Ready for Summer? 4 Tips to Improve your Body Image for Swimsuit Season

Summer is almost upon us, meaning you have probably heard some discussion around weight loss - whether it be from someone you know, or an advertisment for a "Bikini Body" or "Summer Shredding" program. While there is nothing wrong with wanting to change your appearance, the pressure to be leaner during the summer months may contribute to feelings of anxiety and body dissatisfaction. This internal pressure can build up, and create stressful situations, such as comparing your body to others at the beach, feeling the need to avoid social events due to being unhappy with your body, guilt around food choices and much more. As a dietitian who works with active people, there is an ongoing belief among some clients that being leaner = performing better in sport, when this is not the case. This blog post goes into greater detail on this subject.

There is no one size fits all approach to handling poor body image, and it is not something that can be healed overnight. But hopefully these tips will be helpful you reflect on how you view yourself and your body.

1) Buy Clothes that Fit your Current Body Well

Have you heard of someone intentionally buying your clothes a few sizes too small to act as "motivation" for weight loss? Or is it something that you have tried yourself? This can be one of the biggest mistakes you can make, as it could impose unhealthy body image standards.

First of all, there are very few positive outcomes. If the clothing ends up fitting you, then you may feel pressured to maintain that look, even if you took an unhealthy approach to your weight loss. This could push someone further into a cycle of dieting and poor body image - if left unmanaged, this could lead to disordered eating (1, 2). On the other hand, if you dont lose enough weight, then you may feel guilt, shame and disappointment for not being able to fit into those clothes. This may also fuel more extreme and restrictive dieting behaviours, which could have long term health consequences.

Even if you plan on entering a fat loss phase, results should occur GRADUALLY if you want to preserve muscle and strength, promote good health and have lasting results. So yes - even if you are actively pursuing fat loss, you should still purhcase clothes which fit you!

Purchasing clothes that are in your budget that fit you well can...

• Make you feel more comfortable

• Help you feel more confident, by having clothes that are flattering

• Help power you through your training sessions (activewear or swimwear that is too small may hinder your training!)

2) Ditch the negative body image talk with friends and peers

While talking about insecurities can be a way of expressing concerns about your body, it can also further exacerbate poor body image within yourself, and the people you're talking to as it often involves focusing on the perceived negative features of your body. For example:

Riley: "I got these new swim trunks the other day, do I look fat in them? My gut is HUGE! I have so many rolls, even though I have been hitting the gym."

Alex: "Don't say that! You look jacked! On the other hand, my arms have no definition and I have so much cellulite."

Riley: "No, you have an AMAZING body!"

Alex: "Ugh, I need to start eating clean, and getting back to the gym everyday!"

While it is one thing to vent about something with a friend, it is important to be aware on how you and others are engaging. Consider the benefits and risks of engaging in this style of discussion, an relfect on it makes you feel. Does it make you feel sad? relieved? dissatisfied?

If you're comfortable, you can inform other's you're not comfortable in engaging in negative talk about bodies, or encourage more positive discussion. For example, you can talk about something you appreciate about your body vs. something you dislike about it, or shift the discussion away from bodies altogether. For example:

Riley: "I got these new swim trunks the other day. I'm not sure how I feel about them, but I really liked the design - What do you think of them?"

This keeps the topic on the swimsuit, but shifts the focus away from body image.

3) Reflect on your Surroundings

Who, and/or What we surround ourselves with can have a significant influence on your body image and self confidence. For example, how do you feel when scrolling through social media? Do any of the accounts you follow make you feel negatively about yourself? While some accounts may post diet and health related content in good faith, sometimes it might not be a good fit for you. If you realize that the language used, or the content shared on a particular account makes you feel negatively towards your body, it may be best to unfollow.

Same goes with the people we directly interact with. You have the right to amicably remove yourself from a discussion about negative body image if it makes you uncomfortable. Spend time with people who make you feel good about yourself, and limit your time spent with those who make you feel self conscious.

4) Gratitude

This involves being grateful for your body and acknowledging what it does for you vs how it looks. Cultivating a habit of gratitude can help shift you from engaging in negative self-talk to positive self-talk. One simple idea to get started is to write down something you are thanfkul for about your body anytime you have negative thoughts about your body. Some things you might write about include...

• "I am thankful for my patience that helps me lend an ear to friends and family"

• "I am thankful for my endurance that helps me run/hike long distances"

• "I am thankful for my strong arms that help me carry all the groceries inside"

• "I am thankful for my muscular strength that helps me lift weights in the gym"

• "I am thankful for my body for allowing me to dance and listen to music"

Over time, create a list to have on hand whenever you need. This could mean taking a brief review of the list when you're feeling down, or taking part in daily affirmations.

There is a good amount of evidence that body appreciation and gratitude may lead to overall improved mental health and wellbeing, and overall life satisfaction (3,4). In addition a scoping review found that body appreciation is negatively associated with potentially unhealthy beavhiours including alcohol use and risky sexual behaviours in women and adolescent females (5). Acknowledging how you're grateful for your body might feel unnatural, at first, but can be an important step in improving your body image.

(Though Provoking Question: Why does it feel so much more natural for some to acknowledge their insecurities vs what they like about themselves?)

REMEMBER: Your body is probably not the most interesting, nor the most memorable thing about you. Think about it, when you're at a public beach (or anywhere out in public) how many peoples bodies do you recall? Probably none. Think about people who you love whether it's friends, family or a romantic partner - What are the things you love the most about them? Again, it probably isn't their body.

As someone who works with athletes, and those wanting to focus on body recomposition, I often see individuals who face struggles with their body image. Meeting your nutrition, health and fitness goals while fostering positive body image IS possible, and is something I am passionate about. I am now accepting clients for nutrition coaching and other dietitian services. If you are interested in learning more about what I have to offer, check out my services, or book a free discovery call here!

(1) Rounsefell, K., Gibson, S., McLean, S., Blair, M., Molenaar, A., Brennan, L., Truby, H., & McCaffrey, T. A. (2020). Social media, body image and food choices in healthy young adults: A mixed methods systematic review. Nutrition & dietetics: the journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia, 77(1), 19–40. https://doi.org/10.1111/1747-0080.12581

(2) Larson N, Loth KA, Eisenberg ME, Hazzard VM, Neumark-Sztainer D. Body dissatisfaction and disordered eating are prevalent problems among U.S. young people from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds: Findings from the EAT 2010-2018 study. Eat Behav. 2021 Aug;42:101535. doi: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2021.101535. Epub 2021 Jun 22. PMID: 34214761; PMCID: PMC8380709.

(3) Linardon, J., Anderson, C., & McClure, Z. (2023). Body appreciation predicts better mental health and wellbeing. A short-term prospective study. Body image, 45, 20–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.02.001

(4) Kerry, N., Chhabra, R., & Clifton, J. D. W. (2023). Being Thankful for What You Have: A Systematic Review of Evidence for the Effect of Gratitude on Life Satisfaction. Psychology research and behavior management, 16, 4799–4816. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S372432

(5) Nolen, E., & Panisch, L. S. (2022). The Relationship between Body Appreciation and Health Behaviors among Women and Adolescent Girls: A Scoping Review. Health & social work, 47(2), 113–122. https://doi.org/10.1093/hsw/hlac006