It’s the summer after my freshman year of college. Inevitably, I’ve gained weight. I mean really, which college student hasn’t? It’s hard to maintain your previous weight with so little available time to exercise, being on a food plan and continuous late nights either studying or partying. It’s hard to understand until you’ve gone through it. I actually didn’t even believe in the infamous “Freshman 15.” But, I now look in the mirror, and although I really believe every body type is beautiful, I’m disappointed in myself. It’s the first time in my life that I have really seen changes in my body. And my self-confidence is starting to wane.

When it’s someone else that’s worried about their body, we tend to think that person is crazy. We even tell them so.

We promise them that they look amazing and that they still would if they gained 25 pounds. Suddenly, when the tables have turned and it’s you worrying, things don’t seem so crazy. Every look at yourself in the mirror becomes a reminder to hit the gym and every stretch mark you find becomes a command to ignore your hunger.

Every young woman has experienced the pressure to be “skinny.”

And if you say you haven’t, you must be lying. No matter what “skinny” means to you, as we each have our different definitions of it, it’s upsetting when you don’t meet that expectation.

Leading up to college I was extremely thin and underweight. When I open my mouth in regards to my weight gain, people just roll their eyes. People always assure me that I had “wiggle room” and that it was probably good to put a little “meat on my bones.” It’s hurtful when people shake off my concerns as a cry for attention. No matter how thin or thick I was leading into college, I would still feel these frustrations that I’m experiencing now.

Whether you were a size 00 or a size 16, I’m sure it was a shock when your favorite pair of jeans no longer fit over your hips.

I’m sure no matter your weight, you were upset when you realized that extra bit of cellulite that may not have been there before. Even though, as women, we are all beautiful in our different shapes and forms, it’s hard to feel so “summer body” ready with all these new changes.

Although it’s hard to look at yourself in the mirror and not recognize your body, we need to learn to love every curve and mark on our skin. At the end of the day, there is nothing more beautiful than a girl with self-confidence. If you can look past or even embrace your flaws, you can own the world. Why let society tell you what beauty is? Why let people that barely know you dictate what you can wear or what you can eat? It sounds ridiculous, sure, but it’s a trap that too many young and easily influenced women fall into.

Rather than spend the month before summer stressing over losing weight, I’m going to teach myself to feel comfortable in my new body.

My health is still my priority. I’ll work out most days and watch what I eat. But there are plenty of days that I’ll want to stay in bed and there will be plenty of hot days that I’ll crave ice-cream. And that's ok. I won’t put restrictions on my life just to look a certain way.

Beauty shines from the inside out. Love your body as is, no matter how slim or how thick. Each change in your body needs to be embraced. Once you accept these changes, the world will too.