we had two babies. We figured, why not?" Really, though, the couple was "already engaged," she said, "and then I got pregnant—oops!"

Of course, those surprise baby blessings, 2-year-old daughter Maxwell and 14-month-old son Ace, are now the light of their mama's life! Like a lot of other moms, though, Jessica struggled to get her pre-baby body back.

Her post-baby body was harshly criticized by the media, something Jessica said "empowered me to rise above and stand up for all the women out there that do have trouble losing the weight."

"It wasn't really my priority to please the public and make them feel like I'm supposed to be looking like i did when I was 25," she said.

When Matt asked whether there was an added pressure to lose the weight quickly because of her Dukes of Hazzard-era days as a sex symbol, Jess replied, "I don't think that I wasn't still a sex symbol [with the weight]. To my husband, I was still extremely sexy."

"I'm not saying they didn't hurt," Jessica, a Weight Watchers spokeswoman, admitted of the negative comments about her body. "I have feelings and hormones. I got emotional about it at times, but if anything I just kind of wanted to be a champion for other women and say, 'We can do this.'"

And now that Jessica's reached her "goal weight," she said she "just feel(s) more comfortable in my skin."

It definitely shows!

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