I’d describe myself as a fit person with a few figure flaws. I have a pot belly (thanks mom) and some cellulite. I do have good calves and decent boobs. I don’t have a bikini bod in the traditional media sense (long legs, flat abs, lean arms, etc.). But, my husband prefers me in one. He hates tankinis and thinks of one-pieces as lap-swimming suits. So I started wearing a bikini while on vacation - hoping we wouldn’t run into anyone I knew.
I then moved on to wearing one at the beach with my family (the real critics), usually with a cover up on 75% of the time.
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But now that it’s getting close to summer, we most certainly will be hanging out with friends and family in bathing attire… and I’ll need to get comfortable baring my belly again. Sure I could just say “no way” to my husband and wear whatever I want. But, I kinda like wearing one. Who knew? I hadn’t worn one since I was 9, so the idea has been a little exciting. I always felt I had to get in better, or perfect, shape before I could wear one. But with my husband’s urging, and praise, I stopped waiting.
I can’t say I’m always at ease. Here are a few things I do to get more comfortable.
1) Look around the beach or pool and take note of other women who don’t have traditional bikini bods and notice how comfortable and confident they look.
2) Get waxed.
3) Workout and watch my diet.
4) Get a bikini with a flattering fit and good support, so I know nothing is hanging out that shouldn’t be.
5) Listen to my husband when he says “You look great” - and try to believe him.
I think wearing a bikini, or anything really, is all about confidence. If you feel confident and look confident, then you look good. Confidence is sexy.
“It's a self-esteem issue, not a weight or body shape problem,” Alison Porter, a.k.a. Coach Fabulous, from iVillage.com says in her article “Feel the Bikini Fear and Do it Anyway”. “Your attractiveness isn't just about the size of your thighs, it's about your attitude and how comfortable you are with yourself.”
Porter also says to stop thinking about who’s looking at us. “Our biggest bikini fear comes from the idea that everyone will be watching us and judging us on how we look. The good news is that this is a complete myth, mostly because we're all so neurotic about how we look that we're too busy to focus on anyone else. Also, people are far less shallow than we give them credit for. It's actually our own self-attacking thoughts we're projecting onto others that lead us to believe we're being judged and found wanting.”
So suit up and keep your head high (sucking it in doesn’t hurt either). How do you feel about wearing a bikini?
For some confidence boosting help join the Discovery Health Body Challenge for fitness advice and support.
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