It’s that time of year again. Summer is almost here and you can smell it in the air: citronella candles, suntan lotion, and wait- *sniff*, what’s that?
Ah, yes, desperation.
That’s right folks, its swimsuit season, which for most people means a mad scramble to get into shape quickly and for the fitness magazine industry it means a gold mine.
Everywhere you look magazines are offering articles on how to “Get into Shape in 4 Weeks! 3 Days! 5 Minutes!” They’ve even infiltrated my inbox with their back handed promises of giving me a bikini body in no time.
Needless to say, as a personal trainer, and as a woman, I hate this time of year.
Who is this magazine to decide who is swimsuit ready?
If you are:
- hot
- near a body of water
- want minimal tan lines
…then you are swimsuit ready.
As a personal trainer, this is unsettling to me. Let’s do a little math (ok, keep reading, I’ll do it for you.)
Taking the best of the “programs” I’ve seen, let’s choose the email I received from a very popular woman’s fitness magazine. The subject reads “Get a bikini body in 4 weeks with our bootcamp!”
4 weeks, eh?
The recommended rate for safe weight loss is 1-2 pounds per week. In four weeks, this means a weight loss of 6-8 pounds. Under this logic every reader of this magazine is 6-8 pounds over weight.
How dare you try and shove your 6-8 pound too heavy body into a swimsuit?! No swimming for you! God forbid you, oh, I dunno, buy a swimsuit in your size. That’s why manufacturer’s make different sizes, right?
Of course they would not advocate a weight loss of more than 8 pounds in those 4 weeks because every medical professional you speak to will tell you that it is dangerous. A responsible health and fitness magazine would never give dangerous advice, would they?
Unfortunately, all too often the very magazines that are supposed to motivate us and help us love our bodies do the exact opposite. The problem with these lose weight just for a special occasions programs is they are extreme, restrictive and they don’t teach you anything.
Imagine for a second, what it would feel like to not have to worry about what you look like in a swimsuit. Or that bridesmaid’s dress. Or to be able to look in the mirror and feel good about what you see- not because you fit into a certain size of jeans, but because you love you for you. Imagine how much happier of a person and how much brain-space would be freed up if you didn’t spend as much time scrutinizing your looks.
Consistent exercise and healthy eating, year round, will do just that. Not to lose weight. Not to look “good” in a swimsuit. You will like what you see because you are taking care of yourself- you are taking your health and your life into your own hands. You’ll have more energy, more confidence, and, yes, you will probably have a bangin’ body to boot.
Being fit has nothing to do with how you look in a bikini, and whether you should wear a bikini has nothing to do with how fit you are. Being fit is about your health: your bones, your heart, your muscles, and making sure you have a healthy body fat range- not so you have permission to lounge by the pool by some stupid magazine, but to make sure you live as long and healthy a life as possible.
It’s just that simple. Nothing extreme, and no extreme promises. Just do your best to get 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week, and you’ll never have to worry about swimsuit season again.
My professional advice? Buy a swimsuit in your size, and rock it!
Good advice Kelly. While I do work out, I’m not exactly sporting a model’s body either. But you know, I’ve recently been learning that confidence can make you look a whole lot better than simply losing another 10 pounds. So yeah, I may not look perfect in my bikini, but I do look cute. And, what the hell, it’s fun to be in the sun!
This is a great article, Kelly. I completely agree with your perspective. Thanks for sharing–I am planning to send some friends to read it!