I'm angry, partly because I didn't realize this sooner, and the other half of it, well, is because this whole thing is just bull.

As I scroll through my Instagram (as I do every five seconds), I see full-length mirror selfies of girls who've gotten so tiny. It wasn't like they were super overweight or anything like that to the point where they had a health issue; they were simply normal. A little bit of extra for everything—nothing wrong with that!

But these girls, who were acquaintances or friends I'd fallen off with, were working out like crazy and dieting so extreme that it just wasn't even necessary.

And I was getting annoyed by the words of endearment.

"Wow! You look so good, you lost so much weight!"

...Did she not look good before?

Just because she dropped from an Amy Schuler to a Selena Gomez means she suddenly gets all these self-boosting compliments?

So my question is, why do we strive to be smaller and not choose to embrace the size 8?

I see pictures on the daily of one of my icons for positive, female body-image, Ashley Graham, a plus sized model and self-image advocate for women globally. Think about it: this girl is a model. She's been in Elle, people! She could deprive herself of some of the best things in the world (like Dunkin Donuts and regular pasta) just to fit in with the other top models out there, like Miranda Kerr and Gisele Bundchen who've both represented Victoria's Secret. Instead, she decided to not conform to those types of standards that were pretty much controlled by all the modeling agencies in the U.S. Now, she's one of the few full-figured women in the public eye who promotes self-love and embracing a not-so-Victoria's-Secret-Angel body.

Ashley Graham for Sport's Illustrated 2015 annual swimsuit issue.

Now, if you follow Ashley Graham on Instagram, you would know that she has a healthy (but not deprived!) diet and works out daily. She's perfectly healthy and full-figured, aka normal. She's not "fat" just because she has wider hips, thicker thighs, no washboard abs, and a cellulite-free booty.

Society teaches us that having a slim waist, small thighs, and thin arms is the social norm for how a woman's body should be. Mmm, not really, though. Think about it: Hollywood is a speck of the world. The people who live there and thrive on their body as their moneymaker throw lots and lots of dollars for personal trainers, chefs, and while I'm on the topic, they also have a walk-in closet for shoes only. What is up with that!?

Look at my girl Jess Simpson. I understand she had a baby, blah blah blah, but was it really necessary for her to lose all that baby weight? God forbid she enjoyed milkshakes and long walks instead of sprint intervals as far as diet and exercise are concerned during her pregnancy.

If females in the public eye keep aiming to keep their body at an almost unattainable standard for women, what does that say to my friend's little sister who's a little heavier? What about that girl who's stomach bulges out a little while wearing a crop top, while her friends have no extra body fat? What message is that going to send to her?

All bodies are beautiful, no doubt, but instead of stressing to lose 10 or 20 pounds before school starts, maybe choose the alternative: learn to live happily with yourself and the body you have. I promise, you'll still be beautiful.