Self-Care Corner: The “Summer Body” Dilemma

May 1st 2018

Taking some time to talk about a serious topic in a light way~

Summer body. A term that I have heard and seen all too often in recent years. A term that I see plastered on billboards, central to ad campaigns, and spoken about by every trendy news network across the globe. “How do you get a “summer body” fast?” “What are the best foods to eat to get that “beach body?” “What work outs should I be doing to get slim for summer?” “How many calories should I be eating to lose 20 pounds by next Tuesday?” All these ridiculous questions spread around as clickbait titles feeding on people’s insecurities.

It is quite ridiculous really. It is one thing to take your health into your own hands and feel the need to take care of yourself, but it is another to restrict yourself and work yourself crazy for this unattainable beauty standard. So let’s go back and answer these silly little questions I made up about beach bodies and people’s desire to have one:

1. How do you get a “summer body” fast?
   The answer is short and it is, you might not. Getting in shape is about going at your own pace. When getting in shape, you don’t want “quick” results you want lasting results. And just know that a “summer body” is any body in the summer time. If you think like that, then that’s the fastest way to get a summer body!
2. What are the best foods to eat to get that “beach body”?
   Snarky comments about being on the beach and having a body aside, my best advice is to treat your body like a temple. Don’t fill it with trash. Whole foods are better than processed foods and the fewer ingredients the better. Don’t restrict yourself, but don’t over indulge. I’m still working on this myself.
3. What workouts should I be doing to get slim by summer?
   This isn’t a silly or bad question at all. I brought this question up because I’ve seen some really bad cases of “exercise bulimia” where a person will counterbalance every calorie they eat by working it off. Be aware that calories are what fuel your body. You shouldn’t be burning up everything you put in at the gym because that leaves no more for your body to use in day to day life. When exercising, work out in moderation and don’t overexert your body. The goal is to tone, not destroy all calories.
4. How many calories should I be eating to lose 20 pounds by next Tuesday?
   I hate seeing questions like this because I used to ask questions like this. Not as extreme as trying to lose by next Tuesday, but I would look up how to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks. It is a super unhealthy expectation. It is unsafe and will result to yo-yo dieting and crash dieting. Do not restrict calories, just improve what you’re putting in.

But the most important thing I want to reinforce is that your summer body is just your body in the summertime. Don’t build it up in your head that you have to be model thin to fit in or feel adequate. Get in shape if you feel like you need to make a healthy choice, but don’t let the media or the people around you convince you that you need to change in order to be adequate.

Jess~