How To Get Ready For The Pool

Getting bikini ready isn't about slimming down and exercising away those excess pounds - it's simply about getting confident and feeling your best, whatever your shape or size, whether you're slim and toned or slightly squishy (I'm in the latter category!). You can't just become confident, but you can work on it so that you feel as comfortable as can be in your own skin.

Take a Look At Yourself In the Mirror

It might sound a bit weird, but in order to really be comfortable in yourself and in your own skin, you've got to sit down and take a look in the mirror. Check out the bad bits, the good bits, the bits that you're indifferent about and the bits you really love. Sure, you might not like your stomach, but what about your chest? The tops of your arms might not be as slim as you like but maybe you have slim wrists? Or do you love your eyes? Maybe you have lovely hair? Whatever it is, focus on the bits of yourself that you love and do everything that you can to highlight those parts. The more you learn to accept your body, and to accept what you cannot change, the more confident you'll feel.

Check Your Posture

Posture is incredibly important when it comes to the way you look and feel. Holding your body straight, with your head up, your shoulders back and your legs straight and your arms long will instantly make you look 10 pounds lighter. If you don't want to look slimmer, that's fine, but if you simply want to appear taller, it'll do the trick. Not only will improving your posture make you look slimmer, leaner and taller, it'll make you seem more confident, more at ease with yourself and it'll portray to the outside world that you're confident, even if you're not. Fake it 'til you make it, as they say!

Go to Sleep

If you don't get enough sleep, your skin will be sallow, your eyes will be dull and you'll just look really, really tired. We call it beauty sleep for a reason and that is because without it, it's fairly difficult to use makeup to make yourself look awake.

See Also: Post-Summer Skin Plan: Bring Your Skin Back To Life Before Autumn

If you're tired out and just can't get any more sleep, make sure that your skin is hydrated by drinking plenty of water and by using a good moisturizer. You won't be able to wear makeup at the pool, so you'll have to get gorgeous glowy skin before you head out.

Banish The Bloat

If you're prone to bloating, there are plenty of things you can do to banish the bloat and flatten your tummy. Refined carbs are full of sugar, which can cause bloating, so stick to wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta and brown rice. They'll fill you up and leave you feeling fuller for longer and they also improve digestion, which means that your body will be able to process the food more easily, preventing and reducing bloating and making your tummy look flatter.

Eat your veggies, stick to unprocessed foods for a few days and try to cook everything from scratch.

Don't Covet - Own What You Have

We're all guilty of looking at pictures in magazines and wishing we could look like the women with the gym-honed bodies and the nutritionists and the 24/7 chefs. But let's be realistic here - in real life, most of us don't look like that. Most of us have lumps, bumps, bruises - and over 90% of us have cellulite. The key to feeling good about yourself and not being jealous of other people's figures is to appreciate what you have. You've got arms, legs, a head (duh!) but even though all of those things might not look the way you want them to look, but they let you walk, talk, have conversations and enjoy life. Try to appreciate what you have and that although you might not look like those airbrushed bodies in the magazines, at least you have time to enjoy life with your family and friends instead of spending several hours a day in the gym. You gotta make sacrifices and if you want the perfect body, you have to work for it. But let's face it - most of us would prefer to eat a chocolate bar or a tub of ice cream than spend hours and hours in the gym. 

Think About What You'll Miss Out On

If you're nervous about your body and don't want to show it off, think about what you'll miss out on if you sit at the side of the pool and cover yourself up in a towel.

See Also: Swimming Is A Great Way To Improve Your General Fitness

You won't really want to get into the pool, swim, or play water games with your friends. Think about all of those times that you've let your body get in the way of enjoying yourself - all of those opportunities that you've missed out on. Yep, some people might not like the way you look - but many people will love it. Most people don't even notice what everyone else looks like - we're far more judgmental of ourselves than others are of us, and that means that actually, most of us are just worrying about what everyone else thinks instead of actually judging other people.

Bottom line - rock that bikini, girlfriend!