With the glorious weather and good vibes that summer brings, there’s no denying that summer also brings insecurities and thinking that you don’t have a summer body!
Before you read any further and think this post is going to be about how to get into the smallest body you can, that is not what this post is going to be about.
My interpretation of a summer body is feeling confident, not comparing yourself, no restriction, food freedom, and mindfulness.
If you want to become one step further to achieving this, then keep reading.
p.s I am not a professional, just a girl who is constantly working on my body / food / mind every single day, to get to a better place. These are the tips I have been putting into practice, so hopefully they can help you!
1. Accept the current body you’re in
It is perfectly fine for you to have body goals that you are working towards (in a healthy way), but that doesn’t mean every summer you have before you reach your ‘ideal’ body has to be spent hiding your current body.
It is a liberating feeling just accepting your body and not hiding.
But sometimes, it can be extremely daunting. Having your body out for the world in its natural state can be scary.
But just think about it this way, the more you do something, the less scary it becomes, and if you’re going to do it, do it with confidence, even if that confidence is fake.
No one knows the difference between your real confidence and your fake confidence.
When I say accept the body you’re in, I don’t mean for you to think ‘well I have to accept it negatively’.
Come at it from a more loving and neutral point of view, even if you don’t look like how you want to look like.
This is your body in this current moment in life, in the short time that we have on this world there is no time to hold onto negative energy towards anything about yourself.
The fact we’re here is a miracle, and when you are 80yrs old looking back at your younger years, no matter what your body looks like, you will be thinking I wish I wasn’t so hard on myself.
There is more to life than your appearance. I know when you feel confident, life becomes more positive and you want to go out and make memories. But learning to feel positive and go out and make memories when you’re not confident is important.
We’re not going to feel confident every day of our lives.
2. Don’t compare yourself to others
Easier said than done, I know, but comparison really is the theif of joy.
You need to come to terms with the fact that you could never look like another human being in your life.
Unless you’re an identical twin or have a doppelgänger, there would still be little differences.
We naturally compare people all the time but it somehow only turns negative when we’re comparing ourselves.
Think about it, we look at Margot Robbie, and then look at Megan Fox, we acknowledge both of them are different, but they are both so beautiful.
Just because you look at someone and see you don’t look like them doesn’t mean you aren’t beautiful.
3. No restriction
In my opinion, every time I have went on a diet, restricted myself from something, or just strictly cut it out, I have ended up over consuming it later and failing my ‘diet’ or ‘restriction’.
This could be restricting anything from food, eating past a certain time, certain types of drinks etc.
And I know that some people cut these things out of their life forever and they feel amazing for it. I am not disregarding the results of these people.
But if you have a history of restricting and then bingeing, maybe you should try a different approach.
Have everything in moderation.
This brings me into my next point…
4. Add, don’t take away
This follows along from restricting your food.
When you have a craving and you want something, have it.
For example, I crave chocolate granola. So instead of having that with milk, I have it with yogurt, chia seeds, hemp seeds, fruit, cinnamon, and almond butter.
Yes that may be more calories but it’s about what you’re putting in your body over how many calories (in my opinion).
Adding all of those extra beneficial things, you are keeping yourself more full and satisfied throughout the day.
It also means that you’re not going to binge on all of the foods you restricted later.
Saying that, not every meal has to be ‘good’. If you want to enjoy something without feeling you need to add other foods, then enjoy it!
5. Keep yourself feeling fresh and confident
This could be different for everyone, but making sure you feel fresh and confident is a big thing in having a ‘summer body’.
How to keep yourself feeling fresh and confident:
- Moisturise. There’s nothing that makes me more confident in the summer than having a glowing and nice smelling body! It really does make the world of a difference.
- Shave / hair removal. Feeling smooth and looking smooth is elite, especially in the summer. Whether you like to shave, wax, have laser hair removal, do whatever makes you feel more confident!
- Self tan. If you want to have a glowing tan, but also don’t like to sit out in the sun and want to protect your skin, then fake tan all the way. If you do this and keep on top of your self tan routine, you will still be looking like a glowing goddess when you’re older! I’m not saying the sun is bad for you… but too much sun, especially without protection, could cause more damage than the tan is worth!
- Fresh manicure and pedicure. There truly isn’t anything else that makes you feel more put together than having a fresh, clean mani & pedi. Whether you channel the bright summer colours or you prefer neutral, a fresh set will always make you feel better!
- Wear clothes you feel confident in. There truly isn’t anything that makes you feel as confident in your summer body than feeling confident and comfortable in your clothes.
6. Do movement that you love
Moving your body is healthy, and everyone should always find ways they love to move their body.
The key is finding a way you love to move your body.
Whether that’s pilates, weight training, walking, running, spinning, or a mix of everything.
You can’t hate yourself into a body you love.
It’s a privilege to be able to move your body, so view it as something you get to do, rather than something you have to do.
Moving your body is going to make you feel 10x better, physically as well as mentally.
When I get home from work, I’m nearly falling asleep on the way home, but when I move my body, I feel more energised, less groggy, and less like I just want to rot the night away.
Of course, we all have days we want to rot in bed, and that’s fine, sometimes we need it. But for the most part, moving your body is going to make you feel amazing.
Thank you for reading <3
I hope you enjoyed reading this post! I know summer can be a hard time for some people, but you deserve to feel like you have a summer body, because you do!
If anyone has any other tips on how to get a summer body (i.e what makes you feel the most confident in the summer), then please feel free to share in the comments!)
Don’t miss my latest post!
‘How to stay healthy whilst working a 9-5’
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