Remember the Don Henley song, ‘ The Boys of Summer’? In appointments with clients around Memorial Day each year, nearly everyone talks about their worries of wearing less clothing and bathing suits in particular. Also at this time, nearly every media outlet – social media, emails, commercials on tv and radio – is programed for weight loss and your ‘best beachbody’ for weeks up until the official start of summer on June 21st. This got me thinking on what I refer to as ‘The Noise of Summer’.
Last year I wrote about this topic as well (albeit with a nutrition science twist) and you can find that edition of my e-NL here.
The focus was mainly on how sugar affects us (or doesn’t) and it’s still a highly contested nutrition topic in the media. (Gluten must be very thankful for sugars takeover! đ
So, how do we feel comfortable in our bodies in less clothing and bathing suits if we’re not comfortable with them in the first place? I have 3 ideas to try to help
3 Ideas To Help You Feel More Comfortable a Bathing Suit
- Let Go of Comparison.
Comparing your body to anyone else leads to anxiety and low self esteem. You don’t know what someone else is eating, or not eating, or how much they use Photoshop.
- Bodies Change.
My body at 46 years old is certainly not the same as it was when I was 26 or 36. I’m not wearing the same clothes or bathing suits as I did at those ages. Keeping clothes or bathing suits from a young age to try to fit into them again is a Really. Bad. Idea. This is a form of ‘body checking’ and again leads to comparison, which leads to low self esteem (see #1!).
- Use Gratitude.
Where gratitude is, comparison and negativity cannot exist. For me, I think of my body as strong – most of the time. Some days I feel less energy, therefore less strength, and this could be from a myriad of reasons – lots of stuff with our kids, in addition to work, the cats woke me up 3 nights in a row, or I’m more stressed out than usual – whatever the reason… But when I visualize my strong body and focus on this in the form of gratitude, guess what? I don’t hear any ‘summer noise’.
I asked a few other clinicians for their posts on this topic:
Julie Duffy Dillon of the Love Food Podcast talks about the fears of binge eating on vacation on episode 35 here.
Summer Innanen recorded this video on getting your ‘body ready for the summer’.
Beth Rosen wrote a blog on How To Have A Beach Body (Hint: You Already Have One!)
Natalie Joffe composed a post on GirlsGoneStrong.com called 5 Strategies to Cultivate Body Respect in a Thin-Privileged World.
Alexis Conason posted as well calling her piece Getting Beach Body Ready.
Lindy Shanti’s blog includes advice for dealing with your closet and warm weather clothing.
Also, if you have not picked up this month’s issue of Self Magazine. Go get it, now. You can find Kevin Klatt’s post from this month’s issue on why diets fail here.
I have interviewed Kevin and included some of his work in my e-newsletters in the past. Here are both of the links:
Keep the entire issue for reference!
Cheers to YOU this summer, not the ‘noise of summer’.
