Summer brings less clothes, more skin and loads of talk about diet, new renditions of old exercises and often scrutiny about our bodies. We work all of spring to achieve the tone, shape or slimness we want for summer.
Then with a summer full of celebrations, festivals and occasions to eat with friends, inevitably we end up filling out a little. Summer nights bring ice cream dates, wine on patios, camping trips bring beers by the fire, s'mores and all of those summer weddings mean extra crudites and cakes.
Another summer feature that can't be ignored are the multitudes of media containing tips and tricks on how to get and maintain your best bikini body for those few glutinous months. We pressure ourselves to tone our abs, slim our thighs lift and lift our butts. We all stress about getting our best bikini bod for the season and then further put pressure on ourselves to maintain it while still trying to enjoy the festivities of the season.
Guess what, ladies? You need not worry anymore! I've got a fool proof plan for you to get and maintain your bikini body from the beginning until the end of summer and beyond in just 3 simple steps! Here are 3 super simple steps to getting and keeping a bikini body for the entire summer:
1. Get a bikini.
2. Put it on your body.
3. Realize how hot you are!
What, did you expect a more miraculous suggestion? The bodies that look best in bikinis are the ones who are loved by the people who live in them. Constant scrutiny and negative self talk shows on the outside. Confidence is what is most beautiful, not an extra few pounds or thicker thighs.
Curvy Is Beautiful
Embrace every bump, chub, and roll. If you want to have an athletic, toned body, it will take hard work and dedication to achieve that. There is no quick fix or crash diet that will sustainably help you achieve a new body type. Healthy eating, regular exercise and adopting a mindset that facilitates looking your best is the only thing that will get you there—and this can take months or even years to achieve.
What matters most is feeling great from inside out. Happiness permeates the skin and makes people glow, regardless of how much they weigh or how round their midsection is. So try my three step method to getting a bikini body and embrace who you are.
(Optional step 4: Prance around, shake your booty to Destiny's Child's "bootylicious".) You are you, which is fantastic! Learn to start pointing out all your beautiful traits rather than your perceived flaws. You are a strong and powerful woman. Believe this and you will strut on the beach with sass and flare, that whatever you wear – bikini or not – will always look great on you.
**Title image provided by the author and yogi, Lauren Rudick