Looking good in a bikini is top of many women’s wish list for summer. However, looking your best on the beach with very little clothing is not something that can generally be achieved overnight.
For best results, start your ‘operation bikini’ whilst it’s still chilly outside and give yourself time to slim down and tone up in a healthy way before you hit the sand.
10 tips to get a bikini body
There are millions of quick fix bikini body diets and workouts available on the internet, but be wary of those that offer outstanding results in less than a month as these may be encouraging unhealthy rates of weight loss or eliminating vital nutrients from the diet.
When shaping up for summer, don’t just look for a quick fix for a few months of bikini wearing. Instead try to adopt healthy practices that you can maintain year round meaning you are always beach ready and feel healthier and more confident because of it.
1. Maintain your previous bikini body over the winter
It is a lot easier to maintain a healthy weight than it is to lose weight once you have gained it. Therefore the most effective way to be bikini ready for summer is not to gain extra weight over winter.
This means you will need to continue working out and eating well during the cooler months and you may need to adapt your diet and exercise plan to suit this, but you will reap the benefits come summer as well as feel healthier and more energetic during winter as well.
If you haven’t managed to achieve this for the coming summer, don’t panic, just focus on getting back into shape and maintaining that healthy weight for the year to come rather than just the summer months.
2. Get moving
Exercise, be it working out at a gym or incidental exercise such as climbing the stairs at work, all helps to burn calories and lose weight. As the weather gets warmer, there are no excuses not to get out and move more as there are plenty of outdoor activities that can help to burn calories, such as bike riding, walking or even games such as tennis.
Working out also builds muscle and tones your body, which is obviously desirable when wearing a bikini.
3. Eat less calories
You can do crunch after crunch trying to tone up your body, but the reality is that unless you eat fewer calories and reduce your body fat, you probably won’t see much of a result.
Beware of extremely low calorie diets that offer very quick weight loss as these are likely to be short term solutions, and can even be dangerous if certain nutrients are restricted.
Focus instead on a healthy balanced diet featuring all food groups but reducing your calories by about 500 to 1000 per day to lose weight at a healthy rate of one to two pounds per week.
4. Avoid bloating foods
Some foods tend to fill you up with gas, which is not really a good look in a bikini. Avoid high salt food, beer, carbonated drinks and gassy vegetables or legumes such as cabbage or chickpeas to keep your stomach as flat as possible.
A diet high in fiber also helps to reduce bloating, but remember that it may take a little time to get used to a higher fiber diet and to drink plenty of water to avoid constipation.
5. Tone up
Resistance exercises to tone up are a great way to look better in a bikini. Try traditional exercises such as push-ups, lifting weights or squats, or opt for something new such as Pilates or yoga which can produce excellent results too.
6. Choose the right bikini
Not everyone can look like a supermodel in a string bikini, so it is important to select a swimsuit that flatters your figure. Draw focus to your good points with details and ruffles and avoid anything too tight that might produce unsightly bulges.
Everyone’s body is different, so it is natural that not everyone looks good in certain styles.
7. Sit or stand straight
Having good posture is one of the best ways to improve your bikini body and best of all it takes hardly any effort or time. Get into the habit of standing or sitting straight and you can give the appearance of being a lot slimmer than you actually are.
8. Eat protein
Protein tends to fill you up and prevent you from overeating, so include a little lean protein at each meal to help reduce your overall calorie intake.
Protein also tends to be less likely to cause bloating than carbohydrates so reducing carbs a little and replacing it with protein may be a good way to improve your physique.
9. Drink more water
Water fills you up whilst providing no calories and also makes your skin appear much better. Hydrated skin is firmer and generally looks a lot healthier, especially when you are showing a lot of it.
10. Use quick fixes
If you have left it a little too late to drop those winter pounds before you hit the beach this year don’t despair. Start a healthy eating and work out regime to begin the process as soon as possible, but in the meantime use a few little tricks to enhance your beach body.
A fake or spray tan can be a great way to make you look healthy and slimmer and exfoliating and moisturizing produces glowing skin that looks great in a bikini.
If you are still feeling a little self-conscious, invest in a wrap or cover-up that flatters your shape or use strategically placed accessories to cover bits that are not yet ready for public exposure.
