Ariel Winter, 18, revealed last summer that she'd undergone a breast reduction, and now she's calling it "the biggest, greatest decision [she] ever made." The Modern Family star got the surgery to alleviate back pain, but in a new interview with Sweet, she shares what pre-reduction life was really like.

"Before I got the surgery I would go in fitting rooms with my friends," Winter said, "and we'd all try on bathing suits or T-shirts or tank tops and I could never wear any of it. I would sit in the dressing room and I would cry because nothing looked good on me. It looked ridiculous on me! I never felt right. I finally feel right."

Then at January's SAG Awards, Winter stunned in a backless gown and shut down haters who criticized her for not covering up her surgery scars.

"I think what's really special about being in the industry nowadays and having social media is that people like myself who have a platform can use it to do good things," Winter explained about her decision to go public with the life-changing surgery. "I just thought it would be really helpful and important for me to share my story."

She's right. When Winter came forward with her decision, she inspired and empowered girls to be comfortable in their skin.

"I had never witnessed a celebrity be so forthcoming about a procedure I had previously considered shameful and private," Bizzy Emerson, who wrote about her breast reduction experience for MTV Voices, said about Winter.

Hats off to Winter for keeping it real and being so honest with her fans. ?