Since the summer months are here, I’ve been seeing hundreds of posts on every social network about people and their “summer” bodies and pictures of everyone in bathing suits. This is making me jealous, but also proud of people who have accomplished their goal of losing weight and fitting into the Instagram-perfect bikini they bought last year.
Now, because I am not thin or athletic like others, people have asked me if I have been working towards my “summer” body for the beaches and pools. The answer to this annoying and rude question for me is no. I am not working on my body becoming thinner and leaner to fit into a bathing suit like models online or on television. Actually, in response to being asked if I have been working out for the perfect body, I’ve actually been stuffing my face with fast food and sodas.
I don’t feel the need to have to work towards a body that I probably could not achieve within a period of 365 days because I just do not have the effort or care to do so. I also do not agree with wanting to lose weight and look "perfect" just for Instagram photos of you with your back turned in a bikini sitting on the edge of a pool. I would rather work towards my healthy body of looking healthy and still beautiful instead of just working towards a body that fits perfectly into a bikini.
I’d honestly rather eat whatever I want and not worry about how I’ll look for the three months that everyone is planning trips to beaches and fun activities. No offense towards those who actually accomplish their own body goals and “summer” body, congrats on you – I just do not feel it's necessary for anyone and everyone to be trying so hard to look super thin for this summer or any summer.
Go out and enjoy ice cream with friends and burgers with your significant other or whatever, but don’t stress over how your body looks in a bathing suit because honestly, it probably does not even look bad and it's just intensified in your mind. Only work towards your “summer” body if you want to, don’t just do it because summer is coming up and everyone keeps asking you about it or telling you to.
Summer should not be your incentive to work hard and make your body how you want it to look. Similarly to the New Year resolution thing, it will not be a powerful enough incentive for you to actually achieve your goal because it is a marked trend everyone else does.
So, I am not working towards my “summer” body now, or next summer, or any summer after that. I’ll only work on making my body thinner and healthier when I actually want to whether it is in fall, winter, or spring.