As I was sitting in my dorm room on what I thought to be a normal Monday night, I opened my phone to find all of my social media feeds flooded with photos of unrealistically fit, long-legged women. If you’re on any sort of social media platform, you probably know what I’m talking about: the annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Every year, women and men of various ages crowd around their TVs to watch world-famous models strut down the runway in ridiculously over-the-top lingerie. There’s no doubt that these models are beautiful, but the problem is, many of us don’t see the hard-work that they dedicate their entire life to. Their everyday routines include rigorous workouts, insanely strict diets, and harshly regulated schedules. Granted, they all are genetically gifted with slim body types, they are constantly working on toning and shaping their muscles.

Regardless of their hard training, thousands of young women across America begin to question their body types during and after the show. Jeans suddenly begin to feel tighter, and you may start re-thinking your last piece of pizza. The thing is, the models that we are comparing ourselves to simply do not have much of a realistic body type. It is obviously attainable, but only if you practically dedicate your whole life to it. Sure, that Victoria Secret Angel probably wouldn’t be sitting on her couch watching TV and eating pizza, but you also have a lot of things that she doesn’t have (more than 10 minutes of daily free time, a somewhat flexible schedule, etc.). Comparing ourselves to a woman on a TV screen will get us nowhere. Recognizing our own strengths, abilities, and gifts will lead us to live a life free of compromise and self-doubt.

Regardless of what society tells us, being beautiful does not mean being physically toned, waxed, and bronzed. So eat that extra piece of pizza, unbutton your jeans, and embrace your quirks, flaws, and belly rolls… but most importantly, remember to love yourself while you’re doing it.