beach bikiniSummer is well and truly on it’s way now, and along with summer comes pool parties, beach-going, skimpier clothing, and of course bikinis. Depending on how you’ve spent your winter months you may find yourself wondering: Am I too fat to wear a bikini this year?

Here’s what to do if you find yourself asking this question.

Are Your Concerns Real?

Step 1: You need to establish whether or not your concerns are real, or just in your head.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll know that you can be your own worst critic sometimes.

It’s worth knowing if your concerns about your weight are real or imagined. Sure, maybe you let your diet fly out the window during the colder months so that you could stay warm with comfort food; but did all that food actually go to your thighs and butt like you keep telling yourself?

Unless you’ve got concrete proof to show that you’ve definitely gained weight then don’t stress yourself out for no reason.bikini fat statue

Remember, weight is just a number on a scale and not necessarily a good measure of how you actually look, so don’t give it too much thought.

Instead, you’ll want to cut right to the chase, and see exactly how that bikini actually looks when you’re wearing it.

 

How to Tell If Your Bikini Looks Bad

Shock! Horror! I don’t mean to stress you out with this step ladies, but it is a necessary process.

First of all, what is ‘bad’, and how do you define it?

I don’t intend to body-shame anyone, and I certainly don’t believe it is right to ever do so. In my opinion, ‘Bad’ is if you do not look like you want to look. It’s not about numbers on a scale or on a measuring tape, or what the latest supermodels look like. It’s about how you want to present yourself to the world.swimsuit

Here, you’ll be trying on your bikini – in the privacy of your own home – and scrutinizing yourself in the mirror.

The purpose of this exercise is to get comfortable with your body and how it looks. This is not meant to make you feel bad, or depressed, or give up eating for the next few days.

Instead, you need to be aware of what you’re working with. In any journey there is a starting point and an end point. Today we’ll find that start point.

How To Check Yourself Out In A Mirror

To do this, you’ll need a full length mirror or wall mirror where you are able to see your entire body from head to toe.

You’ll also need a second mirror that you can use to check your reflection so you’ll be able to see what you look like from all angles. This can be a small hand mirror if you have nothing else.

photo credit: Mr TGT via photopin (license)
photo credit: Mr TGT via photopin (license)

Many people avoid looking at their bodies in the mirror, because they are afraid of what they might discover. Some people don’t even realize that this is the reason why they don’t keep an eye on the state of their bodies regularly.

But knowing how your body looks allows you to make positive changes and take action to make it into the way you want it to be.

Ignoring a problem doesn’t solve anything, it just allows things to snowball, which can put you in a worse position once you do finally find out. So take a deep breath and let’s do this.

First of all, you’ll need light, and plenty of it. Forget hiding your body in dim lighting.

If you’re planning on wearing your bikini outdoors, you’ll be fully exposed to bright lighting in the form of the sun, and there’ll be no hiding of imperfections. You want to be fully aware of how you might look in this situation, so get yourself some good lighting for this exercise.

You’ll want to try on your bikini and stand in front of the mirror. How does your body shape up?Next, you need to also check out your rear. Stand with your back to the full length mirror, and using your second mirror, hold it up to your face and angle it so that you can see your reflection in the full length mirror.

You can also do this with a camera instead of a second mirror:

photo credit: Antífama via photopin (license)
photo credit: Antífama via photopin (license)

You should be able to see your back and butt, but by turning a little you can also use this trick to check out your sides and other viewing angles of your body that you may not usually see.

 

Having a Positive Self Image

Doing this little exercise will help you to figure out if you are confident enough to wear that bikini outdoors in public or not.

Are you willing to wear this outfit in public and have others see you like this?

You should also keep in mind that you can be your own worst critic. It is highly likely that other people will not scrutinize your minor imperfections as much as you, so don’t go throwing your bikini in the bin just because you might have a little cellulite on your butt or thighs.

bikini girls
Confidence makes you look good! photo credit: Beach Girls via photopin (license)

Having a positive self image and the right mental attitude is paramount to looking good in a bikini. In the end, the way your body looks is just an extension of what you believe and the confidence that you project to others.

But I Don’t Like the Way I Look, I’m Too Fat!

Don’t feel bad if you aren’t happy with what you see in the mirror. The absolute worst thing you can do at this stage is to feel sorry for yourself.

Many people fall trap to the ‘self pity’ mentality. They get into a pattern of helplessness and then do nothing to change their situation.sad-505857_640

They may even turn to food or other unhealthy habits as a source of comfort. Guess what this does for the problem – it makes it worse.

stop

I’m here to help you break that pattern!

If you weren’t happy with what you saw; if your body is not the way you want it to be; then you need to take positive action.

No one can do anything to change you except yourself. The question is, what will you do?

Instead of asking yourself self-defeating questions like “Why am I always so fat“, and then feeling helpless and sorry for yourself, try this:

Ask yourself something positive, like: “How can I make my body look fit and healthy, and have fun doing it?

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Questions like this start your brain thinking about ways it can tackle the problem you’ve identified, and allow you to take back control. Instead of feeling hopeless and helpless, you switch to being in control and powerful.

This leaves you in a much better state to be able to create the change that you want to see.

Let’s Create The Change You Wish To See

revolution-743467_640Health is a lifestyle. If you’ve identified some issues with the way your body looks that you want to change, you’ll need to change your lifestyle to align with your goals.

If you found that you think your body needs a bit of a shape up before it’s bikini ready, then make a start on an exercise program and begin watching your diet to create the changes you want.

Even just 10 minutes of exercise a day will help you firm up to a sexier shape. Why not try some of our challenges as a start?

Eating healthier also doesn’t need to be difficult or tasteless – you just need to make better food choices. The Flavilicious Cooking recipe book is a great starting point for healthy eating that doesn’t require Calorie counting, and I would highly recommend it.

If you do need to drop a few pounds or firm up a little, My Bikini Butt by Andrea Albright is a very fitting program that can help you get an awesome looking bikini body and butt!

Keep On Top Of Things Until You Succeed!

It’s very important to keep on top of how your body looks and feels, and make changes to bring it in line with how you want it to be. This is true of all things in life, not just looking good in a bikini!

I hope this exercise has helped you today, and remember that the most important thing you can do to create change is to take action – and that means now!

Here’s to your health, and looking and feeling good!

Am I Too Fat to Wear a Bikini? Do This if You’re Asking This Question

8 thoughts on “Am I Too Fat to Wear a Bikini? Do This if You’re Asking This Question

  • May 19, 2015 at 9:28 am
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    It’s funny how there are some countries that have a lot of pressure on how you look compared to others where it’s not that important at all. Can’t say I’m not affected either though.

    I often look in the mirror and scrutinize myself as well. As a guy, I think that we either think that we should be a more certain way, or just kind of give up.

    I think as long as guys don’t go to the beach in a bikini they will generally look alright. Nothing wrong with shorts!

    Everyone should also have a mirror in the shower that they can look into with positive thoughts, and you will end up liking what you see more and more when you work towards making yourself better. Lets go summer!!

    Reply
    • May 19, 2015 at 11:37 am
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      Hey Vince, thanks for sharing your thoughts! I laughed at the thought of a guy in a bikini. Made me think of the ‘mankini’ off Borat (oh dear).

      Yes, I agree that it’s important to actually look at yourself in the mirror to keep an eye on things – otherwise you end up just ignoring any potential problems. I really like that you’ve suggested that along with all the mirror gazing it is important to keep your thoughts positive and focused around self-acceptance and self-love. Cheers!

      Reply
  • February 10, 2017 at 12:52 am
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    if there not comfortable try different types of bikinis or wear board short in the bottom.

    Reply
    • February 12, 2017 at 9:52 am
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      Agreed! You can also try nicely colored or patterned sarongs which can look great too!

      Reply
  • May 23, 2018 at 1:31 am
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    the only bathing suits i have are bikinis. Also, i look like one of the girls in the picture, and she looks skinny, but thats not how i see myself. Everybody says im skinny, but i dont believe them. I love body positivity, i just need a little more. HELP!!!!!

    Reply
    • May 30, 2018 at 2:28 am
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      Hi Nikki,
      Love to hear that you are all about body positivity, keep it up! One tip I can give you is what I try to practice myself. I try to spend more time thinking about how I appreciate my body (it does so much for me – it’s healthy and allows me to move around freely and enjoy life) rather than on how it may look (like everyone, I have things about my body that I’m not too happy about as well).
      I know it’s difficult, but please try not to stress or think too much about how your body looks and what other people think! Our thinking patterns can all too easily become habits, so thinking too much about how your body looks can easily lead to obsessing over it and before you know it you might find yourself bordering on having body dismorphia issues. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  • June 10, 2019 at 3:28 am
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    i believe that you all have wonderful and beautiful bodies, and you shouldnt have to let the reflection define what you are. You are who you want to be. You dont owe anyone looks. you dont owe anyone impressions. nobody has to be impressed with your body. you must love yourself. Maybe its hard to learn to love yourself which i can understand because im trying to learn how to love myself too. But i jut want to leave this here with 3 words. You Are Beautiful. 🙂

    Reply

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