Most of us wait until spring to even begin to give thought to getting ready for summer. Granted, we may have had a burst of enthusiasm when the first of January rolled around last year...New Year's resolutions and all. But in the back of our minds we knew we had plenty of time to hide beneath the layers of our wool coats, fuzzy jammy pants, sweats and hoodies where no one could really see how extemsive the damage was.
You see, the trouble with waiting is that you really don't have enough time to accomplish your goals before the pool opens. And if you feel you won't accomplish your goals, well, it's pretty likely that you will give up far too soon (not that you should give up at all!).
The secret to getting bikini-ready--and staying that way--is to start now, giving yourself a huge headstart and taking pressure completely out of the picture. I'm going to give you some tips to help you get started right away on your smokin' hot bikini--okay, your smokin' hot swimsuit body.
1. Don the Suit
Dig the bathing suit out of the back of the drawer and put it on. Stand in front of a full-length mirror and assess the damage from all angles. Make a mental note of how bad it is and the fact that you would never go out of the house with that on.
2. Get Mad
Yes, I want you to get mad. Or maybe disgusted, grossed out, bummed, whatever. I want you to realize that what you have going on there is not what you want to have going on come June because it's simply not good. In fact, it's horrible (do you see how far down your butt is sagging?). You should be ashamed!
3. Plot and Plan
Now that you're good an angry at how bad you look, plan to do something about it. If it coincides with your New Year's resolution, great. If not, make it a stand-alone goal that WILL be reached. Remind yourself that there is no way you're butt is leaving the house uncovered looking like last Thanksgiving's mashed potatoes.
4. Set Individual Goals
Take a piece of paper and jot down (or type if you live at the computer) how much weight you'd like to lose, what kind of eating plan you want to use to accomplish this, and what type of exercise program you plan to embark on.
5. Picture This
If possible, put a photo of yourself and your squish someplace you can see it regularly. If you can't stomach the idea of such a picture, find someone on the Web that is approximately your size and print out their picture (they won't care). You can go to Google, choose Images, then type in overweight woman. Voila! You have supply of pics from which to choose. Now, when you feel a moment of weakness coming on; i.e. you want to give up, give in or eat a jelly donut, get the picture out and remind yourself why you are doing this!
6. Picture That
Now find a picture of the #%$!@ who has the body you want to be walking around in this summer. There are an abundance of those too, so it should be no problem. Again, print it out and put it where you can see it on a daily basis, especially when you are feeling weak. Show the picture to your significant other and ask them if they'd like it if you looked like that. When they start salivating tell them to hang on to their socks 'cuz you're going to make that girl look like last week's leftover pasta.
7. Get Serious
By this, I mean take this seriously. You are not just setting out on a whim to lose a pound or two. Rather, you are embarking on a fantastic journey to a hot bikini body and YOU WILL DO THIS, COME HE## OR HIGH WATER!
8. Stay Tuned
In upcoming posts I will be supplying you with all kinds of tips, tricks and ideas to get you through this. If you fall off the wagon, watch out, because I have long arms and I will reach out and drag you back on!!!
Now, quit lollygagging and go put on that bathing suit! You have work to do :)
