Wings, donuts and skinny jeans

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Victoria's Secret (see what I did there, eh?). Every year, I get ready to watch the amazing fashion show featuring world's best supermodels. Set in a different city almost every year, they're a real show maker, adding live performances of various music artists. To be a Victoria's Secret angel is an honor; for about 15 years I've felt the same. If the opportunity struck, I'd do it in a second, there's no doubt about that. Every year, the models also choose a girl, one of them that wears the luxury fantasy bra, made of diamonds and is designed especially for the fashion show; Plus, there's a different fantasy bra every year. Pretty neat, huh?

But just like with any other world renowned fashion brand, critiques are flying around; people are saying how models are too thin, they aren't bringing enough diversity to the table, it's sexualizing women, objectifying them, ect.

If other women have the right to dislike fashion models, parading in beautiful lingerie and wings, those same models have the same right to pursue the career of their choice. It doesn't seem fair to me that this particular brand is being under attack just because of their business strategies and choices.

The company has been recently slammed for not casting any transgender or so called 'plus size' models. Their executive Ed Razek gave his statement, saying that Victoria's Secret fashion show is a fantasy and they just don't feel like they should cast any other types of models. I respect that so so much!

No one should be pressured like this; just as other brands are more inclined to plus size models, VS is more inclined to thinner, fitter women. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that!

I also disagree with the statement that they're transphobic. Never has anyone mentioned anything about disliking transgender models, they just simply don't fit in the vision and the image of the brand. So let's not confuse those two. If everyone was doing the same thing, we'd have no need for such variety of fashion brands across the globe.

''She's only taking a picture with a donut in her hand for Instagram. She's not gonna eat it!''

Look at how skinny she is!

Now, I just had to touch the subject of being skinny!

I'm positive that every woman dislikes something about herself and most of them have dealt with weight issues (reasonably or not), it just comes with the creation of self-image.

I have heard it a million times before, I even said it myself a few years ago - Some Victoria's Secret angels are way too thin! Growing up, I was never fat but I still struggled with weight. Battling depression and anxiety on my own, not really knowing what to do, I found a lot of comfort in food and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Things got progressively worse in high school, when mentally I was probably in the worst shape in my life. I never wrote down what I ate, never counted calories or limited myself in any way; I ate when I was hungry, picking whatever I was in the mood for, no matter if I had a few slices of pizza or a bowl of strawberries.

I wasn't fat, but I noticed fat piling up in places I didn't want it. I felt bad in my own skin and for a while there I was lost. I tried dieting a couple times and it didn't go well. Every ''diet manual'' I read had inhumane rules, like eliminating a certain food group, like carbs or sugar. I love bread and baked goods, which is why it was hard for me to stay away. Whenever I managed to do so, I celebrated the next day by buying something I shouldn't eat according to the diet.

4 years ago I finally decided enough is enough! I got a gym membership for motivation and started losing weight while training. Just for the record, I'm 175 cm tall and by the time I got to the gym, I had 70 kilos.

I struggled at first, until I found a perfect balance between weight lifting (which is basically the only thing I did and do at the gym) and losing weight.

At the time, I decided to eat EVERYTHING. And I did. I started counting calories, writing everything I ate into the My fitness pal app, noticing progress every week.

This is what I tell everyone that struggles with food and weight. In order to achieve your goals, you need to learn discipline. Be strict to yourself but not too strict. If you crave a donut, have one! By all means! But if you do, eat a little less of something else, find balance.

I lost 8 kilos in approximately two and a half months and I dare say that I ate at McDonald's at least twice a week; but instead of pigging out completely, I ordered a grilled chicken wrap and enjoyed some fries.

We can't forget about all the body positivity being thrown around and misinterpreted, resulting in encouraging not 'plus size' but obese models. Yes, you should be comfortable in your own skin but that also includes health.

How does all that apply to Victoria's Secret, you must be wondering... Well, a fashion enthusiast that I am, I googled just how much the models eat daily, deciding to try it out myself and shut some jelly mouths.

Various websites said that models eat from 1200-1250 kcal every day a few months before the fashion show that's set in December.

So in December last year, I lowered my daily input from 1600 down to 1250 calories.

Ta-da! I'm alive, happy, not starving, looking healthy and I went down 3 kilos in a couple of months.

What I've learned from this is that I quite often ate just because I had nothing else to do or completely out of habit. I am now more in control, I eat what I like and when someone orders pizza, I have a big ass slice with no regrets. What I do practice for years now, is drinking sugar free beverages.

There always were and will be extreme cases but before you judge a VS angel how she's only taking pictures with food for the gram, think again.

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