Every year that time comes around right? The yearly office chat “don’t let me eat any more snacks, I need to lose 2 stone to fit into my bikini Susan” or “I’m gonna look like a beached whale”.
Hardly the right path to being beach confident is it?
Whether you’re doing the traditional summer holiday or the winter escape, Living in the UK means we have lots of opportunities to grab cheap flights and head to the beach resorts of Spain, Portugal and the rest of Europe.
Being plus size can often dictate the choice of destinations alongside the accessibility of the resort and culture of the country too. As a plus size travel blogger, I have seen many different attitudes to plus size woman across the world. But the biggest thing I have learnt that it is my attitude towards myself that makes or breaks a holiday.
The beach resorts offer that perfect getaway for those lazy days in the sun with cocktails and the sounds of the waves – ahhhhhh.
But then comes the fear…
The fear of walking along the beach looking at all those tanned “beach bodies” and comparing yourself all the way back to your lounger, where you stay for the rest of the day because you’re too ashamed to get up to go splash in the see and get any untoward attention brought to yourself.
I for one, have had too many holidays ruined by this, as I wasn’t doing all of the things I wanted to do on the holiday. So how do we get beach confident?
Be You’re Own Beach Body
My first tip is to try on all your swimsuits and bikini before you go. Try them on in a mirror in your own space you feel safe at home. Dance around, look yourself up and down and ask yourself if you really feel comfortable in that bikini. Does it snag, is it the wrong colour, can I go to waterparks without my bits falling out. Comfort is the most overrated thing. At this stage, it’s about how you feel.
Once you have agreed which one is comfortable this helps on the beach day to know you’re comfortable form the get-go.
Capture the moments
Think about it this way. Did you really spend all this money to not join in? the people judging you are strangers. The friend and family you are with on holiday do not care about your size. They wouldn’t choose to come with you if they did. Are you going to let complete strangers ruin your holiday you worked long and hard for? Create a space on the beach you are comfortable with, close to local amenities like the bar and the bar. I mean toilets!
Join In
Join in with those games and go for a swim. At first, you may feel conscience. But the more you do the things you love, the more your happiness will shine through and trust me, people see happiness overweight every day.
These tips are the way that I have learnt over my past trips to getting beach confident. These tips are all focused on your attitude – not your perfect outfit, best tan or cover-up.
The sooner we do this our confidence will allow us to go further, both inside and out. So wheres next?????
Author Bio
Gemma is a plus size blogger covering plus size fashion, body confidence, travel and lifestyle.
http://gemmaslittleworld.com
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