Sun, sand and … low self-esteem?

Sun, waves and sand. Sounds like summer. The time has come to enjoy warm weather and let tan lines form. To soak in the fun and relaxation.

But what if you are not confident enough to bare skin at the beach? You are not as toned as those Abercrombie & Fitch models and you don’t exactly tan?

 It seems like the pressure to prance around looking thin and bikini-clad has struck, and you are left feeling like you should not even be at a beach.

It is the pressure to look like you came from the pages of Sports Illustrated. It has been thrust upon society by the thousands of advertisements in magazines and televisions.

Diets and workouts listed on numerous magazine covers claim that they can prepare your body in time to hit the beach. But what is a “beach body” defined as?

A Google search of the term “summer body”  generates results that include images of lean-looking female models and muscular male models.

These are followed by links to “motivations” and “30-day workouts” to acheive said body type.

Unfortunately, these diets are not the answer to achieving a beach body.

Deepak Chopra stated to Forbes magazine that by allowing the body’s hunger signals to be in balance, the impulse to eat will “become your ally instead of your enemy.”

So how does one achieve confidence to make an appearance at the beach without making a run in the opposite direction upon the sight of someone attractive in a swimsuit?

First, you have to accept that these “body standards” were adopted by an industry that is trying to make profit from you. These models are a small percentage of society and they are not the full and true reflection of how people appear.

The next thing to need to do- and probably the one you should already be doing- is to eat healthy. How many times have you heard the phrase “you are what you eat”?

It is true though; eventually those unhealthy fast food burgers and fries will cause harm to your body both on the inside and out.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that it takes time to enforce healthy habits.

The CDC also states that it is all about being patient with new habits.

This does not mean having to completely change your consumption, but rather to add more of what is healthy that you already eat.

Finally, be content with yourself and accept your body.

Liz Brody, in an article for Oprah magazine, listed three steps to gaining self-confidence with your body image.

One step Brody listed is to “avoid making negative remarks about the appearance of others.”

More than likely, the negative remarks are because of a lack of confidence.

Yes, there are certain clothing articles that just do not go with every body type, but that is why you should flaunt what you consider your best assets.