Getting a Bathing Suit Body: What Works and What Doesn't

As summer approaches, we see more advice on how to get a “beach body”—tanned and toned. But having unrealistic expectations about getting in shape before a beach vacation can put a damper on your fun in the sun. If you are generally fit but have a few extra pounds to lose or would like to look a little more toned, then some of this advice may, in fact, be a quick solution and a good addition to your prevacation planning. However, if you believe that you need to lose 20 pounds before you can feel comfortable in a swimsuit, you’ll need more time to get that beach body you’ve been dreaming of.

We have all heard the miracle diet stories that promise substantial weight loss in no time. Generally, these methods are unhealthy andn even dangerous. Healthy weight-management strategies aim for a 1- or 2-pound weight loss per week and rely on a well-balanced diet and safe exercise activities. But the beach beckons, so what can you do? Here are some long- and short-term strategies for getting your best beach body.

Long-Term Plan

If your beach vacation is a few months away, modify your eating and exercise habits to improve your fitness:

• Count the calories you consume and the calories you burn. Paying attention to the portions you eat at each meal and making smart snack choices will help you reduce the calories you consume. Increase your daily physical activity by adding an extra few minutes to each exercise session, adding an extra weekly session of calorie-burning activity, or upping the intensity of your exercise.

• Consider joining a weight management support group such as Weight Watchers, either in person or online. The support of friends or others with similar weight-management goals has been shown to yield greater weight loss and maintenance.

• Add two sessions of interval training to your weekly workouts. Interval training—short bursts of high-intensity activity—boosts calorie burning. Almost any exercise activity can accommodate interval training. Like to walk? Just add several 30-second to one-minute intervals of faster walking or walking up hills interspersed with moderate-intensity walking. Adventurous exercisers can try boot camp-style workouts at their local health clubs or with personal trainers.

• Make over your daily diet. Keep a food diary for a few days, including a weekend day, and examine your eating habits. Logging all your meals and snacks can help you identify unhealthful food choices and possible eating triggers—maybe a cookie binge corresponding to a family fight. A food diary may also flag weekends as high-calorie days and help you take control by modifying dinners out, deliveries, and take-out meal choices. Online tools are available for calorie counting, and a nutritionist can also help with diet “makeovers.”

• Keep an exercise log. Tracking exercise activities can also help you get more fit and achieve your beach body goals. While 30 minutes of daily exercise is good for cardiovascular health, it probably won’t promote weight loss. (Current government guidelines recommend 60 minutes at least five times weekly for weight loss.) And most of us do overestimate our physical activity levels, so keeping a written record of daily and weekly exercise time and intensity can help determine if you are actually exercising as much as you think you are.

Three Weeks to Takeoff

> If your beach vacation is a few weeks away, focus on small changes that will make you feel more confident.

• Go to Pilates classes. After just a few sessions, you’ll notice that your posture has improved. Simply standing taller will make you look like you’ve lost weight.

• Try an herbal body wrap at a nearby spa. Regular “wrappers” insist that some types of herbal body wraps really do make you look slimmer. Combine it with a relaxing facial and massage, and at the very least, you will feel less stressed about fitting into your swimsuit.

• Shop for a swimsuit that flatters your body type. String bikinis are no longer the most popular suit on the beach. Tankinis with boy short bottoms, one-piece suits with skirts, and fashionable sarongs and cover-ups provide multiple options for hiding the figure flaws that may make you feel self-conscious on the beach.

All Summer and Beyond

Whether your beach vacation is a few weeks or a few months away, the following tips can help:

• Do strength training twice a week. Within four to six weeks, you’ll notice more muscle definition and will feel stronger. That feeling of personal physical strength will translate into confidence when you’re in a swimsuit. A bonus: Strength training increases muscle tissue that, in turn, increases metabolism.

• Try to cut sugar and high-calorie drinks from your diet. If you replace sugary sodas with water (add a splash of lemon, lime, or cranberry juice for flavor), daily sweets with fruits and vegetables, and calorie-laden lattés with a low-fat, low-sugar alternative, you’ll be rewarded by pre-vacation weight loss.

• Pay attention to nutritional information on “diet foods.” Many snacks are marketed as low-fat, but in fact have a higher sugar content that can sabotage your weight-loss efforts. Less fat makes food less satisfying, so you’ll be tempted to eat more calories per serving than you might have if you had eaten the higher fat version.

• Reduce stress. Take a yoga or meditation class (or practice at home) to help reduce stress that may contribute to overeating, fatigue, and weight gain. Also, perform simple stress-relieving breathing exercises for a few minutes throughout the day to alleviate feelings of stress.

• Realize that very few beachgoers have that “perfect 10” body. More than 60% of Americans are overweight—that means that 60% of the people on the beach are likely trying to conceal their own extra pounds and will not be worried about yours.

— Jennifer Van Pelt, MA, CWE, CWC