Summer is Coming: How to Have a Beach Body from a Licensed Therapist

By Taylor Buchanan

Step 1: Have a body (any body!)

Step 2: Go sit on a beach in the aforementioned body!

Ah, if only it felt this simple. Whether it’s battling the constant messaging we may see on social media, navigating conversations with friends and family stuck in diet culture, or challenging our own deep seated beliefs about our bodies, summertime can be a difficult time to truly feel body acceptance. 

Here are some tips based on some of the principles of intuitive eating to begin working on your relationship with food, movement, and your mindset around your body as the days grow longer and the beach starts calling. 

Reject diet mentality through curating your social media to reflect reality

Unfollow those accounts that make you feel worse during your scroll. Seek out diverse representation of realistic bodies in an effort to bring your socials closer to real life. Seeing bodies that look like yours represented in the media can send our brain the message that we are allowed to take up space in public just as we are! 

Be intentional with movement

Check in with yourself before beginning any movement endeavor. Ask yourself “What am I hoping to get from this form of movement?” and “How would I like to feel while I’m moving and afterwards?”. If our motivation for movement is punishment, or to manipulate how our body looks, moving will probably not be very enjoyable or sustainable. 

Trust your intuition when it comes to nourishing your body

This may take time to adjust to if you’ve been stuck in a pattern of dieting. Giving yourself unconditional permission to eat the foods that your body wants sends our brain the message that we are safe, and that we can count on ourselves to nourish our body. Also, summer foods can be so much fun! Bask in the nostalgia of eating an ice cream cone with loved ones, or enjoying cold slices of watermelon by the pool. Every food choice doesn’t have to mean so much if we truly tune in to the innate wisdom of our bodies. 

Validate the uncomfortable thoughts and choose behaviors aligned with your values

 While easier said than done, this can look like switching up your self talk to sound something like this: 

“I’m feeling really uncomfortable about going to the pool with my family because I’m not loving my body in this swim suit. I have a complicated relationship with my postpartum body, as it has gone through many changes, so it makes sense that I’m feeling this way. I’m probably going to feel discomfort on some level today, AND I’m going to choose to go to the pool anyway because I value spending time with my family. I don’t want to miss out on making memories with them.” 

If “loving yourself” feels far fetched right now, work towards a more achievable goal of body neutrality 

Putting on those rose colored glasses doesn’t always feel authentic. While it may not be realistic to love every part of yourself at every moment, it may feel nicer to work towards not thinking about your body as much. Wear clothes that fit you and make you feel less aware of your body as you move through the world. An example of this may be ditching those old pants that dig into your stomach and make you aware of every breath you take, in favor of something that doesn’t bring your constant awareness back to your body.

Unraveling our complex thoughts about food, movement, our bodies, and our sense of self can feel complicated at any time of the year. Thankfully, you don’t have to navigate it alone. If you’re looking for support in healing your relationship with yourself and your body, please reach out. 

If you’re interested in learning more about the principles of intuitive eating, here is a straightforward breakdown: 

https://www.intuitiveeating.org/10-principles-of-intuitive-eating/