How to Rock Your Bikini Bod This Summer (Spoiler alert: Put your bikini on)

Do you ever look at another woman on the beach, rocking a bikini, and think… man I wish I had the body for that? Good news, you do! And when you put on that bikini, I promise you… someone is gonna look at you and think. Man. I wish I had the body for that. But the secret is… it’s not your body… it’s your mind. The only difference between a woman who feels comfortable in a bikini and one who doesn’t… is confidence. And confidence transcends body shape or size.

I know what you’re thinking my sweet and sassy friends, everyone’s a critic. And that’s why it’s so hard to put your brave bold beautiful body out there. Because for sure… there will be someone who is critical of it. Someone who will see all of your flaws and judge you for them. I wish I could tell you that’s not true. I wish I could tell you everyone will see you, and appreciate the unique badass that you are for putting yourself out there. But… here’s the thing. I can’t. 

My last blog garnered quite a bit of attention. Most of it overwhelmingly positive. But. I still had a woman questioning how I could possibly have the audacity to love myself… when there are clearly health factors to consider. And suggesting that me loving myself the way I am is somehow promoting a nation wide obesity epidemic. I don’t care. That’s her problem. 

Was there a part of me that wanted to defend my fatness? Explain away how I got to be where I am now, or where I was in that picture? No. F her. She doesn’t know me. And it doesn’t matter. I am long past the time in my life where I care if you think I’m fat. I am fat. We both agree. There is nothing you can use to hurt me with that because I still wake up every day and like what I see. Liking myself is a choice I’ve made, and I make it every day. What would she have had me do that day? Stay home from my photo shoot because I was too fat? Um. No. No, thank you internet troll. 

There will always be haters, meanies, and bullies. Some haters will disguise themselves as well meaning friends, “concerned about your health.” But your health has nothing to do with feeling good in the body you’ve got, and your body is not something that should be commented on – if that is not something that you feel comfortable with.

Some meanies will be outright catty, and say something that makes you feel sick to your stomach, but then you take a moment to carefully consider whether or not you value the opinion of someone so shitty. Really. Really take a minute. And don’t. Don’t value the opinion of someone so shitty.

Some bullies will be downright jealous that you are confident in yourself and feel compelled to take you down a notch. Don’t let them. It’s just because they don’t understand how you could dare feel good about yourself, when they can’t find a way to feel good about themselves. Rest assured my pretty friends, that is 100% about them and has nothing to do with you at all. And really. You wanna know what? 

F those people. They are not who you are doing it for. You are doing it for yourself. You are doing it for other women just like you who are tired of being told that their body shape doesn’t conform to arbitrary standards. Whose standards? Gf your standards. You are doing it for little girls who don’t want to go to pool parties because their thighs touch. Why are we making little girls feel insecure about their thighs? You are doing it for young women suffering from, and recovering from eating disorders. You are doing it for a future where real women, with real bodies are valued just as much before the filter goes on, as they are after.

With summer just around the corner, now is the time to prioritize your bikini mindset. Wear what you want. Love yourself. F anyone who makes you feel like you are anything short of fabulous.