I will be avoiding the gym for the next couple days instead opting for my yoga mat at home. Sure, it may not be the greatest alternative, but it beats fighting gals motivated by the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show for an elliptical machine.

We don’t have cable at my house, but even if we did, I had much more important things to do than perch in front of the television on Tuesday night to watch models portraying the “ideal body” strut their skinny legs across the stage in 5-inch heels.

I just had no desire. I do not understand the draw of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. The show contributes to a body ideal that I will never achieve, no matter how many hours I put in at the gym. There are things about your body that you can control, such as your weight and your muscle tone, but there are also parts of you that you cannot change, like your height or your hip size.

I yearn for a society, and a fashion industry, that acknowledges that bodies are unique. Gals, let me repeat that. You are not required to look like Behati Prinsloo to be considered beautiful. If you do, congrats! Thank your parents for your genes.

If you don’t look like an Angel, find your own ideal body. Find a role model if necessary. There are many celebrities with realistic bodies. The key here is to feel comfortable with your body. Who cares what anyone else thinks about your body; do they have to live in it? Be healthy and treat your body with respect.