“I’m dreading getting in a bikini this Summer. What can I do?” Women put themselves under pressure all year, BUT particularly in January with the Resolution season. And also in the Summer with the family holiday. The one you work so hard for.

So with the dreaded bikini holiday coming up, it feels so scary IF you’re not  loving your body.  BUT we want to help women get bikini fit ALL year. Have that same confidence and a body they LOVE and feel CONTENT in,

We want you to LOVE your body and enjoy these precious family times. So here’s our guide to getting you looking and feeling great in a bikini.

You’re more than that

When it comes to it you’re more than just YOU in a bikini and HOW you look.

You are more than the number on the scale. You DEFINE what that number means to you. So simply DON’T let the scale set the tone for your day.

^^^ A blog in the making for sure.

How you look in a bikini doesn’t change how you’re a great mum, partner, daughter, colleague or business owner.

It’s NOT the measure of you.

DON’T fall in the panic trap

The Summer panic trap as I call it. Women I work with before if they listen to the media they’ll do 2 things:

  • Cut calories

This won’t help, cutting calories and food groups like carbs will put your body into starvation mode.

Essentially it’ll panic and hold fat to protect itself as it isn’t sure when it will get more nourishment.  This is where the skinny fat comes from, women who are slim BUT have a tummy and last few pounds they can’t shift.

  • Cardio train

Here we go then, my top 5 ways to

  • Get in a bikini

It sounds sarcastic but it’s an important step. The brain likes predictability and response SO get in a bikini. Look in the mirror and subjectively look at your body in the mirror.

It sounds scary BUT it will make a difference when you arrive on holiday.

Look at all the parts of your body and notice the words that come to mind.

THEN: neutralise these definitions, e.g. my fat bum, becomes this is my bum. Take the definitions out you OWN these and can change them so help them to work for you.

  • Manage your expectations

Try not to heap the pressure on yourself. It’s taken months, years to get where you are now. So why do you think it is any different to lose it? Why put the pressure to do that more quickly?

How many weeks before you go? Work back from there and you can healthily lose 1 – 2 pounds a week. It all depends on these questions:

What you’re doing now for fitness, training and nutrition?

How much weight you have to lose?

How hard you’re willing to work?

How many times you can train a week?

Use these points above to set a realistic expectation of what you can do. OH and get that bikini on ASAP.

  • Mindful eating and drinking

SLOW down when you’re eating. Women on the StrongHer programmes may track calories at some point If needed. This is for education and for them to understand what the breakdown of different foods are, macro wise and calorie wise.

It also helps with mindful eating. So for example if you’re eating out with your partner on a Friday night, and you order bread to start, get through a few bottles of wine  … the calories all add up. You’re just not thinking about it as you’re having a great time.

Try this instead:

Sitting down to eat your meals, at a dinner table and with water to drink with your meal. Chewing eat mouthful 20 or so times and eating with you family to catch up and chat with them. Maybe track a few days to understand your food more.

Eating more mindfully and tracking your food will help you UNDERSTAND how you feel after eating certain foods. PLUS the impact they have on your weight loss.

  • Get consistent with the basics

It’s boring maybe. BUT it works. When it comes to it the basics work and ALWAYS will so are you doing the following consistently:

  1. Getting good quality sleep, read more here
  2. Drinking enough water, read more here
  3. Relaxing and switching off enough, reducing your stress
  4. Eating a whole, healthy food diet 90% of the time?

Nailing the above consistently will make a HUGE difference sleep and water alone with help the pounds drop off.

  • Training effectively

So we’ve already mentioned HOURS of cardio won’t help. In fact it’ll add to the stress your body is already under. SO instead get into the gym and weight train, with a little cardio to finish.

This is how we set up the StrongHer programmes.

  • Strength training to build muscle to give you awesome curves and build your fat burning.
  • Cardio to burn fat and for general health like heart health

If you haven’t done strength training before and are a little intimidated by the guys in the gym get a coach to show you. Oh and you’ll enjoy it, I dare anyone NOT to smile when deadlifting.

Ready to make a change?

Twitter: StrongHer Formula