SUMMER BODY READY
I can almost hear the nationwide panic now. Summer is just around the corner and that means we will start to be bombarded with messages on how to get “Summer Body Ready”, “Get Shredded for Summer”, “How to Look Snatched in 4 Weeks”.
Do you ever wonder what it would feel like to not be so worried about how your body looks during the summer season, and here's a wild idea… just appreciate and enjoy the body you are in now? A truly revolutionary idea.
Of course I still want you to feel confident, but that confidence is not stemming solely from what your body looks like. Your confidence and self-esteem is impacted by how you treat your mind and body and the comparisons you are making between yourself and others.
TIPS TO GET SUMMER BODY READ
STOP PLAYING THE COMPARISON GAME
Easier said than done of course, but not impossible. In the kindest way possible, you will never look like a model in a magazine, or a celebrity or sometimes even your favorite influencer because often they don’t actually look like that either, thank you photoshop! More often than not they have also paid to look a certain way with multiple procedures and/or medications. We are in the age of ozempyyyy of course. Do yourself a favor, if you are truly finding yourself spending more time than you would like thinking about looking like someone that isn’t yourself, unfollow them, get off of social media, take a deep breath, and remember what real people look like.
BUY CLOTHES & A BATHING SUIT THAT YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE IN
Nothing is worse than putting on old clothes that fit you three summers ago but somehow you have to hold your breath to squeeze into them now. We have all been there, I get it. You can have a mini menty b but afterwards you have to realize that your body will not, and should not, stay the same for your entire life. Go get yourself something new and cute and that fits your body in it’s current state. Clothes should fit you, not the other way around.
EXERCISE IN A WAY THAT FEELS GOOD
Chances are if you do not move your body you are going to feel irritable, your muscles will be tight, your joints might ache, your digestion could suffer, etc. Leaving you feeling even worse about your body than before. But you also shouldn't be forcing yourself to exercise, especially if you don’t like certain training styles. That wouldn't make you feel better either. Find a way of moving that you enjoy and stick with it. Your mind and body will thank you
DON’T SKIP MEALS
I am hoping all you readers aren’t still doing this in the year of 2024, but who knows. Skipping meals won't give you that “snatched waist” you think it will, it will make you hangry, fatigued, constipated, give you a headache, and maybe even cause you to overeat later in the day. A summer body is a fueled body.
PRACTICE BODY APPRECIATION & WEIGHT NEUTRALITY
You don't have to feel positive about your body all the time, no one is confident 24/7. Sometimes the consistent “body positivity” can feel really overwhelming and make you feel even worse. Instead, focus on appreciating your body for what it does for you. For example, acknowledging your strong legs for allowing you to squat so much rather than bashing on them for what they look like in a pair of shorts. Another helpful tip is to focus on neutrality surrounding your body and weight. Instead of praising yourself when your weight may be lower than normal or shame yourself if it fluctuates higher, maybe try to neutralize your thoughts and remember that weight fluctuations are normal and have no moral value connected to them.
To conclude my messy, and anger filled rant…
The only reason we as a society even believe that a “summer body” is different from our normal day-to-day body is because of the billion dollar beauty and wellness industry that declared it so. Years have gone by with them continuing to persuade us that if we do not conform to these standards something absolutely horrible will happen. The only horrible thing happening is the rapid decline of our mental states and self-esteem.
Whatever summer plans you have, I hope that stressing about your body isn’t one of them.
