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It’s May and summer is fast approaching. Everywhere you turn is someone selling you a product or service that promises you that swimsuit ready summer body.

I’ve fallen for it myself and I’m slightly ashamed to admit that sometimes I still do. The weather gets warmer and I start feeling that tug to get into “better shape” before I have to bare my legs, arms and midrif.

For years, I was terrified of showing my body. I avoided tight fitting clothes and didn’t wear a swimsuit for well over 10 years. When at the age of 30 I found myself in Italy and having to go to the beach, I spent hours trying on swimsuits and looking for ways to hide my flaws in one.

I eventually settled on a bikini, with a cover up that I wore until I had to take it off to get into the water. Looking around the beach I saw women of all shapes and sizes, many larger than me, from across many generations, most in itsy bitsy bikinis designed to minimize those tan lines. I wished I could be that care free in my own body.

It has taken me over 10 years of summers on the Italian seaside to finally stop poking and proding myself in a swimsuit (truth be told I’m still working on it).

Why the concept of a “summer body” is toxic

I’ve seen it time and again with clients and friends, men and women alike.

The desire to obtain that summer body is deeply ingrained within the fabric of our society. It’s supported by the diet and wellness industry, the fitness industry, the medical industry and even the government. It’s further perpetuated by celebrities, influencers, and even well meaning friends and family members with their summer detoxes, resets and fitness boot camps promising you the body of your dreams in a few short months.

Whichever way you look at it though, it’s a toxic narrative that keeps you stuck in a vicious cycle that gives you permission to neglect your nutritional, health and wellness needs all year long, until you have an aesthetic reason not too. Meaning, until you feel badly enough about yourself and your body that you’re pushed into action to lose weight, flatten your tummy, and get that Beyonce booty and those Madonna arms.

How to shed the toxic “summer body” narrative

As difficult as it has been, I’ve challenged myself to let go of this toxic narrative and the idea that I have to somehow reshape, shift, change, firm up or shrink my body before I can wear summer’s latest fashion trends.

Instead, I’ve made the consious choice to subscribe to the school of thought that promotes making healthy choices - be it food or lifestyle - for their inherent benefits, all year long - meaning intentionally and mindfully caring for, nourishing, and moving my body 365 days a year becauseI want to and because it feels good.

Rather than thinking of diet and exercise as a short term quick fix, I think of them as tools in my self care kit that I have by my side all year long. Instead of worrying about how my body looks from May to September, I focus on how I want to feel and adopt healthy habits that allow me to feel that way throughout the year.

Here are 7 tips to help you ditch the ultimate quest for that “summer body” and focus on mindfully and intentionally caring for your body 365 days of the year.

Create a Vision & Set Goals You Feel Connected To
If you find yourself triggered by the “summer body” narrative and wanting to make changes to your eating and lifestyle habits, it’s ok to pursue that desire. Just be sure you are doing it for the right reasons. Ask yourself why you want to make this change now? Is it because you want it truly or is it because you think that is what is expected of you? Imagine how you want to feel in your body, describe how that feeling will change your life, envision it and articulate it. Know your why, the intrinsic motivators thar are behind that desire for change (not the noise on TV, magazines, social media and all around you) and set goals that you feel deeply connected to and excited about achieving.
Practice Mindful & Intuitive Eating
Instead of opting for a short term quick fix solution that tells you what, when and how to eat, make the sustainable choice to pivot into a a more mindfully intuitive style of eating that allows you to tap into your body’s innate wisdom so you can start trusting yourself to make the choices that are right for you.
Aim to listen to your body and embrace your individuality when it comes to nutrition and ditch the all or nothing mentality that keeps you stuck in a vicious unsupportive cycle of extreme eating habits and behaviours and aim to create healthy habits that stick long term so you can create balance and consistency in the way you nourish yourself.
Move Your Body Mindfully & Joyfully
I admittedly have a complicated relationship with exercise. While I’ve managed to change my relationship with food into one that is healthy and empowering, I haven’t fully accomplished that with exercise yet. For most of my life I used exercise to shrink my body or change it’s composition. I believed the toxic “no pain no gain” narrative and that I had to suffer to get results.
Over the past few years, I’ve shifted my focus toward mindful and joyful movement. I partake in activities that I enjoy doing like walking, yoga, or dance and I don’t push myself past my limits. Consistency is still a struggle for most activities, except for walking as I’ve built it into my family routine, before and after school drop off and pick up.
So, when it comes to movement, choose something you enjoy enough to do consistently, that fits your life, and don’t worry about how much or how little you sweat.
Make Self Care A Priority
Before you ask, self care has everything to do with the “summer body” narrative. If you’re not taking care of yourself you’ll feel off kilter and depleted physically, mentally and emotionally and will be much more vulnerable to the toxicity of diet and wellness industry culture.
Health and wellness isn’t just about what you eat and how you move. It’s multidimensional. Make sure you dedicate time to nourishing your mind and soul. Cultivate mindful and supportive routines for different parts of your day so you can feel good about the progress you are making with your goals, find coping mechanisms for stress, whether it be therapy, journaling or taking some extra me time to breathe, and practice good sleep hygiene.
Practice Self Compassion & Self Acceptance
Negative self talk is rampant. Not only is it mentally exhausting and pointless, but all of the self doubt and criticism increases our cortisol levels, the stress hormone, which leaves us physically exhausted too. Learning to love and accept yourself is no small feat, it takes daily practice and commitment, especially since we’re continuously being bomarded with messages that tells us we’re not enough.
There’s no magic involve and it looks different for everyone but the trick is to stop comparing yourself to others, embrace your uniqueness and aim to become the best version of yourself that you can possibly become. This doesn’t mean there is something wrong with you or that you have to change. Often times becoming the best version of you is learning to accept yourself as you are so you can thrive as you were meant to.
Set Healthy Boundaries
If you’re constantly being bombarded with messaging that makes you question your worth then it’s time to consider setting boundaries for what you allow yourself to be exposed to. Whether that be unfollowing social media accountst that perpetuate toxic narratives around “summer body goals” or drawing a line with the people in your life when it comes to the conversations that you want to engage in with them so you don’t feel triggered by the thoughts, attitudes and behaviours of others.
Ask for Help & Seek Support
If you’re struggling to ditch the “summer body” narrative on your own, you don’t have to do it alone. There are countless communities of like minded women who are looking to ditch the toxic diet and wellness industry narrative too. Seek them out on Facebook, Instagram, or other social media platforms.