Wearing a bathing suit in public used to TERRIFY me…

DOES WEARING A BATHING SUIT IN PUBLIC TERRIFY YOU?

Girl, I’ve been there.🙋‍♀️ 

So many times.

When I first moved to San Diego from Utah in 2014, for the first 3 years, every time summer came around, I would freak out knowing those beach & pools days were coming. 

I would start to compare and even resent my body.

Knowing I was going to have to expose myself and show what my body really looked like completely terrified me.

AND HONESTLY, THERE WERE SO MANY TIMES I JUST WANTED TO THROW ON SOME SWEATPANTS, MAKE UP SOME EXCUSE AS TO WHY I COULDN’T GO AND HIDE IN MY APARTMENT, WHICH I’M NOT GOING TO LIE… I ACTUALLY DID A LOT.

It wasn’t fun knowing I should have put in a little more work ahead of time but I also didn’t like feeling like I needed to diet or deprive myself of my favorite foods every time bathing suit season came around. 

But… I have to admit,  it also wasn’t fun feeling insecure and constantly comparing my body to other girls every single time I was at the beach.

When I finally decided to make a change in 2017, I tried everything I could to overcome this “bikini fear”.

I decided it was time to stop feeling insecure and work towards being “that girl” at the pool/beach instead of that girl who envied everyone else.

When I first committed to making a change, I was a mess.

I tried different diets.

I said no to carbs.

I did a ton of cardio.

I tried “eating healthy.”

BUT nothing worked.

I was discouraged, my body wasn’t changing, and my body confidence was at an all time low.

Why was nothing I was doing showing results?

Instead of seeing results for all my hard work, I kept finding myself overwhelmed and ashamed with even the thought of putting my bathing suit on. 

I was so discouraged but I knew I couldn’t quit.

If I wanted to overcome my bikini fear and finally achieve the body that I wanted and could be proud to show off, I HAD to do something different...

Maybe running myself into the ground for no results wasn’t the answer…

SO, INSTEAD THIS TIME I DECIDED TO DO THIS ---

1. Give myself some grace

   •  Instead of taking things to the EXTREME like I usually would, I dedicated myself to making small daily progress like drinking water & not eating out.

2. Finding BALANCE with my nutrition

   • I learned how to calculate macros and started to understand the right portion sizes for my body instead of just “eating healthy.” I stopped feeling guilty for every little hiccup and took it day by day focusing on nourishing my body instead of depriving it.

3. Changing my MINDSET to positivity

   • Instead of putting my body down, I actively worked on building it up. I would tell myself daily affirmations like:

     • You’re beautiful Elise

     • I love your legs Elise

     • Your hard work is paying off Elise

   • Over time, my confidence grew and I actually started to LOVE my body.

4. I switched up my workouts

   • I realized that I had been doing the same workouts for YEARS and the workouts I was doing were no longer helping me achieve my goal but instead were taking me further away.

5. I stayed consistent

   • Now that I was taking a more BALANCED approach instead of one that was EXTREME, it was easier to stay consistent. I continued to stick with it, even when I fell off I would jump right back into my routine and finally all my hard work was yielding results. 

LET’S TALK BALANCE

I PREACH BALANCE SO MUCH BECAUSE BALANCE IS LITERALLY, EVERYTHING AND IT’S WHAT REALLY HELPED ME CHANGE MY LIFE.

I realized that yo-yo dieting and depriving myself was NOT going to help me look good in a bathing suit at least not long term.

What ultimately helped me look good was creating a healthy and balanced lifestyle that supported the goals I was trying to reach at the time.

That lifestyle included fueling my body with healthy nutrition AND allowing myself to enjoy the things I loved as a part of it.

We can really be our own worst critics, especially while staring at yourself in the mirror, wearing a bikini. BUT once I found this balance, my body began to change and I gained SO much confidence!

OVERALL, HERE IS WHAT HELPED ME:

1. Setting an attainable goal

2. Using the 80/20 rule to keep me on track WHILE I got to enjoy the food I love

3. Learning how to fuel my body with proper nutrition

4. Getting some support!

5. Allowing myself to feel confident even through the process of working toward my goal 

Looking back, I laugh at all of the ridiculous things I put my body through trying to achieve that amazing body that I wanted.

IF I COULD TAKE ANYTHING BACK, I WOULDN’T HAVE WASTED TIME ON “DIETS” OR MONEY ON “PRODUCTS” THAT PROMISED QUICK RESULTS.

I definitely took the long road to getting where I want to be but I’m proud to say I got there!!!

If I can do it, you can do it!

Ditch the diets, don’t give up, find what works for you and keep working girl!

If you want a fast track to SUSTAINABLE results instead of the up & down roller coaster I went through, [Click Here] and let’s see if my 12 week BFIT Body & Mind Program is the right fit for you. I now take all of the things I’ve learned over the YEARS of making mistakes and help my clients achieve their own amazing transformations in 12 short weeks. 

You got this!

Xoxo Elise