There is an unbelievable amount of pressure for men and women to adhere to unrealistic standards of beauty set out by the media and Hollywood, and the constant promotion of these images has resulted in us finding it difficult to love ourselves, just the way that we are.

This pressure also leads to self loathing—be honest, how many times have you looked in the mirror and criticized a body part—or more serious, the development of eating disorders or body image disorders. Which is why it's so important to try and remember to embrace your natural form.

You have frizzy, curly hair? So what! You have a little extra weight around your belly? Big deal! Your legs aren't supermodel long, and your arms are a little wobbly? That's not the end of the world. There is no point going through life wanting to look like someone else, because then you miss out on all the beautiful things that life has to offer you in the present, and this is holding you back from being the best version of yourself now.

The only thing that does matter is that you are healthy—you eat well and exercise regularly. And if your doctor has not told you to lose weight for medical reasons, then you have absolutely nothing to worry about. In fact, the refusal to accept your body the way it is serves as a stressor to the body, and according to Summer Innanen, "It can disrupt levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, which can wreak havoc on your health."

There is also no such thing as a perfect body, because those standards are largely set by people in Hollywood, and even some of the most famous and talented people in the industry have slammed the unrealistic standards. Among these people, is Oscar-winning actress, Jennifer Lawrence.

Back in 2012, Lawrence told Elle magazine, "In Hollywood, I'm obese. I'm considered a fat actress. I eat like a caveman. I'll be the only actress who doesn't have anorexia rumors! I'm never going to starve myself for a part. I'm invincible. I don't want little girls to be like, 'Oh, I want to look like Katniss so I'm going to skip dinner.'"

Lawrence is one of the many celebs trying to change the ideals of beauty, but how can you start to change the way you think of your own body?

Lori Osachy, who is body image expert and lead therapist at The Body Image Counseling Center, told WebMD that it starts with you no longer saying negative things about your body in front of the mirror. Instead, you should try to say positive things, and remind yourself that you're amazing just the way you are. The end goal is to "retrain your brain how to think positively about your reflection and your body."

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