Kyle Richards marks 2 years of sobriety with inspiring message: 'I feel strong'
"I want to wake up every day feeling my best."
Kyle Richards is marking a milestone on her sobriety journey.
The "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star, 55, took to Instagram on July 18 to celebrate two years without alcohol with a gym selfie and a reflective caption.
"This week was my 2 year anniversary of being alcohol free (July 15th) I can remember a time when the idea of going 2 weeks seemed impossible," she wrote. "I'm proud of the fact that I've had the willpower to stay on this path."
"I know many people would love for me to start drinking again. Even friends with the best of intentions," the "Halloween" actress continued, noting that everyone loved "Party Kyle" when she was drinking.
She added, "I think that was the hardest part of all of this. The resistance from others. The old me, the people pleaser, did struggle with that aspect of it. And I realized right away that I wasn't going to have a ton of encouragement."
Richards said she has "dropped enough splits and whipped enough pony tails to know when it's time to call it a day" -- joking she still lets loose from time to time -- but noted that she has prioritized herself on this journey, saying "my mental and physical health became a lot more important to me than feeling like I had to be 'on' at a party or social setting."
"I'm not going to lie… the fact that I looked better because I wasn't drinking was also incentive to not veer from the road I am on," the reality star continued. "But the real reward is how I feel on the inside. I feel strong, energetic and grateful for my body. I want to take care of it like it has taken care of me. It would have been a lot harder going through these difficult times if I had been drinking."
"I want to wake up every day feeling my best. Mentally & physically strong enough to face whatever comes my way," she wrote.
Richards ended her post by saying she's grateful for strangers telling her she has inspired them to quit drinking, saying that "makes me happy and inspires me in return."
One of Richards' four daughters, Alexia, praised her mom with a supportive message in the comments, writing, "Yes 🔥🔥🔥 So proud of you my strong queen."