On December 5, the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show aired on television. Every year, there are showers of praises about how gorgeous and sexy these women are with their perfect bodies and hair while showcasing the latest lingerie styles. Approximately 6.65 million people tuned in for the event to watch models like Kendall Jenner, Adriana Lima, and Gigi Hadid strut their stuff down the runway with their angel wings and really high heels.

I was not one of the 6.65 million that watched the show since I had more important things to do like study for my graduate school finals and watch House Hunters to see if the newlywed couple chose the most expensive house or the more logical/practical choice (they always go with the most expensive option). As I was scrolling through my Twitter feed, I read tweet after tweet from friends about why they don't have a perfect body like the angels and how they need to go to the gym now to lose a crazy amount of weight. Whether sarcastic or not, I was greatly disappointed seeing these comparisons. I myself tweeted a poll asking what was better: watching the fashion show or eating a HUGE slice of cake — the cake won by a long shot. Still, these reactions upset me that we compare ourselves to these professional models in hopes of one day looking even remotely 1 percent like them in the future.

I'm not discouraging anyone who watches the show to stop by any means! I'm just giving my humble perspective, that's all. I usually don't tune in for the show unless there's a slight chance I'll be getting a call saying they need me as a last-minute substitute for one of the models (that hasn't happened yet, but you never know if Kendall or Gigi may get sick). Don't get me wrong, these women are insanely gorgeous! I give more power to them for constantly working out and eating super healthy to maintain figures like what they have for one renown night. However, I don't want to, nor do I need to, compare myself to them about how I should strive for their perfect bodies. It's not worth my time and energy — sorry, but not sorry.

The average body size for a Victoria's Secret Angel is about a 4 or 6 (don't quote me on this though), whereas the average size a woman in the U.S. generally wears is a 16. I personally fall under the average woman column, which is something that some people may not want to admit. I've personally struggled with my self-esteem and body image for a very long time, stemming from my middle school years. I'd constantly wear baggy clothes, pants, long-sleeved shirts or sweaters to cover myself, especially in the summer. My stomach was large, my boobs were huge, my arms and legs were thick from playing sports, my feet were too long, and my butt was big. I hated my body and the way I wore my clothes because they highlighted areas that were deemed unattractive. I was nowhere near the ideal body image, and I still am nowhere closer to being within that realm.

It's taken me years to try to get over this mentality (at least a little bit of it) and I still tackle it day-by-day. The size that I wear now at 23 is pretty much the same size I wore when I was 15 — hell, my senior year prom dress still fits like a glove! What's significantly changed between then and now is how much of a better appreciation I have for myself. I've learned to love what God gave me and appreciate what my folks passed down to me, especially in challenging times. I joked around saying how I could do some subliminal advertising wearing a tighter t-shirt with words on the chest for schools or companies if they needed it; I've also said how much I'd give these angels a run for their money if I was allowed to strut my stuff down the catwalk in sweats — the tough choice would be if I go with my Spongebob slippers or my fuzzy frog ones. But really, I'd knock that category out of the park, no contest.

I've finally learned to love my curves and flaws. I've slightly upgraded my wardrobe from sweats and t-shirts to jeans and nice top, loving what I wear any time I look in the mirror. Should I try to lose a little bit of weight in the "problem areas" that I still have? Absolutely. Do I have moments where I wish I could be skinnier and where I can be regarded as sexy showing off some skin? Sure. But I'm happy with the way that I live my life in terms of health. I work out to relieve stress, I eat relatively healthy and regularly, and I wear clothes that flatter my figure. I can sit here on the couch and complain that I won't ever achieve a body half as perfect as one of these models, but I don't. I'll make that change if and when I have to, but I'm at a place where I'm at my happiest — why would I mess up a good thing going for me? Until I get that request to start perfecting my model walk for the runway, I'll be kicking my feet up on the couch, watching some type of game or catching up on Netflix, as well as having my cake, and eating it, too.