Here we go again. The time has come. When you look up and ask yourself where did the time go. The daunting stress of March has come, when the cold months are finally coming to an end and you’re wondering, how much weight can I lose within the next 2 months. You’re Googling crash diets and quick fixes to erase the guilt of not sticking to the, possibly unrealistic weight loss goal that you may have set at the top of the year. 

But we have news for you. We’re going to tell you a secret that goes against what we were all conditioned to think. Are you ready for it? Well, here it goes. 

Your body is summer-ready. 

I know, I know. It goes against the diet culture that we’re used to. This goes against every thin model that you see in bikinis in magazines and ads. It goes against the beauty standards that were placed on you from the time you were born.  You do not have to be a certain weight or size to enjoy your body this summer. No, you don’t have to get rid of every inch of fluff or unwanted pound in order to feel conFITdent in a two-piece. 

We are not saying that you should not work to feel your best. You can continue to hit the gym and try different diets that work for you. But what we do encourage is for you to love the same parts of your body that you want to improve. We’ve been taught that in order to change, you must hate your body. But that’s not true. In fact, rocking your pooch in some cute high-waisted jeans can coexist within the same day that you had an intense ab workout and a visualization of a flat tummy. 

Here are a few tips that TRUE Image Group has for you: 

Dress according to YOUR comfort 

Be present in your current size. As tempting as it is to buy a size down to motivate you in your journey, it’s important to embrace the size that you are comfortable in at the moment. If you wear a size 16, buy the 16. And if you think that you’re going to be a size 14 within the next couple of months, then plan to treat yourself to a size 14 when the time comes (and it will). But until then, wear those cute pants or that cute dress until you get there. 

Erase other people’s standards of what YOU should look like 

Are you the person that hides their insecurities because you feel like people will judge you? Is it your arms? Your stomach? Your thighs? Are you afraid to wear sleeveless tops because other people have told you that you should or shouldn’t wear this or that? Or maybe you’re a person like many of us are, where you grew up being told what you should wear according to your size. “Dress for your size.” “You’re plus-size, so you can’t wear that.” “Your thighs are too big for that.” This type of advice has been passed down from a young age and it’s been placed in our own subconscious brain, so much so, that we tell ourselves these very things. But it’s time to counter this with your own standards. We challenge to question those intrusive thoughts whenever they come up. Ask yourself, “why can’t I?” “Why not me.” 

Throw the rule book away 

Have you ever walked into a store and thought to yourself, “I can’t wear that yet.” Somewhere along the way, came this imaginary rule-book saying at which size you were allowed to wear certain things. Maybe it was the magazines and social media weight-loss stories of women that showed someone wearing oversized t-shirts and pants at a bigger size and then magically getting enough confidence to wear a two-piece when they lost weight. “Cute” does not have a size. In these times, everything comes in a wide range of sizes. Bikinis come in a 2x and 3x. Target and Old Navy have natural bodied models showing how anyone can wear whatever they want. Fashionistas come in all different shapes and sizes. In other words, throw away the rule book and wear whatever you want.