Let me just start by saying that, as we all know (and refuse to accept): the media absolutely loves to distort the way that we perceive the human body. Every health fad is a load of bull, that's why its called a fad. Hey, I'm a victim of it too. I tried Garcinia Cambogia and apple cider vinegar, lots of coffee, and a lot of other crap.

The ridiculous body standards that both women and men are held to is a recipe for disaster, not skinniness. A thigh gap is a genetic thing, it's practically unattainable for those who are not genetically predisposed to it. The fact that we can see some people's ribs is the same thing, some people are built for it, and often times it is not because they are "just skinny." Do not even get me started on this whole "ab crack" situation. You have to have next to no body fat in order to have it, or a genetic predisposition.

We live in a world where it is virtually impossible to be body positive. Someone always has a comment. Even those who are "skinny" or do have a thigh gap or ab crack are not able to be body positive because they are shamed for having an eating disorder. Beyond the fact that there is nothing wrong with having an ED (and those who do deserve all of the love and support that they need), some people are simply built skinny. Personally, I am NOT one of those people, I am neither here nor there and its definitely a source of insecurity.

We can want to be as body positive as we want, the reality is that we are constantly surrounded by body negativity. I'm not going to read off numbers. Every single body is different. And what is acceptable is what you feel comfortable with. That being said, when people, such as Taylor Swift, are called fat by the media outlets, it begins to warp what we perceive as "fat."

I was always taught that BMI didn't matter—that it was a rough standard of measurement that our doctors use to make sure that we are "normal." I was even never allowed to have a scale in my house because muscle weighs more than fat, and being relatively athletic, I had a decent amount of muscle.

Here's the deal: people talk a lot about being more accepting of all shapes, colors, and sizes. And while that might all be true, what truly matters is how you live your life and how comfortable you feel. No one has the right to tell you whether or not you are pretty enough or skinny enough. We all have flaws, and if what is driving yourself perception is the media, then it's time to think about the idea of Photoshop and media distortion. It's difficult to always be body positive when the world around you is constantly fake body positive or straight up body negative. No one ever said that the world was a welcoming place.

This all to say that only you can be the real judge. Body positivity begins with you. I saw a quote the other day that I thought was important; "if you can't fix it in ten seconds, it's probably not worth criticizing." That is a fair quote. No one should be telling you that they think you need to lose weight or question you if you plan on eating that cookie. You are a confident person who can make your own choices.