Thursday 9 June 2016

How to get body confident for summer



Summer is practically here and we are all looking for ways to feel our absolute best and most confident in ourselves. Now obviously, body confidence should always start from within, so don't think that by just following these few steps you are going to become a new, confident woman. Confidence is something that you have to look inside for and work on by learning about yourself. I can't really help in that respect, but I can give you some amazing tips to help you on your way to achieving full body confidence. I can't guarantee you will all feel like superstar goddesses after but this will certainly help you strive towards this! Now just remember, this is not just about the way you look. You don't have to look like a model to have amazing body confidence. As long as you can feel confident on the inside, this will resonant on the outside and everyone will be in awe of you. You just have to believe in yourself and just remember that YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! That aside, there are a few little tips and tricks to make you feel that extra bit confident on the outside so I hope you find these useful. 

1) Drink lots of water! 

This may seem like the simplest thing but I cannot stress how important water is for your body. As well as the obvious survival and hydration benefits, water is amazing for your skin. This is because when your skin is hydrated it becomes more plump and elastic, and can minimize the appearance of pores and reduce dryness and flakiness. It is also proven to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, and although this may not be of concern to most of you yet, you will thank me in the future! Drinking at least a litre of water a day will give your skin a lovely glowy look and if you are feeling confident about your skin, you will wear less makeup and this will again benefit the look of your skin. So it's a win win! Another benefit of drinking a lot of water is that it can actually aid weight loss. So if you are looking to tone up your body and look your best in a swimsuit, then definitely keep the water flowing. By drinking water you are flushing out any toxins in your body and it is cleansing any rubbish that may be in your stomach. Also, by sipping water throughout the day, you are not only keeping your metabolism running, but you are going to be quenching any need to snack as you can actually get surprisingly full on water. Now, I am not saying don't eat and just drink water, but by drinking just a glass of water every hour you are going to stop the craving for snacking on what could be an unhealthy snack. 

2) Eat clean!

For the lead up to summer and swimsuit season, you want to feel your absolute best about your body. You don't want to be feeling bloated at all so I would suggest to try and eat clean during this time. What I mean by eating clean is to cut out most processed foods, like pizza, chips, burgers etc. and focus on eating a lot more natural products, such as fruits and vegetables. Try and switch up your high starch foods such as white pasta and bread, for a less bloating option like brown rice, cous cous and rye bread. Personally, I try and go gluten free where I can in the run in to summer because I feel less bloated this way, but you don't have to do this. Just by switching up white rice or pasta to brown/wholewheat will minimise the bloating. If you do want to try this, I suggest trying brown rice pasta as it is completely gluten free and doesn't bloat me at all. I am such a baker and I love to cook. I am obsessed with making cakes and desserts and this time of the year is no different. But if I am going to be baking, I like to switch up the flour I am using, and use rice or buckwheat flour instead to again try and cut out the gluten. If you are going to be spending the day lounging by the pool in a bikini, don't have a full stack of pancakes for breakfast, but try some eggs or a smoothie like the one I made here. You can still treat yourself every now and again because it's summer and we want to relax, but my number one rule is everything in moderation! 

3) Pamper yourself! 

Moisturizer is your best friend during summer! If you make sure to keep applying body butters every day, you are going to feel so much more confident in your body. Nobody wants dry, flaky skin and particularly because you are going to be shaving everyday and swimming in chlorinated/salty water your skin is going to be a lot more damaged than usual. Also make sure that you are protecting yourself against the sun. The worst thing is for you to look like a lobster for the entire of your vacation. Peeling burnt skin is not a good look. Make sure to invest in a good sun lotion with a high SPF and apply after sun lotion after every sunbathing session. Another way to feel a bit more body confident is to use a bit of gradual tanner. A few weeks before you are due to start lounging about in the sun, start applying some gradual tanner after you get out of the shower. It will give you a nice natural bronze glow and actually people tend to look a bit slimmer when they are bronzed up which is always a plus. You can use a fake tanner or get a spray tan if you prefer, but I really like gradual tanners as they act as a moisturizer and tanner all in one and look a lot more natural. If you are a beginner, it is much easier to apply a gradual tanner and if you look at my post on my Summer Beauty Essentials, you will see my favourites. 

4) Choose a swimsuit that is right for you!

I cannot stress how important it is to choose a swimsuit that is right for your body. The cut and fit of a swimsuit can dramatically change the way you look, and can either flatter you, or make you look 10 pounds heavier. Here are the most flattering swimsuit options for your body type: 

  • Pear Shape - embellished top or plunging neckline will draw attention away from your larger downstairs area. Stay away from thick-banded bottoms. 
  • Large Bust  - Look for a supportive swimsuit with a high back. Try a halter neck or something with thick straps. Stay away from embellished or frilly details on your chest area. 
  • Small Bust - Go for the embellished tops with some sort of detailing to make your bust look more proportionate. Embrace the bandeau and stay away from a more plain, unpadded suit. 
  • Athletic Shape - Go for suits with less coverage to maximize the appearance of your curves. Look for ruffles or bows to create more shape around the top and bottom area. Avoid one full costume and go for a bikini. 
  • Curvy - Go for an asymmetric suit or something with a plunging neckline to draw attention to this area. Stay away from string bikinis as they will make the hip area look unnecessarily large. High-waisted suits and halters are your friend.  
5) Try a work out! 

Although losing weight and being slim is not the key to feeling body confident in the summertime, doing a bit of exercise is going to make you feel so much better about yourself. I'm not saying go the gym everyday and plan out a massive work out routine. Do what feels right for you and your body. Even if this means just doing a 5 minute squatting session three times a week, your body is just going to look that little bit more toned and you are going to feel much more confident. Another bonus to exercising is the benefit it has on your mental health. The more exercise you do, the better you will feel on the inside as exercising releases the neurotransmitter, Serotonin, which boosts your mood. If you are feeling happier on the inside you are going to feel more confident about your body on the outside. Trust me, this is a tried and tested way to make you feel body confident without needing to lose a bunch of weight. 

I hope you found these tips useful and if you have anymore that I haven't mentioned then please leave them in the comments down below as I would love to try them out. Just remember, you are beautiful and should all feel amazing and confident without the use of any tips and tricks. Love you all. 

Seda x 




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