Striving for a summer body seems to be on social media a lot at the moment.
Where is the joy in beasting your body for 4 weeks before your holiday, hating every minute, just to feel happy for two weeks on the beach?
Now, there is nothing wrong with wanting to feel awesome in your own skin in Summer, however, when this is the sole focus of your movement and meals, resulting in extreme measures and fads, this is where we get into more troublesome territory.
Striving for a summer body can lead to:
Unrealistic Expectations: the ‘summer body’ is often portrayed as a very specific, ultra lean, six pack, tanned and toned physique. A physique that for many would be unattainable without the support of a trainer and a nutritionist and a lot of work.
Focus on Appearance over Health: the emphasis on is how you look for a few weeks of the year, which may lead to extreme actions which are unsustainable long term.
Seasonal Pressure: it creates a sense of urgency to achieve your goals in a limited time which leads people to use extreme methods; drugs, ultra-restrictive and low calorie eating, exercising solely to burn calories or fat.
Discourages consistency: for any kind of quick body composition changes/ fat-loss, the methods are often extreme and unsustainable. So once you return to 'normality' your body returns to how it was, you may feel negative emotions such as disappointment, guilt and demotivated. Generally this kind of yo-yo dieting leads to low-self esteem, a poor relationship with your body and potentially disordered eating patterns.
What’s the alternative?
Whenever you’re working on any kind of health or fitness goal, as I coach i encourage my clients to:
Focus on FEELING good: we all know how great we feel after a Zumba class, when we eat more nutritious foods how much more energy we have and when we get a decent nights sleep.
No to Yo-yo: Yo-yo dieting leads to a cycle of weight loss and regain. During weight loss periods, you lose both muscle and fat. The frustration of weight regain after dieting efforts can lead to feelings of guilt, shame, and decreased self-esteem.
Progress is more important than Perfection: Progress isn’t just about scale weight, focus on things like improved mood, increased energy, better stamina and endurance.
Embrace diversity: we are all different and have different body shapes and body types, you don’t compare the beauty of a rose to a sunflower, so why should there be a fixed idea of what a ‘summer body’ or being beautiful is?
Ask why? I think it’s super important to check in with yourself and ask why you have these expectations and goals to look a certain way. Work out what is most important to you and what are your values.
I understand people want to feel more confident in their bodies, but going to extremes isn’t the best way.
Here are some sustainable habits to improve overall health:
going for a daily walk
eating plenty of nutrient dense foods such as fruit and vegetables
have a portion of lean protein with as many meals as you can
try to have regular meals which leave you satisfied and satiated (feeling full - but not uncomfortably so)
find fun ways to exercise/ move which you enjoy
rather than feigning false body positivity, look at body neutrality, which focusses on what your body does for you and not how it looks.
There is nothing wrong with having an aesthetic goal, but when this is at the expense of happiness and health, you in danger girl.
Let’s realise not all bodies are the same, however ALL bodies are Summer bodies.
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